Hermit base class + Tao Disciplines: The Tao Unleashed!

[Anomander]

Hermit



"If you're looking to become a little better as a human, I might be able to give you a little advice. - Kasen Ibaraki, Xian Hermit

Hermits, also known as Cloistered Mystical Taoist Pious Mountain Wizards, are beings who closely follow the Way; the Tao.
Often seeking to live as long as Heaven and Earth, they are individualists seeking to become no one and unite other such opposites into a greater harmony.
They believe that the universe works perfectly according to its own Way and that by following the flow of its forces instead of interfering with them they may become one with the world and transcend to a higher state of being - and achieve immortality.
Following the Path is similar to swimming in the current’s direction instead of swimming against it. They diminish their ego to gain greater harmony and become an extension of the will of the universe itself.

Hermits rarely seek to kill others, fighting to learn and to teach. Even when they wage violence, they usually do so with an attitude of compassion, moderation and humility.
Sometimes they help their community with exorcisms and the extermination of creatures bent on disharmony or born from it, such as most undead creatures, most devils and demons and other abominations, but as all things have their place in the world, peaceful resolutions are preferred.

They are beacons of hope and peace for many; sages so wise they bless the earth they walk and inspire with their spiritual guidance, elevating their allies to new heights.

There are as many kinds of hermits as there are people. Most become disciples only for the promise of immortality, but as the Way requires an empty heart (which does not mean being heartless, on the contrary) and being free of the desire to become immortal, few makes it all the way and reach enlightenment.

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In the void is virtue, and no evil. Wisdom has existence, principle has existence, the Way has existence, spirit is nothingness.

1. Accept everything just the way it is.
2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.
3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.
4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.
5. Be detached from desire your whole life long.
6. Do not regret what you have done.
7. Never be jealous.
8. Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.
9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others.
10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.
11. In all things have no preferences.
12. Be indifferent to where you live.
13. Do not pursue the taste of good food.
14. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.
15. Do not act following customary beliefs.
16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.
17. Do not fear death.
18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.
19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.
20. You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour.
21. Never stray from the Way.
*22. If you meet the Buddha, kill him.
― Miyamoto Musashi, Dokkōdō
*unavoidable extra

MAKING AN HERMIT
"The Way is empty, yet inexhaustible, like an abyss!"

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Abilities: Wisdom is the key ability for the Desire Drive martial discipline and the bread and butter of most of your abilities. Dexterity is important seeing how you're probably not wearing any armor and many maneuvers rely on ranged attack rolls. Constitution bolsters your hit points. Strength can be useful to the more hands-on hermits for better melee attacks and better damage.
Races: Humans. Races with a short life are those most drawn to the Way.
Alignment: Hermits are usually good natured or neutral. Aiming for harmony generally means that you are not causing trouble but some evil hermits (more mischievously wicked than evil) take the idea of Harmony more as a quest to force the world into harmony with themselves in order to gain power. In either case, they are usually very disciplined and tend to be lawful as a result - though hermits train to become apt at spontaneously making the right decisions, thinking on things as little as possible. This is why most hermit adepts are lawful and some hermit masters are chaotic; they practiced for it.
Yet ultimately, because harmony requires one to go through the difficulty of embracing the opposites, the ideal alignment of an Hermit is Neutral.

Adaptation: In many campaign settings Taoism does not exist. In these settings, Taoism may be replaced by a philosophy of life axed on the transcendence of the individual and the quest for harmony with the universe.

Starting Gold: 4d4x10 (100gp)
Starting Age: Mostly late twenties and up. The prospect of immortality becomes more appealing once you really begin to worry about getting old.

CLASS INFORMATION
"I do not know its name. I call it the Way. For the lack of better words I call it great."

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Hit Die
d8.

Class Skills
The Hermit’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Alchemy; they do not need to be spellcasters), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level
(4 + Int modifier) x4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level
4 + Int modifier.

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will			Special			Maneuvers Known	Maneuvers Readied	Stances Known
1st	0	0	2	2			Wu Wei, Turn or rebuke undead			3	2	1
2nd	1	0	3	3			Dantian Focus, Unarmed Strike			4	3	1
3rd	2	1	3	3			Accelerating Tastes			5	4	1
4th	3	1	4	4			Sheltered Soul			6	5	1
5th	3	1	4	4			Dantian Focus			7	5	2
6th	4	2	5	5			Shikaisen Essence			8	6	2
7th	5	2	5	5			Wu Wei			9	7	2
8th	6	2	6	6			Dantian Focus			10	8	2
9th	6	3	6	6			Hold Harmony Sacred			11	9	2
10th	7	3	7	7			Blood of the One with Latent Power			12	10	2
11th	8	3	7	7			Dantian Focus			13	10	3
12th	9	4	8	8			A One-Track Paradise			14	11	3
13th	9	4	8	8			Wu Wei			15	12	3
14th	10	4	9	9			Dantian Focus			16	13	3
15th	11	5	9	9			Blood of the Transcendent One			17	14	4
16th	12	5	10	10			Wuji			18	14	4
17th	12	5	10	10			Dantian Focus			19	15	5
18th	13	6	11	11			Senkai			20	16	5
19th	14	6	11	11			Wu Wei			21	17	6
20th	15	6	12	12			Dantian Focus, The Transformation of Things			22	17	6

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Hermit.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Hermits are proficient with simple weapons, handaxe, longbow, longsword, shortbow, short sword, warfan and light armors.

Maneuvers
Hermits learn maneuvers from the Desire Drive and one other martial discipline of their choice. Their Initiator level increases with each Hermit level, and they may only learn maneuvers of a level no bigger than half (IL+1).

At 4th level, and every even-numbered level afterwards, Hermits can replace one of their older maneuvers with a new one they qualify for.

Maneuvers Readied
Hermits can ready their maneuvers with 5 minutes of meditation on the Way. They begin every encounter with all their maneuvers unexpended and recover one maneuver when they enter a stance or change their Dantian Focus.

Stances Known
You begin play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from a discipline open to you.
At 5nd, 11th, 15th 17th and 19th level, you can choose an additional stance.

Wu Wei
Upon attaining 1st, 7th, 13th and 19th level, an Hermit gains an ability of his choice from among the following options.

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Death Trance If the Hermit is brought to zero hit points or lower, he enters a death trance and cannot be treated as disabled at 0 hit points or as dying at –1 hit points and below. For one round, the Hermit cannot die of hit point loss or suffer ill effects, may initiate an expended maneuver as if it was ready and can continue to fight normally until the end of that round. After a full round has passed, if at any point the Hermit suffered enough damage to be killed during that round, he pays his dept to the cosmos and perishes automatically.
If he survived, the Hermit leaves his stance and cannot use this ability again for one minute.

Follow the Flow: As they seek harmony, many Hermits try to follow with their opponent’s energy instead of opposing it.
Once per round, when the Hermit must make an opposed check, he may use his adversary’s own modifier instead of his own.

Harmonic Release: With a single swift action the Hermit may now simultaneously enter and/or change his stance and Dantian Focus. If the Hermit acquires the ability to enter more than one stance or more than one Dantian Focus, they may also change them with that swift action.

Inner Light: The Hermit may use the Light spell effect at will.
Once per hour, the Hermit may generate a gargantuan swarm of tiny spheres or petals of light centered on any intersection of his aura. It ends all darkness effects of an equivalent spell level equal to or below half the Hermit's class level (rounded down) as a standard action. The swarm is immaterial and occupies no space. It sheds bright daylight in a radius equal to 15 ft. per class level from its center (and dim light for an additional 15 ft. per class level). All allies within the area of bright light heals an additional amount of hit points equal to the Hermit's ranks in Listen whenever they receive an healing effect (natural healing, such as fast healing, does not count). The swarm lasts indefinitely and only one may be set at a time. If a new one is created, the previous one fades away.

Just One's Nature: The primal is innately aligned with the Way. An Hermit does not impose his will on nature, he listens to it and connects with the whole, becoming one.
The Hermit can use Listen skill checks in place of Handle Animal checks and may now trade some or even all of his readied maneuvers for 24 hours, during which period he may not use or unready them. For each maneuver so traded, he gains one use of a Summon Nature's Ally spell effect of the traded maneuver's level. The summons last until the traded maneuver is restored, until they are slain or until they are dismissed. An Hermit may not have more than one Summon Nature's Ally effect from this ability active at a time - if he uses it again, the previous summons are automatically dismissed. If the Hermit has an animal companion, wild cohort or some other trained animal servants, he may have them called within the spell effect's range instead with a use of this ability's Summon Nature's Ally.

Like the Rock in the River: Whenever the Hermit is attacked (as per the ‘Attack’ definition of Invisibility) while in Total Defense, the attacker uses its worst ability modifier instead of the ability modifier it used for the attack or effect. This does not change how the same attack might affect other targets.

Mind like Water: By not being ready for anything, Hermits have the perfect position to be ready for anything. When they enter a stance after being without a stance for at least three rounds, they may also initiate a Boost maneuver with an initiation time no longer than a swift action as a free action.

Power Balance: Most Hermits are trained to do as little as possible, which often translates into redirecting their opponent’s energy toward themselves.
When he attacks (as per Invisibility) within melee reach of his target, the Hermit may once per round use the defender’s best ability modifier instead of what he would normally use for the attack. In appearance, it usually either does not seem like the Hermit is doing any effort on the attack or as if the defender clumsily puts himself into harm’s way.
If the attack has multiple targets, he chooses the target this ability involves.

Turn or Rebuke Undead
Hermits devote themselves to a special communion with Nature and, though some decide to live in isolation, many serve their communities and protect them from evil and the terrors of the Spirit Realm.
As per the cleric ability of the same name, but Turning checks, number of times per day and turning damage are based on Wisdom instead of Charisma. Levels in other classes with this ability progress it though the number of uses per day do not stack.

Dantian Focus
The Hermit can focus his lifeforce to release his potential in a certain aspect of his being. Activating a Dantian Focus requires a swift action or a move action. He may have one Dantian Focus active at a time.
Each bonus granted by Dantian Focus is equal to twice the amount of Dantian Focuses acquired. These are circumstance bonuses that do not stack with each other.
Choose one Dantian Focus each time you acquire this class feature.

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Transcendental Accuracy: Ignore 5% per granted bonus of all enemies' miss chances.

Transcendental Aegis: Bonus on Armor Class.

Transcendental Disruption: Bonus on checks to dispel and your attacks affect creatures as if their DR and energy resistances were lower by an amount equal to the granted bonus, to a minimum of 0.

Transcendental Health: Bonus on all saves.

Transcendental Might: Bonus on damage rolls.

Transcendental Power: Increase the save DCs of your abilities by half the granted bonus.

Transcendental Resistance: Gain a resistance to energy damage equal to twice the granted bonus. This stacks with other sources of energy resistance.

Transcendental Skin: Gain DR/- equal to the granted bonus. This damage reduction may stack with other DR sources.

Transcendental Speed: Base speed is increased by a number of feet equal to 5 times the granted bonus.

Transcendental Strike: Bonus on attack rolls and grapple checks.

Transcendental Talent: Bonus on ability checks and skill checks based on an ability score chosen upon acquisition. May be selected more than once, choosing a different ability score each time.

Transcendental Vigor: Gain Fast Healing equal to the bonus, healing upon activation. Stacks with other sources of Fast Healing.

Unarmed Strike
At second level, the Hermit gains the Improved Unarmed Strike feat as a bonus feat. In addition, the Hermit's unarmed strike does more damage than normal, as per the Monk ability of the same name.
Hermits who multiclass into/from Monk may stack their Hermit levels with their Monk levels for the purpose of progression with the Monk’s unarmed damage.

Accelerated Tastes
An Hermit of 3rd level or higher learns to listen to the cosmos with his soul or higher consciousness, which makes him more sensible to the voice of the hearts and souls.
The Hermit gains immunity to deafness and may still hear and make listen checks in situations where it would be impossible to, such as within the area of a Silence effect or within a tornado. The DC of his listen checks to hear sounds hampered or suppressed by these situations and effects increase by 10.
Additionally, the Hermit needs sustenance as a creature of one size category smaller and comfortable live without sleeping for twice as long. Every two additional class level allows the Hermit to consume as a creature of another size category smaller and to go without sleep for an additional day. Once his needs of sustenance are those of a fine sized creature, he can live on mist alone. Natural healing occurs as if the Hermit sleeps continuously.

Sheltered Soul
The Hermit gains a bonus equal to half his class level to saves against Fear effects, effects reducing his lifespan or changing his age and all effects that would kill/destroy him.
If such an effect would affect him without a save, he gains a Will save vs a DC equal to (10 + ½HD + Highest ability modifier) of the effect's user to negate it.
If the Hermit becomes an Ex-Hermit, he loses this ability.

Shikaisen Essence
An Hermit of 6th level or higher has finally managed to successfully make the “Numinous Treasure Talisman of the Grand Mystery for Living in Hiding” and brew the Rentan Elixir using exotic materials and Taoist lore, confirming his status as an above-average Hermit. Making a new set costs the Hermit's HD times 200 gp in special materials.
With both the Hermit may perform a rite (that mostly involves faking your own death) that deceives the soul-summoning spirits into registering you as ‘dead’ as far as the cosmos and the gods of death are concerned. However, the Hermit must change his name permanently and leave his family and hometown (unless he changed his body or if they are Hermits too), never to willingly meet them again until at least one generation has passed and under its new identity.
This effectively lead everyone that knows the Hermit to believe him dead; the cause of death being what he wrote on the talisman.
After the ritual, the Hermit must try to avoid meeting anybody and remain in solitude for 24 hours, after which the universe knows him under a different name and, to the Hermit's option, he may also change his appearance, race and gender permanently. If the new race would require a number of monster class levels, HDs or LA, the Hermit may trade some class levels to fill the minimum required but must still have enough Hermit levels to have the Shikaisen class feature.
After his first ritual, the Hermit longer takes ability score penalties or benefits for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties he may have already incurred, however, remain in place.
The Hermit can die of old age but may prolong his lifespan by repeating the rite.

Hermits who prefer to skip on becoming a Shikaisen forever are rewarded for their virtue, gaining a bonus feat of their choice for as long as they do not perform the ritual on themselves.
*Hermits cannot perform the ritual on someone else. It involves unique meditation techniques that only the experience of a level 6 and higher Hermit may possess. Hermits who returns to their hometown with their original body too soon lose the benefits of being a Shikaisen. The ritual works only once per new identity; the soul-summoning spirits won’t be fooled twice.

Hold Harmony Sacred
An Hermit of 9th level or higher unlocks the secrets of harmony, making the nature of the universe his own and allowing it to manifest through him.
Once per round, the Hermit may expend one turn or rebuke undead attempt to gain one additional immediate action that may be used to initiate maneuvers or to enter/change his stance or Dantian Focus. If he enters or changes his stance or Dantian Focus, he recovers one additional expended maneuver and may expend additional attempts to recover another maneuver for each additional daily use of turn or rebuke undead expended.

Blood of the One with Latent Power
An Hermit of 10h level is well on his way to enlightenment and awakens a great power within in his meditation. Choose one of the abilities below, provided that you have one of its required Wu Wei abilities.

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Ashen Arm
Wu Wei requirement: Inner Light or Just One's Nature

The Hermit may now have a spectral arm (and hand) come out of his body with a move action on his turn. The arm connects to his main body. It is invisible and is malleable in shape; stretching and expending beyond the limits of the Hermit's own body. An Hermit may not generate more than one arm at a time. The arm has an adjustable reach of up to 15 ft. longer or shorter than the Hermit's (to an minimum of zero if it is completely retracted within his body) and deals unarmed strike damage as if up to two size categories larger or smaller. It may attack or manipulate incorporeal and ethereal creatures and objects normally. It attacks as an invisible creature, is considered to be an off hand and may only make one attack in a fullattack action (unless multiweapon/two-weapon fighting feats/abilities are used to give it additional attacks).
However, the Hermit has the option to sacrifice his main hand's arm to have it replaced by the ashen arm (or if he already lost his arm), in which case it becomes an Extraordinary ability and behaves normally as his main hand (including being equipped with magic items).
Hermits doing so usually cover the ashen arm with ribbons or bandages or wear long sleeves and gloves to make it visible to others.

Angel Raiment
Wu Wei requirement: Death Trance, Follow the Flow

The Hermit can bring out an immaterial piece of cloth that hovers around his waist, emanating from him as testament to both his will to overcome death and his proximity to celestial ideals. The raiment is just a manifestation of the Hermit's qi and the universe watching over him; others cannot interact with it, but at the Hermit's option, he may allow it to manifest for others to see. The Hermit may renew the cloth with a free action on his turn. It is a supernatural ability.
If the Hermit holds a part of angel raiment with at least one hand, he gains a flight speed of perfect maneuverability equal to 5 feet times his class level. If the effect is suppressed or if the Hermit lets go of the cloth he falls at a pace of 40 ft. per round, negating falling damage. The Hermit may choose to fall normally with a free action.
If he forsakes the capacity to ever gain any benefit whatsoever from items and other effects requiring the Body item slot, the Hermit gains a bonus to its natural armor equal to half his class level and, although the cloth does not count as an armor, it can now be enhanced as one. If the Hermit sacrifices treasure equal to an enhancement's market value or with treasure and XP as per its crafting costs, and with one hour of uninterrupted meditation, the cloth is augmented with the chosen enhancements permanently.
Enhancement bonus to AC from enhancing the cloth are enhancement bonus to natural armor.

The Hermit may bless a willing creature he can see with the angel raiment as an immediate action. The cloth gives it only half its usual flight speed but cannot grant the armor bonus to AC or any armor enhancements or special abilities. The Hermit must renew this blessing each round with a free action or the cloth automatically returns to him.

Heavenly Time and Earthly Space
Wu Wei requirement: Like the Rock in the River, Mind like Water

The Hermit has acquired the power of Feng Shui to discern how to balance and manipulate the flow of qi by modifying the environment and the way it influences the life energy of those within it.
With a standard action the Hermit may select a 2 ft./class level radius area (rounded down to the nearest 5 ft. increment) within a range of the same distance that will become his designated Earthly Space. When set, the Earthly Space suppresses all area of effects used within, brought into, or cast into the area, but does not dispel them. It lasts until the Hermit sets another one up. To use this ability again, the Hermit must prepare by spending four move actions doing nothing but channeling qi within himself.
Additionally, the Hermit may spend 10 minutes to make some special arrangements within the area chosen for his Earthly Space (usually in the design). Anyone who spends 8 hours within the specially designed Earthly Space is blessed by the heaven's fortune, each getting the same benefit from one of the following for 24 hours, as chosen by the Hermit. He can dismiss the Earthly Space with a free action.
Health: Maximum hit points increased by 10%.
Wealth: When treasures are found, find additional valuables (usually gems and coins) whose total market value equals 10% of the treasure's.
Luck: One reroll on any kind of die roll.
Energy: Experience gains from encounters and challenge resolutions are increased by 10%. 

Principle of Heaven
Wu Wei requirement: Harmonic Release or Power Balance

The Hermit's altruism has him seeking to let others benefit from the Way, often hoping that they'd be inspired by it and become better individuals or to support a community. They can release their Dantian Focus outward as an aura that lets allies within 60 ft. to also benefit from it.

A One-Track Paradise
At 12th level, the Hermit has become a significant part of the essence of the universe, which endows him with the stability of body, mind and soul he will need to endure threats that wouldn't directly challenge his discipline and training. If the Hermit is under Trance Mode and would be affected by any kind of ill effect without a save or an opposed check (besides damage and death from damage), that part of the effect simply does not apply to him.

Blood of the Transcendent One
At 15th level, the Hermit awakens his specialty. The first ability gained from Blood of the One with Latent Power transcends, allowing the Hermit to tap into its true potential.

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Ashen Arm
The arm may now be separated from the Hermit with a free action, sending it to any distance at a point that is seen. It disconnects at the elbow with both extremities fading out to nothingness.
The Hermit may make attacks with the separated arm as if he was also at its location except that only the arm has its increased reach. The Hermit is still considered to be wearing anything equipped by the arm. The arm can be reconnected or relocated instantly with a move action. Anything held by the arm whose weight is no more than the Hermit's light load is brought back with it provided that there is enough space around the Hermit for it. A creature can be retrieved regardless of weight if there is space for it and if the arm wins a grapple check to move the creature.
While disconnected it has hit points equal to (4 + the Hermit's wisdom modifier) times his class level and the Hermit may transfer some of his auras and other emanations to the arm instead of himself. If the arm is destroyed while separated, it may be reformed attached to the Hermit with all its equipped gear with a move action normally. The arm retains the hit points it had when it was last separated and heals a number of hit points each equal to the Hermit's wisdom modifier at the end of each round fully spent attached to the Hermit. While attached, it is also healed by any healing received by the Hermit. In either state, it can now interact with elements in the coexistent planes a if they were in the Hermit's occupied plane (ei: the material/shadow/ethereal planes are coexistent).

Angel Raiment
The cloth magnifies the Hermit's wellspring of power that energizes his needs independently of the world's mystical resources.
It allows him to produce the mystical energy required for magic and supernatural abilities to function, allowing him and his equipment to endure through effects such as antimagic fields and dead magic areas and use his supernatural abilities normally. He is still subject to dispels as normal.

Twice per day with a standard action, the Hermit may also momentarily become one with the universe to manifest his individuality once more somewhere else. This works as a greater teleport effect but may only affect himself. If the cloth is being worn by a willing creature, the Hermit may spend a standard action to have it teleported without a save.

Heavenly Time and Earthly Space
Upon calling the Earthly Space, the Hermit may now also set it conjointly with Heavenly Time. All time within the Earthly Space is in harmony and perfectly equalized. Within it, time manipulation effects and any other ability or effect granting additional actions per turn cannot be operated.
All abilities and effects used within a mile of the Earthly Space that increase the number of rounds experienced by an individual (such as the Time Stop spell effect) are also taking effect within the entirety of the Earthly Space; all within it act normally during these extra rounds. However, leaving the Earthly Space returns them to the regular time frame.

When the Earthly Space is designed to grant heavenly fortune, the Hermit may have 1 medium or smaller piece of furniture or object per class level within the Earthly Space to be bound to it after the 8 hours period. A Large object counts as two Medium object, a Huge object counts as two Large objects, and so forth.
They disappear alongside the Earthly Space when it is dismissed and appear where they were set within it whenever the Earthly Space is recalled. If an object's space is already occupied (even partially, for larger objects), it simply does not appear. These objects are in stasis and invulnerable until the Hermit lifts them or until they are dispelled (DC 11 + Hermit's character level), even floating in the air if the Earthly Space is called above ground level.
If the Hermit is strong enough to carry a piece of furniture over his head, he can lift them within the Earthly Space as if they were weightless and throw them as improvised weapons without proficiency penalties with a range increment of 5 ft. per class level.
The Hermit may not redesign an Earthly Place if an object linked to it couldn't appear because its space was occupied.

Principle of Heaven
The radius of the Hermit's auras all increase by 30 ft.
An Hermit becomes as much a curse to his enemies than he is a blessing to his allies, and now learns how his spiritual nature can dampen those who must be set straight. This ability allows the Hermit to choose upon entering a Dantian Focus to have it give a penalty to all enemies within the aura equal to its usual benefits instead of benefiting his allies. Enemies affected by the Dantian Focus cannot be enhanced or otherwise receive or activate beneficial effects while they are within its aura. This does not affect beneficial effects already in place.

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Transcendental Accuracy: Enemies suffer a miss chance of 5% per granted bonus on their attacks.
Transcendental Health: Only half the usual bonus is applied as a penalty on enemy saving throws (rounded down).
Transcendental Resistance: Enemies have their resistances to energy damage lowered by twice the granted bonus. Immunities are considered to be a resistance of 30 for the purpose of reducing energy damage only.
Transcendental Skin: Whenever enemies are damaged, they suffer additional damage equal to the granted bonus that bypasses all resistances, immunities and DR.
Transcendental Vigor: Enemies' current hit points are lowered by an amount equal to the bonus once each round at the beginning of their turn.
Transformation of Things: Enemies within the aura share all the damage and ill effects they inflict. IE: If three enemies are within the aura and one of them inflicts 100 damage to an ally, the ally and all three enemies take 25 damage each. If there were three enemies and two allies instead and one of them inflicted 100 damage each of the two allies with an AoE, each ally would receive 25 damage and the three enemies would receive 50 damage each.
Whenever an enemy within the aura falls at 25% hit points or lower, the Hermit may use his next maneuver with an immediate action.

Wuji
An Hermit of 16th level or higher may simultaneously enter, change and maintain two Dantian Focus.

Senkai
An Hermit of 19th level or higher has the ability to create a Senkai, a sealed extradimensional space that may be accessed through the smallest spaces.
Its entrance may be set in places such as the cracks between two bricks, under a carpet or even the eye of a needle. A Senkai can only be entered by its creator and those invited in by him. Entering or leaving a Senkai requires a standard action.

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The object(s) or surroundings of the tight opening containing the Senkai enters a stasis and so cannot be lifted or moved by any means but may still be destroyed.

The volume of the Senkai is equal to 1 cu. mile + 550 cu. ft./rank in Listen.
It is created with a landscape as the Hermit initially imagines it but any construction must be built or brought within the Senkai. In appearance, the Senkai is a vast world without end but a transparent barrier limits the space that can be occupied and explored.
Consider the Senkai to function as per the Ethereal Plane.

The entrance to the Senkai can be relocated with ten minutes of concentration. The Senkai remains the same no matter where it can be accessed from. Destroying an entrance expels those within the Senkai out of it if it was the Senkai’s only entrance point and makes it inaccessible until a new entrance is made.
The Hermits may hear around their entrance as if they were there.
An Hermit may also seal all access to his section of the Senkai or expel individuals within it with a standard action, sending them back to their own section of the Senkai. If these creatures do not have a Senkai of their own connected to it, they are returned to the entrance of the Senkai they came from.

Hermits whom transcended this high can permanently link their Senkai together to make a larger one. The Senkai’s volume is the sum of every Senkai joined together and these Hermits may make their own entrance to the common world. The landscape adapts to coexist with the other Senkais.
These Hermits typically seek like-minded Hermits to find sanctuary within their Senkai so that they may progress along the Way in peace and live in community and some are contacted by other powerful Hermits to have them join their Senkai to their own.
Hermits may disconnect their Senkai from at least one other Senkai but the process takes a full week (no need for concentration. The worlds slowly detach from each other and fade away from each others' view).

If the Hermit perishes, his body is instantly immolated to nothingness as his soul or essence becomes a divine spirit ready to enter Nirvana instead of whatever afterlife his alignment would have sent him to.
This divine spirit is a spiritual copy of the hermit and every worn and carried objects he had upon death that remains sealed within his Senkai, unable to leave it. The spiritual copies of these objects become mundane if the originals enter the Senkai.
In this state, the Hermit cannot harm anyone or be harmed or affected in any way, but may still interact or communicate with visitors and other residents within it (but can still eject them off his Senkai). The Hermit’s divine spirit remains so sealed until he is resurrected somehow, at which point his divine spirit becomes his real living self and may leave the Senkai, but loses the spiritual copies of his equipment.


Miko oversees the great Senkai of her hermit faction.

The Transformation of Things
An Hermit of 20th level learns that, since he is a part of nature himself, he shares its ability to transform and adapt and, more importantly, that one thing can also be another; differences are not absolute. Everyone is connected. Anyone is everything.
He finally attains enlightenment and becomes a truly divine being, closer to gods than mortal. Even if he isn't a Shikaisen, he no longer takes ability score penalties or benefits for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties he may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Although the Hermit is not truly immortal, he ages so slowly that the universe might end before he dies of old age.

The Hermit gains a 60 ft. aura that appears as a great butterfly symbol in segments of red, yellow, purple, green and blue that beat like wings across its radius. Once per hour, the Hermit may use a fullround action to use a Polymorph effect on his allies and a baleful polymorph effect on his enemies (Fort DC = class level + Wis modifier, caster level equal to his initiator level and it bypasses immunity to it but confers a +5 bonus on the save of those immune), provided that they are all within his aura. The aura may be concealed or revealed with a free action but whenever the Hermit would fall at 25% hit points or lower, it may not longer be hidden and he may use his next maneuver with an immediate action.

HERMIT FEATS
"Those who defeat others are strong, those who defeat themselves are mighty."

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Extra Wu Wei
"The highest virtue does nothing. Yet, nothing needs to be done. The lowest virtue does everything. Yet, much remains to be done."
Prerequisites: Wu Wei.
Benefit: You gain an extra Wu Wei class feature, choosing a Wu Wei ability that you have not learned yet.
Special: You may select this feat multiple times, to a maximum of four times.

Wu Wei Disciple
"The Way is ever without action, yet nothing is left undone."
Prerequisites: Two Wu Wei class abilities known.
Benefit: You gain new uses when readying an action or delaying your turn.
You may now ready a move action using a move action.
If you have three different Wu Wei class abilities, you may do the same with swift actions and other free actions.
If you have four different Wu Wei class abilities, you may do the same with fullround actions or 1-round actions.

When you delay your turn or ready an action, you may also choose to keep your initial initiative order.

Wu Wei Master [Divine]
"The sage does not act and therefore does not fail, does not seize and therefore does not lose."
Prerequisites: Ability to use turn or rebuke undead, Wu Wei Disciple.
Benefit: You can spend a turn or rebuke undead attempt as a free action to gain the ability to ready actions as you want without specifying the conditions that triggers them for 1 round. If by then you did not use the actions readied, they are lost.
If you spend two attempts instead, you also do not need to specify what the readied actions are as you ready them.

Dantian Power
"Man is ruled by Earth. Earth is ruled by Heaven. Heaven is ruled by the Way. The Way is ruled by itself."
Prerequisites: Dantian Focus, hermit level 3rd.
Benefit: The bonus of your Dantian Focus abilities increases by 1.
Special: You may select this feat multiple times. Once this feat is selected once, the bonus of Dantian Focus may never exceed your Hermit class level.

Greater Dantian Power
"The greatest virtue is to follow the Way utterly."
Prerequisites: Dantian Power.
Benefit: You gain an extra Dantian Focus class feature, choosing a Dantian Focus ability that you have not learned yet.
Special: You may select this feat a second time if you have selected the Dantian Power feat at least twice.

Shikaisen Transfiguration
"Things exalted then decay. This is going against the Way. What goes against the Way meets an early end."
Prerequisites: Shikaisen Essence. Creature type mustn't be construct, elemental, fey, ooze, outsider, undead or vermin.
Benefit: When you use the “Numinous Treasure Talisman of the Grand Mystery for Living in Hiding” and  the Rentan Elixir to perform the shikaisen ritual, you may attach the talisman to an object to use it as the focus of your resurrection. Your soul then rests within the object.
If you die while your are within 30 feet per HD of the focused object, you may leave your old dead body behind and be reborn under a new body (as per the reincarnation spell effect, except as detailed) instead of having to choose a new name and spend 24 hours in solitude without meeting your kin and hometown for a generation. After a minimum period of 10 minutes, the new body is created adjacent to the chosen object with full hit points, all ill effects are cured and you do not lose a level the first time you are revived this way each day.
While you wait your revival your soul can see and hear the surroundings of the chosen object.
Like the normal shikaisen ritual, this transfiguration variant needs its expensive ingredients for each use.
If the chosen object is destroyed after your death, but before you are revived, your soul loses the material it needs to create a body but may still be revived as a ghost as soon as the object is destroyed.
If your creature type becomes invalid for this feat, it is lost and may be replaced by another feat you qualify for.

Ex-Hermits
"If I have just an ounce of sense, I follow the great Way, and fear only to stray from it."

Like a member of any other class, an Hermit may be a multiclass character, but multiclass Hermits face a special restriction. A Hermit who gains a new class or (if already multiclassed) raises another class by a level may never again raise his Hermit level, though he retains all his Hermit abilities except Sheltered Soul. The Way requires dedication to get anywhere.

However, because they share similar goals and similar means to achieve them, they may freely multiclass with the Monk class and any other classes that freely multiclasses with Monk. Classes progressing the Hermit's race may also be freely progressed. Once an Hermit has acquired The Transformation of Things, her may multiclass freely.

Variant
PS: Also, there may be rather large odds that an Ex-Hermit will be confronted and/or hunted down by a powerful devil, demon or other horrible monstrosity at least once a year if only because becoming a Hermit turned them into a delicacy to such creatures and they no longer have the will of the universe to protect them from drawing their attention.
An Hermit that has acquired The Transformation of Things capstone may multiclass freely without fear of attracting these creatures.

[Anomander]

TAO DISCIPLINES


"My Taoist techniques hath awakened from a slumber of one thousand years,
fused with the futuristic essence of the modern day, and hath been quite literally reborn!" - Mononobe no Futo, shikaisen hermit


Tao disciplines: How do they work?

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Learning a Tao discipline
Anyone can trade access to the Devoted Spirit or Setting Sun disciplines for a Tao discipline.

Stance link effects, Trance Mode and Trancing Maneuvers

The Tao martial disciplines only have stances of a maneuver level of 1 but they improve depending on which maneuver you last initiated. The maneuvers only grant these improvements to the stance linked to them and only after the maneuver as been initiated.
Each maneuver conveniently has a Stance Link tag that indicated which stance gains an additional benefit after it has been initiated.
Each stance grants adepts the ability to enter Trance Mode as a free action. Once they leave it for any reason, they may not re-enter Trance Mode for 1d4 rounds. No adept may enter Trance Mode with a trance stance unless they have at least 7 ranks in the key skill of the discipline.

While in Trance Mode, it is possible to Trance a maneuver linked to the your stance to get a higher effect, but after it is done, you automatically leave the stance.

Trance Mode and the Spirit Realm

Trance Mode allows adepts to interact with the Spirit Realm. If they enter it while in the Material Plane, the adepts are able to see, hear and physically interact with everything in the Ethereal Plane as if it was the Material Plane
They are still physically in the Material Plane, though, so they may chose to go through obstacles in the Ethereal Plane freely.
However, creatures in the Ethereal Plane may also interact with the adepts as if they were there.

If the adepts enter a Trance while in the Ethereal Plane, they may instead interact with the Material Plane in the same fashion.

Similarly, while in Trance Mode the adepts fully interact with incorporeal and corporeal things as if there were no distinction between the two and they may interact with the adepts without incorporeal/corporeal limitations as well. Incorporeal objects taken remain incorporeal and corporeal objects taken remain corporeal. 

True Administrator Key Skill: Listen.

The Tao martial disciplines focus on the adept’s sensibility to the sounds of the hearts and soul. Not only to the soul of living beings, but the soul of the entire universe. While the disciplines rely on listen skill checks, it isn't dependent on the ability to hear. As such, unless a maneuver clearly states that it requires a target to be heard, it is unaffected by deafness and other penalties and bonuses to listen skill checks for the purpose of hearing only.
One must be in-tune with the world so harmony can be within one's self before one’s harmony can be the world’s.

Desire Drive Key Skill: Perform (Ritual).

There are many ways for one to make his desires known by the universe so that it may answer its calls. Many of such appeals can be called 'rituals'. By putting up a good performance using symbolism and all kinds of similar connections, the adept links itself, the world and its own desires and binds them together to give their union a form.
The better the ritual, the greater the Tao.

Favored Weapons (both): Club, short sword, long sword, bows (all types), warfan, unarmed strike.

New Item

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Earmuffs, masterwork tool: For some Hermits, it can be difficult to hear something specific when you hear so much at once. These high-quality ear muffs help hermits with over-stimulation, blocking sounds they care little for to better focus their hearing aptitudes, providing a +2 circumstance bonus to Listen checks and to saves against Sonic effects. They do not penalize an Hermit in any way as they have such a keen hearing that the earmuffs are insignificant when they focus it.

New Feats

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Desire Dream

"Reimu-san, is your training over?"
"YES! And as you can see, I've been reborn by my zoo discipline!"

Prerequisites: Must know one stance from the Desire Drive discipline and/or one stance from the Dream Battle discipline.
Benefits: Your known Dream Battle stances become Trance stances, allowing you to enter Trance Mode with them. Dream Battle stances give you a white outline-like aura that emits light as a torch while in Trance Mode.
You may Trance any Desire Drive maneuver of a level equal to or lower than the occupied Dream Battle stance's maneuver level (provided that it does not require a specific Desire Drive stance's effect that you do not have, such as the undead minion or the spiritual boat).
While under a Desire Drive stance, your discipline gives you the focus to improve your Dream Battle maneuvers, increasing the range of their effects by 10 feet per maneuver level of your occupied Desire Drive stance. You may Trance your Dream Battle boosts and strikes to have them affect one additional target (allies only for boosts) within 10 ft. of you per maneuver level of your tranced Desire Drive stance.

If you are adjacent to an ally that is also a Dream Battle or Desire Drive user and who also has this feat you may treat yourself as if you were under the stance of your adjacent ally for the purpose of this feat only.



Transcendent


Prerequisites: Must know one Trance stance (any stance that allows you to enter Trance Mode).
Benefit: You may now always re-enter Trance Mode one round after leaving it.
If you Trance a maneuver you still automatically leave the stance.

Additionally, each time you enter a Trance stance you also choose one of its linked maneuvers that you have readied. Whenever you initiate that maneuver its additional stance effect is transcended and is no longer lost when you initiate another maneuver. When you initiate another linked maneuver, however, you may choose to have its additional stance effect replace the one you chose but it will only last until you use another maneuver, as normal. When you do you must initiate the chosen linked maneuver again to have its stance effect transcended.
Normal
You cannot enter Trance Mode for 1d4 rounds after leaving it and the maneuver's linked stance effects end as soon as you initiate another maneuver.

Loyal Undead


Prerequisites: Must know the Path Sign "Tao Taidou" stance.
Benefit: Whenever you raise an undead minion with the Path Sign "Tao Taidou" stance, it becomes a special cohort.
It is always two levels behind you and must have at least one level of Zombie. It otherwise has levels, feats, skill points (and so forth) as you wish and gains a level whenever you level up, always remaining two levels behind you (and losing levels when you permanently do). You always raise the same undead minion no matter the corpse used to raise it.
Unlike a cohort, it does not come with its own equipment.
This undead minion still obeys you with undying loyalty and can act normally even when you are not under the Path Sign "Tao Taidou" stance. It is no longer vulnerable to having its Ofuda removed and can move away from you without restrictions.
You calculate its statistics as you would a normal cohort instead of basing them on yours.
If you perish, it still deanimates until you are restored.

The Three Treasures [Tactical]


Prerequisites: Transcendent, 8 ranks in Listen
Benefits: The Three Treasures feat enables the use of the following three tactical options while under a Trance stance (any stance that allows you to enter Trance Mode):

Compassion: After spending one round without attacking anyone, you may make an Aid Another action on the following round as if you were adjacent to every ally and enemy within 60 ft. of you for the purpose of that Aid Another action only and granting an additional +2 for every 5 points you beat the DC.
With a full-round action, you may Aid Another to grant the benefits to every ally within range.

Moderation: At the end of your turn, if you spent your entire turn without being in Trance Mode or entering a stance, you recover one expended maneuver linked to a Trance stance you are under (excluding the round you entered the stance).

Humility: Whenever you trigger Moderation, on your next turn you can enter Trance Mode and initiate the maneuver you recovered by Moderation. Doing so allows you to use that maneuver with its Trance effect without leaving the stance and Trance Mode.

Discipline Info

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True Administrator Let us control ourselves and not be resentful when others disagree with us, for all men have hearts and each heart has its own leanings. The right of others is our wrong, and our right is their wrong. We are not unquestionably sages, nor are they unquestionably fools. Both of us are simply ordinary men. How can anyone lay down a rule by which to distinguish right from wrong? For we are all wise sometimes and foolish at others. Therefore, though others give way to anger, let us on the contrary dread our own faults, and though we may think we alone are in the right, let us follow the majority and act like them. - Toyosatomimi no Miko		Desire Drive Hello, ladies. Look at thy faith. Now look at Taoism. Now back to thy faith. Now back at Taoism. Sadly, thy faith isn't Taoism, but if thou ignore the teachings of the Dark Lord Byakuren, thou couldst become immortal like me! Look down. Back up. Whence art thou? Ye art hither to witness the resurrection of the coronet prince! Look at him. Now back to me. Who is he? He is the saint Shoutoku, able to hark all ten of thy desires! Look again. The saint is now a young girl! Anything is possible when thou heed the way of the Tao and forsake wretch'd Buddhism! I'm on a boat! - Mononobe no Futo (Stuffman)
Maneuver and Stance Lists
True Administrator		Desire Drive
1st level   Divine Spirits' Universe : Stance– Gain higher perceptions.   Wishful Soul of Desire : Strike– Release accumulated desire spirits offensively.   Tenfold Listening : Boost– Attract and absorb desire spirits.   2nd level   Cipangu the Golden Sword : Counter– Summon blades to attack when you can do an AoO.   Honor "Colors of Twelve Levels" : Boost– Using the power of Virtue, ward against ills.   Secret Treasure "Armillary Sphere of Ikaruga-dera" : Strike– Invoke the sacred pagoda.   Thunder Arrow "Gagouji's Cyclone" : Boost– Your next attack reduces the duration of an effect.   3rd level   Influence of the East : Strike– Disk of light around yourself that acts as a dazzling barrier.   Shukuchi Cape : Boost– Distract and warp away.   Summon "Royal Clan's Chaotic Dance" : Boost– Short haste.   Tao Sign "Heavenly Ways in the Palm of One's Hand" : Strike– Globe of stars hampers movement and encumbers.   4th level   Benign Rain from the Shining One : Strike– Rain golden blades upon your foes.   Honor "Ranks of Twelve Levels" : Strike– Using the power of Virtue, neutralize ills.   Light Sign "Halo of the Guse Kannon" : Strike– Ward your allies against danger.   Thunder Rites "Children of the Gods" : Boost– Change stance to shoot lightning arrows barehanded.   5th level   Discernment "Laser of Seventeen Articles" : Boost– Ofuda that contains lesser divine magic.   Hermit Sign "Taoist of the Land of the Rising Sun" : Counter– Set wards on your allies to shield them.   Secret Treasure "Prince Shotoku's Out-of-place Artifact" : Boost– Enshrine vitality into a receptacle.   6th level   Falling Stars on Divine Spirit Mausoleum : Strike– Starfall heals allies.   Light Sign "Guse Flash" : Boost– Better ward.   Virtue Sign "Prestige of Shoutoku" : Boost– Using the power of Virtue, remove ills.   Thunder Arrow "Gagouji's Tornado" : Strike– Shot raises an electrical tornado.   7th level   Hermit Sign "Emperor of the Land of the Rising Sun" : Counter– Set imperial ward to shield an ally.   Human Sign "Side with the Weak and Punish the Strong" : Strike– Sheath weapon with light to defeat stronger foes.   Light Sign "Lasers of Infinite Articles" : Boost– Ofuda that contains divine magic.   8th level   Constitution Bombs of Seventeen Articles : Counter– Shikaisen arts to shelter life forces. Sacrifice yourself for another.   Divine Light "Honour the Avoidance of Defiance" : Boost– Your order must be obeyed.   Newborn Divine Spirit : Strike– Lock the use of supranatural abilities.   Apparition "Iruka's Thunder" : Strike– Shoot nerve-wrecking lightning bolts.   9th level   My Way is Truly That of Heaven! : Boost– Transcend your stance further.   Heed the Commands with Absolute Care : Strike– Assemble spirits then attack with celestial might.		1st level   Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune" : Stance– Sail the Ethereal.   Liuren Holy Fire : Strike– Fire from the soul to burn evil.   Piled Up Kodoku Dishes  : Strike– Set plates for a ritual.   Path Sign "TAO Fetal Movement ~Dao~" : Boost– Turn desire spirits into disruption spheres.   Path Sign "Tao Taidou" : Stance– Raise an undead minion. Attract desire spirits.   2nd level   Standing Mountain : Strike– Make a pillar of earth.    Wind Sign "Winds of Three-Wheel Plates" : Boost– Spin plates to make a wind that relocates things.   Evil Sign : Boost– Animate disruption spheres.   Poison Nail "Poison Raze" : Strike– Throw poison daggers or melee slashes along your path.   3rd level   Blaze Sign "Blazing Winds of Haibutsu" : Strike– Scorching winds blow over the area.   Throwing Dishes "Mononobe's Eighty Sake Cups" : Strike– Drench everyone into insobriety.   Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation" : Boost– Attract desire spirits.   Yang Xiaogui : Counter– Laser spam.   4th level   Royal Dragon's Arrow : Boost– Next ranged attack ricochets between all plates.   Water Bearing Plate : Strike– Throw a waterfall-bearing plate that pours water down and reduces movement speed.   Poison Nail "Poison Murder" : Strike– Dual poisonous waves. Movement increases their range.   Recovery "Heal By Desire" : Boost– Dark absorption of desire spirits.   5th level   Blaze Sign "Taiyi True Fire" : Strike– Spin flames and set the ground ablaze.   Saint Girl "Oomonoimi's Dinner" : Boost– Create a curative feast.   Wind's Ominous Hole : Boost–  Wind carries you with force, pushing aside those in the way.   Desire Sign "Score Desire Eater" : Counter– Use desire spirits to bolster an ally's hit points or devour them to heal.   Possession "Corpse Tongji" : Boost– Raise the fallen to fight for you.   6th level   Bow Sign "Star Dragon Bow" : Strike–Shoot a long trail of ranged attacks.   Heaven Sign "Iwafune Ascending to Heaven" : Strike– Water dragon submerging your foes.   Guhun Yegui : Strike– Big laser spam.   Poison Nail "Undead Murderer" : Strike– Strike– Up to ten slashes spreading poison.   7th level   Blaze Sign "Sakuraiji in Flames" : Boost– Fire dragon prevents enemies from using immediate and swift actions for 1 round.   Throwing Dishes "Kawarake Rotary Throw" : Boost– Instant plates. Lots of them.   Hermit Arts "Wall Runner" : Counter– Bring up a wall and block LoE. You can move through and over it.   Spirit Link "Tongling Yoshika" : Boost– Curse a creature to use your undead minion benefits through it.   8th level   Saint Girl "Sun Goddess's Sacrifice" : Boost– Establish a  purifying zone of confinement.   Fate "Gate Opening for Catastrophe" : Boost– Set a powerful curse over the area.   Total Wind Hurricane: Strike– Tornado follows a determined trajectory.   Demonify "Zouhuo Rumo" : Counter– Tag an ofuda upon an opponent, sealing its mind away for a moment.   Zombie Claw : Strike– Slashes over slashes. Those hit turn into zombies.   9th level   Old Boat "Ancient Ship" : Boost– Sail the universe.   "Inferno Reformation" : Strike– Sea of flames seeps the strength.   Demonify "Excessive Zouhuo Rumo" : Boost– Ungodly vitality from beyond the universe.   Hermit Arts "Wall-Phasing Wormhole" : Strike– Create a deadly wormhole within which you escape before it consumes the world around it.  spcl Heat Dragon "Blazing Dragon Veins" : Strike– Double dragon.

[Anomander]

True Administrator - Maneuver explanations (1st-5th level)

Unless otherwise noted, every True Administrator maneuver are supernatural abilities that have a 50% chance of affecting incorporeal/ethereal targets.

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1st level

Divine Spirits' Universe
True Administrator (Stance)
Level: Hermit 1
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: Stance

"People's thoughts change every moment. If you try to listen to them one by one, the result will differ.
So you must listen to them all together, or you will not see the truth."

When you succeed at a listen check and beat the check to hear it by 10, you pinpoint the location of the creature you heard without penalties and ignore a % of their miss chance equal to your listen check despite any ability or effect that prevents detection. You can also easily listen and understand ten creatures’ conversations at the same time, if you pay attention to them.

As you enter the Spirit Realm, your senses are transcended.
You emit a golden aura similar to a flame that produces light as a torch. This is a light effect.

While in Trance Mode, you have no increases to Listen DCs to hear through walls and doors, listen without distance penalties up to 10 ft. per IL and, at the beginning of each turn, you attract and absorb 1 desire (desire spirit), to a maximum of 10 desires. They give you power and influence that you need to use certain maneuvers properly. Desires used on a maneuver are deducted from your the amount of desires you currently have absorbed and you cannot spend more than 1 desire spirit per 2 IL (minimum 1) on a maneuver. If you leave the stance, your absorbed desires are not lost.
For every 5 ranks in Listen that you have you attract and absorb an additional desire per round.



Wishful Soul of Desire
True Administrator (Strike)
Level: Hermit 1
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: 30 ft./initiator level
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: Reflex half

"Desire tells of a human's true character."

You release a mass of desire spirits to form a strong bullet that you send in a straight line to any point within range. If, as it moves in line to its destination, the mass of desires would be within 5-ft. of a creature that isn't an ally (even if you were not aware of its presence), it automatically homes in into that creature and deals damage depending on the number of desire spirit invested. Half damage on a successful a Reflex save.
If you initiate this maneuver without a single desire spirit the mass of desires deals damage equal to 1d4 per initiator level.
The damage die increases for every 2 desire spirit spent.
1d6 for 2 desires, 1d8 for 4 desires, 1d10 for 6 desires, 2d6 for 8 desires and 2d8 for 10 desires.

After initiating this maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe allows you spend desires as if you had 1 more desire than your current amount, even if that would be higher than your maximum amount of desires.

If you Trance this maneuver, the desires released by it are not spent, the save DC become (DC 10+ ½ your initiator level + you Wisdom modifier) and the bullet detects and homes on non-allies within 10-ft. of any point it passes through.



Tenfold Listening
True Administrator (Boost)
Level: Hermit 1
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: Instantaneous

"While I was alive, I had the ability to understand ten people's words simultaneously.
During my long sleep, I acquired the power of faith, and now, I can hear humans' desires."

You instantly attract and absorb 4 desire spirits.
For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe allows you to absorb an additional desire per round even if you are not in Trance Mode (1 per round when out of Trance Mode), starting at the beginning of your next turn.
If you spend a standard action, you can attract 5 desire spirits but you only get to absorb them at the beginning of your next turn. You successfully absorb them if you do not fail on a Listen check with a DC equal to the total amount of damage you have received while attracting the desire spirits.

This maneuver cannot be tranced.

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Cipangu the Golden Sword
True Administrator (Counter)
Level: Hermit 2
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range:
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None

"Flatterers and deceivers are a sharp weapon for the overthrow of the state, and a sharp sword for the destruction of the people. Men of this kind are never loyal to their lord, or to the people. All this is a source of serious civil disturbances."

Whenever you are able to make an attack of opportunity, you may instead initiate this counter. A group of golden blades appear and attacks the target that provoked the attack of opportunity and then retracts back into another dimension. Using your attack roll modifier, it deals damage equal to your ranks in Listen. This does not spend one of your available attacks of opportunity.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe makes any one weapon in your possession with which you can fight proficiently to appear to be made of gold (even a natural weapon).
You may deal an attack of opportunity with that weapon if you use 1 desire spirit, no matter your number of attack of opportunity per round.

If you Trance this maneuver, this maneuver can be initiated if an enemy moves into your reach even if it does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The group of golden blades' damage increases by your Wisdom modifier. If it hits, the enemy provokes an attack of opportunity from anyone that has it within their reach.



Honor "Colors of Twelve Levels"
True Administrator (Boost)
Level: Hermit 2
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 10 ft./ IL
Targets: One creature per Initiator level
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

"Abstention from all evil, the cultivation of the good, the purification of the mind – this is the Way."

You shield creatures with a ward that protects them against specific anomalies. Upon initiating this maneuver and for its duration those warded cannot be Ability Damaged, Blinded, Confused, Dazed, Deafened, Entangled, Fatigued, Fear, Nauseated, Paralyzed, Sickened or Stunned. Choose one effect between the twelve plus an additional one at 6 ranks in Listen and every two ranks afterwards. This does not remove effects already in place.
Those warded are all immune to the negative effects of the chosen condition.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe now also grants you the ability to get as much information from a Listen check as you would from a Spot check for everything within line of sight, including colors and writings. This effectively also allows you to bypass any penalties from blindness for as long as you are not deafened.

While creatures are warded, you may Trance this maneuver after initiating it as part of a Total Defense action.
A 10 ft. radius, 10 ft./IL high cylinder spread of a random color centered on each warded creature shoots up from them, dealing damage of a random type equal to your ranks in Listen to enemies within the area. Half on a successful Reflex save (DC 10+ ½ your initiator level + your Wis modifier). If a target is affected by more than one of these colored lasers, only the one that dealt it the most damage takes effect. After initiating this Strike, the entire maneuver ends.

Roll 1d12 to determine the damage type and the color of the laser.

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1: Divine (Purple)
2: Force (Purple)
3: Cold Energy (Blue)
4: Nonlethal (Blue)
5: Fire Energy (Red)
6: Electricity Energy (Red)
7: Acid Energy (Yellow)
8: Poison (immunity to poison negates damage) (Yellow)
9: Positive Energy (White)
10: Sonic Energy (White)
11: Negative Energy (Black)
12: Vile (Black)

Secret Treasure "Armillary Sphere of Ikaruga-dera"
True Administrator (Strike)
Level: Hermit 2
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Fullround action
Range: See text
Duration: See text

"Ministers and officials should attend the Court early in the morning and retire late, for the whole day is hardly enough for the accomplishment of state business. If one is late in attending Court, emergencies cannot be met; if officials retire early, the work cannot be completed."

Upon initiating this maneuver, you may invoke up to six floating horizontal platforms whose dimensions are within 5 ft. + 5 ft./3 IL square and 6 inches thick (0.5 ft.). They must all be on the same vertical axis at their center, floating in mid-air up to a maximum height of 20 ft. +5 ft./IL high. Each platform must be larger than those above it, with the highest platform being a sphere whose radius is equal to your space (5 ft. if you are medium-sized). The center of the first platform must be within 5 ft./IL from you.
All platforms but the sixth one are made of wood, the later being made of gold (steel statistics).
Each round, you and your allies may spend a move action to transport yourselves vertically up or down to any platform above/under you (including ground level).
You may not create a platform on spaces already occupied by objects or creatures.
This maneuver lasts 1 round per desire used and ends if you use this maneuver again or unready it.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe now also allows you to be aware of any action or item that could adversely affect your alignment or be against the principles of your religion, including magical effects. You acquires this information prior to performing such an action or becoming associated with such an item if you take a moment to contemplate the act.

If you Trance this maneuver at initiation or with a standard action while it lasts, the pagoda is fully walled with shoji (paper walls with wooden frames and lattice). It has a hardness of 0, 3 hit points and a break DC of 5.
Going through a shoji wall as part of movement grants a free break attempt to burst through the wall and ranged attacks pierce through it unimpeded.
It lets light pass through but blocks line of sight. Their horizontal dimensions are equal to the second highest platform (the one that ain't a sphere) from the ground up to the second highest platform, pushing outside anything in the walls' space as they form.

For each desire used, all damage received by the pagoda is reduced by 5, no matter the damage type.
If you used at least 2 desires, the hardness and break DC of the walls and platforms of the tranced pagoda can be increased by up to 1 per rank in Listen.
If you used 5 desires, the shoji walls are instead 1 ft. thick wooden walls.
If you used 10 desires on this maneuver, the material of the platform and walls become gold (steel stats) instead and the duration lasts until you use this maneuver again or unready it.
You may leave any 5-ft.-cu. section un-walled.
You cannot trance this maneuver if a creature hostile to you would be walled inside.



Thunder Arrow "Gagouji's Cyclone"
True Administrator (Boost)
Level: Hermit 2
Stance Link: Thunder Rites "Children of the Gods"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 round
Save: See text

"Now, attempt to defeat me!
And I shall become a living legend!"

If your next ranged attack hits a target, a heavenly ethereal wind sweeps it and reduces the duration of one ongoing effect affecting it (or the effect itself if it was the target) of your choice by 1 round + 1 round per 5 ranks in Listen. You may instead choose to reduce the most recent ongoing effect applied on the target or the one with the lowest duration. If an effect's duration would be reduced to zero, it ends immediately.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Thunder Rites “Children of the Gods” allows you to create arrows of lightning and thunder.
Before you attack, you can make any kind of mundane arrow out of your own power as a free action. Damage dealt by these arrows may be replaced by sonic damage, by electricity damage or half of each. The arrow vanish after the attack.

If you Trance this maneuver, for 1 round, your next ranged attack is imbued with the purity of the heavens and makes a targeted dispel effect against the target (be it an object, creature or spell/psionic power/maneuver/similar effect).
If the ranged attack hits, make a dispel check (1d20 + ranks in Listen) against each ongoing effect (spell/psionic power/maneuver/similar effect) on the object or creature or the effect itself. The DC for this dispel check is 11 + the HD of the creature who made the effect. If the effect wasn't made by a creature, the DC is 20.
If you succeed the dispel check, that effect is dispelled and ends immediately.

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Influence of the East
True Administrator (Counter) [Light]
Level: Hermit 3
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range: 5-ft. + 5-ft./2 desires spent
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: Fort partial.

"To subordinate private interests to the public good - that is the path of the administrator. Now if a man is influenced by private motives, he will be resentful, and if he is influenced by resentment he will fail to act harmoniously with others. If he fails to act harmoniously with others, he will surely sacrifice the public interests for his own and the people will suffer. When resentment arises, it interferes with order and is subversive of law."

You trace a ring of light centered on you and form a barrier, spreading bright light in a radius of 10-ft./initiator level and then fades away. The ring's radius is up to the maneuver's range.
The barrier blocks any one ranged attack whose target is within range. Melee and area attacks pierce through just fine.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe allows you to have any object held by you emit a golden aura of light even when you are not in Trance mode. If you are in Trance mode, you instead emit full daylight in a 40-ft. radius (and dim light for an additional 40 feet).

If you Trance this maneuver, the barrier lasts 1 round and may be a continuous, shape-able wall of light with an area of one 5-ft. square/initiator level instead of a ring.
The barrier blocks ranged attacks.
If 5 desires were used, it also blocks area attacks unless the creature that made it succeeds on a level check (DC 10+ your initiator level + the amount of desires used.
If 7 desires were used, it also blocks movement on a failed level check.
If 10 desires were used, it blocks line of effect for all purposes on a failed level check.



Shukuchi Cape
True Administrator (Boost)
Level: Hermit 3
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: See text
Duration: Instantaneous

"Shukuchi. A Taoist power so coveted martial artists dabbles in the Way specifically for the purpose of learning its secret."

You seize the moment and make a distraction with a flashy movement before warping a short distance away.
The cosmos pulls you through the Ethereal plane to any location of your choice within a distance of up to the result of a Listen check, rounded down to the last 5-ft. increment. You must have line of sight and line of effect to the location. If you get moved into an occupied space you end up on the last available space you would have been pulled through.
If you use 4 desires, you can instead initiate this maneuver as an immediate action. Using this option again within the same encounter increases the number of desires required by 2, to a maximum of 10 desires used. As normal, using this option more than twice requires the maneuver to be Tranced (8 desires the third time and 10 desires the fourth and on).

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe gives any item on your shoulder body slot the appearance of an extravagant cape that makes it clear that you are an amazing person. Or weaves the fabric of the universe to temporarily make you one if you have no item equipped on that slot.
The cape can be used with the same statistics as one of your sheathed weapons with which you can fight proficiently, but converting any damage it would deal into fire damage. You can attack with the cape only once per turn. Attacks with the cape are considered 2-handed if you are not holding a weapon (other objects and improvised weapons are fine). You are not considered armed with the cape, so you cannot use it to threaten squares within your melee reach.

If you Trance this maneuver, you can instead connect with the universe and have it bend space to fall at your desired location after slipping through the cracks, ignoring line of sight and line of effect on your movement.



Summon "Royal Clan's Chaotic Dance"
True Administrator (Boost)
Level: Hermit 3
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 10 ft./IL
Target: See text
Duration: See text
Save: None

"Let every man have his own charge. Do not let the spheres of duty be confused. When wise men are entrusted with office, the sound of praise arises. If corrupt men hold office, disasters and tumult multiply. In all things, whether great or small, find the right man and they will be well managed. Therefore seek the man to fill the office, and not the office to suit the man."

Upon initiating this maneuver, you and allies in range get a bonus to your base speed equal to 5 ft. + 5 ft./2 ranks in Listen for one round.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe allows you to spend a Total Defense action to allow all allies within 10 ft. of you (not including you) to instantly make one melee or ranged attack. This attack does not affect their initiative order and no ally can benefit from this effect more than once per round.

If you Trance this maneuver as you do a Total Defense action, you may summon allies that you can hear to your side, positioning them as you wish within range from you. After they make their attacks, the maneuver ends and the allies return to wherever they were.



Tao Sign "Heavenly Ways in the Palm of One's Hand"
True Administrator (Strike)
Level: Hermit 3
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: 30 ft./initiator level
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: Reflex half

"In this world, few are born with knowledge: wisdom is the product of earnest meditation."

You release a medium-sized celestial globe and send it in a straight line to a target within range. The globe deals damage to all it passes through on its way. Once the globe reaches its target, it shares its space with it, deals it damage and halves all its movement speeds for 1 round. Half damage on a successful Reflex save.
If you initiate this maneuver without a single desire spirit the mass of desires deals damage equal to 1d4 per initiator level.
The damage die increases for every 2 desire spirit spent.
1d6 for 2 desires, 1d8 for 4 desires, 1d10 for 6 desires, 2d6 for 8 desires and 2d8 for 10 desires.

After initiating this maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe allows you to use one more spirit than the maximum amount you can normally use.

If you Trance this maneuver, the desires used for it are not spent, the save DC becomes (DC 10+ ½ your initiator level + you Wisdom modifier) and the globe remains for 1 more round. At the beginning of your next turn, it homes on the closest enemy target within 30-ft. of it, dealing it damage again and reducing its movement speed by 30-ft., half damage on a successful save.

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Benign Rain from the Shining One
True Administrator (Strike) [Light]
Level: Hermit 4
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Full-round action
Range: 30 ft./IL
Targets: Creatures within a 10-ft. radius cylinder of infinite height. Only the center of the radius has to be within range.
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None

"Punish the evil and reward the good. Therefore do not hide the good qualities of others or fail to correct what is wrong when you see it."

A beam of light pierces through the clouds and shines down from the skies. You don't even have to look as you turn around and wave your hand over your shoulder calling golden blades to rain down upon your enemies.

The universe opens a gap into any ceiling (sky, or any other far away distance, as long as line of effect isn't broken) over the selected area and daylight fills the cylinder. As part of this maneuver, make a full-attack action with any one weapon in your possession with which you can fight proficiently as if it was held two-handed (if possible proficiently, otherwise one handed), no matter the range (whether melee or ranged) as long as the targets are within the area of effect.
After the last attack is made, the gap closes, the daylight ends and the golden blades fade away.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe makes the weapon you used for this maneuver appear to be made of gold (even a natural weapon). Once per round, instead of a regular attack you can shoot a ray of light using your attack and damage rolls for that weapon and all its abilities even if you are not holding it and the weapon is treated as if it was wielded with two hands if it is to your advantage, including disarm attempts to remove it while you are not wielding it. The ray of light has a range increment of 5-ft. /2 initiator levels.

If you Trance this maneuver as you initiate it, the radius of the cylinder increases to a 30-ft. radius and you make one more attack roll against all within the cylinder's burst area. Those hit receive damage equal to one attack from the chosen weapon.



Honor "Ranks of Twelve Levels"
True Administrator (Boost)
Level: Hermit 4
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 5 ft./ IL
Targets: One creature per 3 Initiator level
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

"Good faith is the foundation of right. In everything let there be good faith, for if the lord and the vassal keep faith with one another, what cannot be accomplished?"

To learn this maneuver you must know Honor "Colors of Twelve Levels".

You ward creatures with charms and talismans that protects them against specific anomalies. Upon initiating this maneuver and for its duration those warded cannot be Ability Damaged/Drained, Blinded/Deafened, Dazed, Level Drained, Entangled, Fatigued/Exhausted, Fear, Mind-affected, Sickened/Nauseated, Paralyzed, Stunned, Transformed. Choose one kind of effect between the twelve plus an additional one at 10 ranks in Listen and every four ranks afterwards. This also allows those warded to ignore the effect of any such ills currently affecting them for the duration but does not prevent self-inflicted effects.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe now allows you to be unable to fall. If you would, you are treated as standing on solid ground.

While creatures are warded, you may Trance this maneuver after initiating it as part of a Total Defense action.
A 10 ft. radius, 10 ft./IL high cylinder spread of a random color centered on each warded creature shoots up from them, dealing damage of a random type equal to your Wisdom modifier times ½ your ranks in Listen to enemies within the area. Half on a successful Reflex save (DC 10+ ½ your initiator level + your Wis modifier). If a target is affected by more than one of these colored lasers, only the one that dealt it the most damage takes effect. After Trancing this maneuver, lasers last for 1 round and the warded creatures instantly lose the ward's protection unless they meet the minimal requirements of the rank rolled.

Roll 1d12 to determine the damage type of the laser and the rank.

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1: Divine [Greater Virtue: Must be lawful-good-aligned with a strong or overwhelming good and lawful aura]
2: Force [Lesser Virtue: Must be lawful-good-aligned]
3: Cold Energy [Greater Compassion: Must be good-aligned with a strong or overwhelming good aura]
4: Nonlethal [Lesser Compassion: Must be good-aligned]
5: Fire Energy [Greater Propriety: Must have been polite and well-behaved in the company non-hostile creatures for at least the past month.]
6: Electricity Energy [Lesser Propriety: Must have been polite and well-behaved in the company non-hostile creatures for at least the past week.]
7: Acid Energy [Greater Faithfulness: Must have never broken an oath.]
8: Poison (immunity to poison negates damage) [Lesser Faithfulness: Must have been at least 1 year since it last betrayed or lied to an ally for selfish reasons.]
9: Positive Energy [Greater Justice: Must be lawful-aligned with a strong or overwhelming lawful aura]
10: Sonic Energy [Lesser Justice: Must be lawful-aligned]
11: Negative Energy [Greater Knowledge: Must have 10 ranks in at least two knowledge skills]
12: Vile [Lesser Knowledge: Must have 5 ranks in at least one knowledge skill]

Light Sign "Halo of the Guze Kannon"
True Administrator (Strike)
Level: Hermit 4
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: 5 ft./IL
Targets: One creature per 3 Initiator level
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

"Know the difference between merit and demerit, and deal out to each its reward and punishment. In these days, reward does not always follow merit, or punishment follow crime. You high officials who have charge of public affairs, make it your business to give clear rewards and punishments."

This maneuver creates a shimmering halo around the head of the chosen creatures in range that wards them from danger.
This grants them a sacred bonus to AC and saves equal to 1 + ⅓ your ranks in Listen (rounded down) and immunity to all pain effects.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe allows you to listen to disturbances and irregularities in the body. You are aware of the state of every creature you touch for as long as you can hear them - learning how many hit points they have left compared to their maximum hit points, their creature type and any conditions affecting them: dead, disabled, staggered, unconscious, dying, nauseated, panicked, stunned, poisoned, diseased, confused, charmed, dominated, petrified, illusion or the like.

If you Trance this maneuver as you initiate it, you instead become a divine savior closer to the sneering Buddha, with an entirely different kind of 'end to suffering' in mind. You gain a bonus to all attack and damage rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier and a bonus to skill checks equal to ¼ your initiator level.



Thunder Rites "Children of the Gods"
True Administrator (Boost)
Level: Hermit 4
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: Stance
Save: See text

"Since a legendary person like you was resurrected, it's no wonder they just decided to gather on their own."

While you are within any Trance stance, you may initiate this maneuver to alter the stance, transforming it into a new one: Thunder Rites “Children of the Gods”.

You can shoot arrows with your bare hands. You shoot arrows this way with a 200 ft. range increment, dealing 1d8 damage (damage type depends on the arrow), a critical multiplier of x3 and they deal an additional 2d8 points of sonic damage (no save) and deafens permanently on a failed Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ your ranks in Listen + your Wis modifier). Because you need only one hand to shoot the arrows, you can shoot arrows using the Two-Weapon Fighting rules.
Feats and abilities that improve your aptitude with longbows work with your thunder arrow shooting.

As you Trance and enter the Spirit Realm, you reach out closer to the spiritual tempest.
You emit a light blue aura similar to a flame that produces light as a torch.
You become immune to weather conditions and all your arrows gain the same enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to ⅓ your ranks in listen.
They cannot gain an actual bonus to attack and damage rolls bigger than +5, but you can expend points for special weapon abilities. Any save DCs of the weapon are increased by your Wis modifier. If you grant an arrow the Thundering special ability, it instead deals an extra 1d6 points of sonic damage on a successful hit and gives the target a penalty on listen skill checks equal to your ranks in listen for 1 round (does not stack with itself).
For as long as you maintain this stance, this maneuver cannot be recovered or unreadied.

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Discernment "Laser of Seventeen Articles"
True Administrator (Boost)
Level: Hermit 5
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: See text
Range: 0 feet
Effect: One ofuda infused with divine magic
Duration: See text
Save: See text

"The Ministers and officials of the state should make proper behavior their first principle."

Choose one spell from the cleric’s spell list up to 3rd level that has a personal range or the (harmless) description and scribe it in an ofuda.
Initiating this maneuver takes as long as the chosen spell's casting time but the maneuver lasts for 1 round per 5 initiator levels or the spell's duration, whichever is less.
Your initiator level is used to determine your caster level.
You can activate the ofuda with a swift action or move action.
The chosen spell works as described but spells with a touch range can be used on targets at range if they are within 5-ft. per ranks in Listen - the exalted ofuda shoots lasers that tags them with colored ofudas to grant them its benefits.
Personal spells can be used on a single target, which does not need to be you.
you must have any expensive components and spell focus at hand the moment you make the ofuda and pay XP components (but do not need a divine focus).
If this maneuver is used again or unreadied, the ofuda loses the spell.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe allows you to learn the desires of one creature per round that you are hearing each round as a free action. You learn its life goals, current objectives and what it currently sincerely desires. This can be blocked by a successful bluff check against your listen check. Beating your check by 10 allows it to make you learn false information.

If you Trance this maneuver as you initiate it, you may instantly activate the ofuda's power to open a space into the fabric of the universe from which light surges out like gunfire.
The line area is up to 10-ft. per initiator level long and applies the chosen spell's effect to all within the area provided that the chosen spell can affect more than a single target. If it can normally affect only a single one, only the closest target is affected.


Hermit Sign "Taoist of the Land of the Rising Sun"
True Administrator (Counter)
Level: Hermit 5
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range: 10 ft./IL
Targets: One creature per 2 initiator levels within a 30-ft. radius burst.
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

"Should someone with the power to save others choose not to?"

You may initiate this maneuver whenever someone is attacked or must roll a saving throw within the range of this maneuver.
This maneuver creates a certain brilliance around the head of the chosen creatures in range that wards them from danger.
This grants them a sacred bonus to AC and saves equal to 1 + ¼ your ranks in Listen (rounded down)

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe, if you have the ability to Turn or Rebuke Undead, you may burn two of its uses to make a greater turning/rebuking. Creatures that would be turned are destroyed instead and creatures that would be rebuked are commanded instead.

If you Trance this maneuver upon initiating it or while it lasts you suddenly give an impression of absolute authority, remembering your training and your place above the realms of desires, becoming a force that inspires harmony.
You cure yourself of any mind-affecting negative effect that has a hold on you.
On your turn while the maneuver lasts you may use a Total Defense action to order a number of creatures equal to half your ranks in Listen (rounded down) within 10 ft./IL to behave. Those failing a Will save (DC 10 + ½ initiator level + your Wis modifier) are affected by a Calm Emotion spell effect that does not count as mind-affecting. A creature loses this pacified state once it is no longer conscious of your presence or if an attack is dealt to one of the calmed creatures, as normal. If the initial counter was done in response to an ally's attack, this maneuver can only be used against allies.
You may initiate and Trance this maneuver normally despite any mind-affecting effect inflicted upon you.
This Trance effect is an Extraordinary ability.


"HAA So Bright"

Secret Treasure "Prince Shoutoku's Out-of-place Artifact”
True Administrator (Boost)
Level: Hermit 5
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Swift action
Duration: 1 round
Save: Fortitude negates (harmless)

"I've never actually needed a heart anyway because biologically my body is powered by the hope of the world, great intentions and nachos."

This maneuver creates a reliquary in your hand (two sizes smaller than you are) that contains your vital organs. At initiation you may transfer desire spirits along into the reliquary. While you are holding the reliquary, these stored desires can be used for your maneuvers and do not count against the maximum amount of spirits you have available. To store more desire spirits into the reliquary, the maneuver must be initiated again.
Your organs are returned to you without harm and the reliquary and all the desires spirits stored into it are lost and fade away if the reliquary (and the organs within) is damaged (hardness 10) or if the duration expires. While the maneuver lasts you are immune to critical hits and death from massive damage.
The one holding the reliquary receives fast healing equal to the number of stored spirits and may, with a standard action, release spirits contained within to cure ailments on himself or an adjacent creature. No one may receive more than 10 desire spirits' worth of cures (not healing) per day from this maneuver.
Using 2 desires cures from a disease or a poison.
Using 4 desires cures any loss of sense (blindness/deafness/etc)
Using 6 desires cures daze, stunning, paralysis, petrification, insanity or a polymorph effect.
Using 8 desires cures any one temporary ill effect. Ills dealt in points (besides hit point damage) such as ability damage are all cured.
Using 10 desires cures any one permanent ill effect, including loss of limbs. Ills dealt in points such as ability drain are all cured.
This can return a being to life, provided that the soul is willing. There is no level loss.
You cannot have more than one reliquary and this maneuver cannot be recovered while it lasts.

After initiating this maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe now also allows you to maintain the reliquary for as long as you do not initiate another maneuver.

If you Trance this maneuver as you initiate it, you may create the reliquary and use it to release desire spirits as part of the same swift action.
If this maneuver is tranced within Secret Treasure "Armillary Sphere of Ikaruga-dera"'s pagoda, that maneuver is automatically tranced as well.

[Anomander]

True Administrator - Maneuvers explanations (6th-9th level)

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"Falling Stars on Divine Spirit Mausoleum"
True Administrator (Strike)
Level: Hermit 6
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Fullround action
Range: 0 ft.
Area: 10 ft./IL radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: 18+Wis modifier

"These transient lights, like stars in the sky. Each and every one of them is a human desire."

The sky or ceiling above you seems to darken. An instant later, a magnificent starry sky seems to appear in its place, giving a glimpse of the universe.
Stars fall from the sky, each bearing a desire eager to be heard.
Allies (including yourself) within the area are healed depending on the amount of desire spirits used.
If no desire is spent, a single star falls and heals one ally by an amount equal to half a Listen check.
2 desires: One ally is healed by an amount equal to your Listen check or two are healed by an amount equal to half a Listen check.
4 desires: Two allies are healed by an amount equal to your Listen check or three are healed by an amount equal to half a Listen check.
6 desires: One ally is healed by an amount equal to double your Listen check or three are healed by an amount equal to your Listen check.
8 desires: Two allies are healed by an amount equal to double your Listen check or four are healed by an amount equal to your Listen check.
10 desires: All allies within the area are healed by an amount equal to double your Listen check.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe now also grants you the ability to make listen checks opposed by bluff checks to read a creature’s mind, hearing its thoughts for as long as you are in their presence. Those who wins the opposed check are immune to this ability until you ready your maneuvers again.

If you Trance this maneuver as you initiate it, the falling stars also deal damage to all enemies within the area equal to double a Listen check. A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ initiator level + your Wis modifier) halves the damage.
The stars stop in mid air next to creatures succeeding their save, then home toward them. If they do not move at least 10 ft. by the end of their next turn, they are automatically hit and receive the damage they avoided.



Light Sign "Guze Flash"
True Administrator (Boost) [Light]
Level: Hermit 6
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 10 ft./IL
Targets: One creature per 3 Initiator level
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

"With this... the hearts of Gensokyo are now yours."

To learn this maneuver you must know Light Sign "Halo of the Guze Kannon".

This maneuver creates a shimmering halo around the head of the chosen creatures in range that wards them from danger. It sheds light in a 10-ft. radius.
This grants them a sacred bonus to AC and saves equal to 1 + ⅓ your ranks in Listen (rounded down), immunity to all pain effects and two of the following effects: Ability Damage/Drain, Blindness/Deafness, Confusion, Daze, Death (as in Instant death effects), Entanglement, Energy Drain, Fatigue/Exhaustion, Fear, Nausea, Paralyzation, Poison, Sickness/Disease and Stunning.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe allows you to listen to disturbances and irregularities in the body. You are aware of the state of every creature you can hear - learning how many hit points they have left compared to their maximum hit points, their creature type and any conditions affecting them: dead, disabled, staggered, unconscious, dying, nauseated, panicked, stunned, poisoned, diseased, confused, charmed, dominated, petrified, illusion or the like.

If you Trance this maneuver as you initiate it, you instead enlighten a weapon with prismatic might, its radiance giving it the golden gleam of the purest essence.
A weapon with which you can fight proficiently that you carry but do not wield is treated as if it was a masterwork pure gold weapon and loses any magical/psionic properties that it had (but it maintains its market value).
If you have 16 ranks in Listen, the weapon is instead treated as a Relicwork pure gold weapon.
If you have 18 ranks in Listen, the weapon is instead treated as a Artifactwork pure gold weapon.
If you have 20 ranks in Listen, the weapon is instead treated as a Phantasmwork pure gold weapon.
This tranced maneuver lasts until you recover it. If you make an attack with the weapon the effect ends at the beginning of your next turn.



Virtue Sign "Prestige of Shoutoku"
True Administrator (Boost)
Level: Hermit 6
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 5 ft./ IL
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round + ⅓ ranks in Listen
Save: None

"Be not envious. For if we envy others, they in turn will envy us. The evils of envy know no limit. If others surpass us in intelligence, we are not pleased; if they are more able, we are envious. Therefore, it is not until after a lapse of five hundred years that we at last meet with a wise man, and even in a thousand years we hardly obtain one sage. But if we do not find wise men and sages, how shall the realm be governed?"

To learn this maneuver you must know Honor "Ranks of Twelve Levels".

You grace a creature with the strength of virtue and your remarkable brilliance. Choose one kind of ill effect/condition plus an additional one at 14 ranks in Listen and every six ranks afterwards. The target cannot be affected by the chosen conditions for the duration of the maneuver and it is cured from their negative effects if any already affects it. You can use this maneuver on yourself despite any condition that would prevent you to act provided that condition is removed as part of this maneuver.
You automatically enter Trance mode if you initiate this maneuver on yourself while you are not suffering from any ill condition.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe grants you the additional effect of any True Administrator maneuver that you know.

While the maneuver lasts, you may Trance this maneuver anytime after initiating it as part of a Total Defense action.
You send desire spirits as ghastly colored orbs at all enemies within a 15 ft. radius, 10 ft./IL high cylinder spread centered on the protected creature. The damage depends on the amount of desires invested.
A successful Reflex save (DC 10+ ½ your initiator level + your Wis modifier) halves the damage.
After Trancing this maneuver, the area of effect lasts 1 round, attacking enemies within, and the warded creature instantly loses the ward's protection.

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0 desires: 1/Initiator level.
2 desire: 1d6/Initiator level
4 desires: 1d6/Initiator level + 1/Initiator level
6 desires: 1d8/Initiator level + 1/Initiator level
8 desires: 1d8/Initiator level + 2/Initiator level
10 desires: 1d10/Initiator level + 2/Initiator level

Roll 1d12 to determine the damage type. Add or reduce the result by up to the number of invested desire spirits.

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1: Divine [Purple]
2: Force [Purple]
3: Cold Energy
4: Nonlethal
5: Fire Energy
6: Electricity Energy
7: Acid Energy [Yellow]
8: Poison (immunity to poison negates damage) [Yellow]
9: Positive Energy
10: Sonic Energy
11: Negative Energy
12: Vile

"I am the only one who can save the humans now."

Thunder Arrow "Gagouji's Tornado"
True Administrator (Strike)
Level: Hermit 6
Stance Link: Thunder Rites “Children of the Gods”
Initiation Action: Fullround action
Range: Ranged attack
Area: See text
Duration: 4d8 rounds
Save: 16+Wis modifier

"Might makes right. If that is the way of Gensokyo, the decision will be a simple one!"

Make a ranged weapon attack. You instantly shoot a lightning strike after it, tailing the trajectory of the ranged weapon as a line area effect dealing 1d10 times 1d8 electricity damage (as per a natural lightning bolt) to everything on its path. Wherever the ranged weapon hits becomes the emanation point of a cylinder area effect with a radius of up to 80 ft. and height going up to 20 ft./IL up and the same distance down from the emanation point (wherever the ranged weapon hit).
Everything within or that enters the cylinder must succeed a Fortitude save or be unable to leave the area until the maneuver ends. They receive 1d10 times 1d8 electricity damage (half if they saved on the original Fortitude saving throw) upon entering the area and at the beginning of your turn each round.
Creatures within the area are effectively deafened without a save.
You are immune to the ill effects of this maneuver and may not initiate it again until its duration is over.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Thunder Rites “Children of the Gods” now also allows you to ignore armor and natural armor bonuses to AC when dealing ranged attacks.

If you Trance this maneuver the turn after you initiate it as a full-round action, you attack with a ranged weapon and your attacks all meld into one giant lightning strike. Add the damage modifier of every attack you can do with a fullattack action with one of your ranged weapons.
Everyone within the cylinder suffers that damage, half damage on a successful Reflex save against a DC equal to an attack roll from you. This ends the entire maneuver.

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Hermit Sign "Emperor of the Land of the Rising Sun"
True Administrator (Counter) [Light]
Level: Hermit 7
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Targets: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

"Let not the local authorities levy exactions on the people. There cannot be two emperors in a country; the people cannot have two masters. The sovereign is the sole master of the people of the whole realm, and the officials that he appoints are all his subjects. How can they presume to levy taxes on the people?"

To learn this maneuver you must know Hermit Sign "Taoist of the Land of the Rising Sun".

Before you may initiate this maneuver, you must meditate for 8 hours to designate its only possible target.
You may initiate this maneuver whenever the chosen target is attacked or must roll a saving throw, no matter the range as long as you are both on the same plane.
This maneuver creates a shinning seal around the chosen creature and it automatically avoids the attack or succeeds any saving throw. It sheds light in a 20-ft. radius.
It then grants it a sacred bonus to AC and saves equal to 1 + ¼ your ranks in Listen for 1 round.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, if you have the ability to Turn or Rebuke Undead, Divine Spirits' Universe allows you to burn two uses to make a greater turning/rebuking. Creatures that would be turned are destroyed instead and creatures that would be rebuked are commanded instead. Your effective cleric level for Turning/Commanding purposes increases by + ¼ your ranks in Listen.

If you Trance this maneuver upon initiating it or as a free action while it lasts you cure yourself of any effect that would limit or control your ability to act (except death) and teleport in a position adjacent to the target of this maneuver.
If you are the maneuver's chosen target, you instead teleport to a square adjacent to an ally that you can see.
You may initiate and Trance this maneuver normally despite any effect that would limit or control your ability to act (except death).


"Help meee, Mikoemooon!"

Human Sign "Side with the Weak and Punish the Strong"
True Administrator (Strike) [Light]
Level: Hermit 7
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Full-round action
Area: See text.
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: 17+Wis modifier

"Cease from gluttony and abandon covetous desires. Of complaints brought by the people there are a thousand in one day. If in one day there are so many, how many will there be in a series of years? Deal impartially with the legal complaints which are submitted to you. If the man who is to decide suits at law makes gain his motive, and hears cases with a view to receiving bribes, then the suits of the rich man will be like a stone flung into water, meeting no resistance, while the complaints of the poor will be like water thrown upon a stone. In these circumstances the poor man will not know where to go."

You brandish a weapon in your possession with which you can fight proficiently above your head. It exhumes spiritual flames as you lift it and then, as you point it at your enemies the golden flames beam out and bathe the field with sacred light, the power so strong its pushes you 5 x 1d4 feet in the opposite direction of the cone.
This maneuver affects a cone of up to 5-ft./IL that you then bring with you as you move up to double the cone's chosen height in a straight line in the direction opposite to the cone's orientation.
All creatures within the maneuver's area receive damage equal to your weapon's damage + triple their own HD.
A successful Fortitude save halves that damage.
If their HD is higher than your own, they receive additional damage equal to their own HD times the difference between their HD and your own and receive a penalty on their save equal to that HD difference.
If their HD is lower than your own, the damage is instead reduced by their own HD times the difference between their HD and your own and receive a bonus on their save equal to that HD difference. You may also choose to deal them no damage at all.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe allows you once per round to reduce the damage you would receive by an amount equal to your ranks in Listen.

If you Trance this maneuver upon initiating it the maneuver also inflicts a temporary negative level to one affected creature of your choice for 3 rounds. It lasts only 1 round if it makes the save.
If its HD is higher than your own it instead receives a number of temporary negative levels equal to twice the difference between your HD.


"I do not wish to be seen bullying the weak. If you are confident, however, I see no reason to refuse."

Light Sign "Lasers of Infinite Articles"
True Administrator (Boost)
Level: Hermit 7
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: See text
Range: 0 feet
Effect: One ofuda infused with divine magic
Duration: See text
Save: See text

"If the superiors do not behave properly, the inferiors are disorderly; if inferiors behave improperly, offenses will naturally result. Therefore when lord and vassal behave with propriety, the distinctions of rank are not confused: when the people behave properly the Government will be in good order."

Choose one spell from the cleric’s spell list up to 5th level that has a personal range or the (harmless) description and scribe it in an ofuda.
Initiating this maneuver takes as long as the chosen spell’s casting time but the maneuver lasts for 1 round per 5 initiator levels or the spell’s duration, whichever is less.
Your initiator level is used to determine your caster level.
You can activate the ofuda with a swift action.
The chosen spell works as described but spells with a touch range can be used on targets at range if they are within 5 ft. per ranks in Listen - the exalted ofuda shoots lasers that tags them with colored seals that grant them its benefits.
Personal spells can be used on a single target, which does not need to be you.
You must have any expensive components and spell focus at hand the moment you make the ofuda and pay XP components (but do not need a divine focus).
If this maneuver is used again or unreadied, the ofuda loses the spell.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe allows you to use a sheathed weapon to make ranged attacks, shooting rays of light.
When the sheathed weapon is used this way, the weapon deals damage as if it was once size category smaller. It's range increment is equal to 5-ft./rank in Listen.

If you Trance this maneuver as you initiate it, you may instantly activate the ofuda's power to open a space into the fabric of the universe from which light surges out like gunfire.
The line area is up to 10-ft. per initiator level long and applies the chosen spell's effect to all within the area provided that the chosen spell can affect more than a single target. If it can normally affect only a single one, only the closest target is affected.

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Constitution Bombs of Seventeen Articles
True Administrator (Counter)
Level: Hermit 8
Stance Link: My Way is Truly That of Heaven!
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range: 5-ft./IL
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None

"The massive quantity of gathered divine spirits resembled a starry sky. They silently wait for the one to give her voice"

You may only initiate this counter in response to the death of a creature within range, including your own.
The upon dying, the creature's essence merges with one object that it carried or was touching of your choice.
Its body and the rest of its gear disappear as they merges with that object.
While preserved within the object, the creature's soul is protected and cannot be harmed by any means.
If the object is destroyed, the corpse, gear and life essence of the creature are freed and appear by the remains of the destroyed object (or a random square that connects with its intersection).
The object may be used as if it was the body itself for the purpose of resurrection effects and time sealed within the object does not count against any time limit for resurrection.
If the target is an ally, you may choose to prevent its death at the cost of your own life.
The maneuver targets you and, instead of dying, the ally's hit points return to 1 hit point + the hit points you had before dying in its stead. If that would give the ally more hit points than its maximum, the extra hit points are temporary hit points.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, My Way is Truly That of Heaven! increases your effective initiator level by 1 if you hold an object that has stored your own essence using this maneuver.

If you trance this maneuver as you use it on yourself or as you die for another, you perform a Miracle before dying.
This functions as per the Miracle spell but the duplicated spell must have a personal range or the (harmless) description. The spell's targets are instead all within a 5-ft. burst effect. For every 5 desire spirits spent into the Miracle, an additional 5-ft. burst effect is made. A very powerful request to the universe costs XP as normal.



Divine Light "Honour the Avoidance of Defiance"
True Administrator (Boost)
Level: Hermit 8
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 40 ft./IL
Targets: Two creatures
Duration: See text
Save: None

"Harmony should be valued and quarrels should be avoided. Everyone has his biases, and few men are far-sighted. Hence there are some who disobey their lords and fathers and keep up feuds with their neighbors. But when those above are harmonious and those below are friendly, then affairs are discussed quietly and the right view of matters prevails. Then what is there which cannot be accomplished!"

Upon initiating this maneuver, choose two creatures (not including you) within 5 ft. per ranks in Listen.
They may instantly perform a standard action of your choice (both must do the same kind of action). Those who do not obey are slowed for one round despite any immunity they might have. This does not affect their initiative order and no creature can be affected by this effect more than once per round.

You must immediately decide a condition (same kind of condition as in the Contingency spell). If the chosen condition is met while you are in the Divine Spirits' Universe stance you may use an Attack of Opportunity to attack whatever caused the condition to be fulfilled. You attack as if you were within melee reach, no matter the distance between you and the target, and the attack must be done with one of your sheathed weapons. Instead of an Attack of Opportunity you may instead initiate a maneuver with an immediate action provided that you spend an amount of desire spirits equal to the maneuver's level. This lasts for as long as you do not initiate another maneuver. You may change the condition whenever you activate this stance effect.

If you trance this maneuver as you initiate it, the targets may obey the command and do the standard action of your choice even if they suffer from conditions and ill effects that would prevent them from carrying it out (including death) or diminish their ability to do it.



Newborn Divine Spirit
True Administrator (Strike)
Level: Hermit 8
Stance Link: Divine Spirits' Universe
Initiation Action: Full-round action
Range: 30-ft./IL
Area: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: See text.

"Harmony is to be valued. Meaning you shall never oppose me again."

You make one melee attack or ranged attack against an opponent within range. Although it may not be within melee reach, a melee attack is still treated as such when it benefits you.
The strike is meant to manipulate one’s lifeforce but the attack deals no damage.
If it hits, the creature’s every supernatural, spell/psi-like and spells/powers/maneuvers/similars abilities are sealed and unusable for 1 hour. They are treated as if they never had these abilities in the first place.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirits' Universe allows you receive one desire spirits whenever you hit an enemy with an attack.

If you Trance this maneuver before making the attack, the attack deals damage as normal and the creature's lifeforce is also in danger of being sent back to the spiritual nexus on a successful hit if the target fails both a Fortitude and a Will save (DC 10 + ½ you initiator level + your Wis modifier).
Undead and construct creatures are vulnerable to this effect despite their immunities, taking a -5 penalty on their save.
If the melee attack would defeat the target, it instantly fails both saves.
You discern its driving desire and guide its spirit to be reincarnated into a new life form of your choice.
The creature affected does not die. Its life or animating force is directly transferred into a random newborn body of the selected type and is without memories of its past existence, leaving its old body behind. That lifeless body cannot be raised into a undead and cannot be returned to life (since the creature still lives).
If the new creature dies, resurrections are possible only for the new body.


"Enough playing around!"

Apparition "Iruka's Thunder"
True Administrator (Strike)
Level: Hermit 8
Stance Link: Thunder Rites “Children of the Gods”
Initiation Action: Full-round action
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: See text

"For the sake of those who admire me, I cannot lose."

Make a fullattack with a ranged weapon. Each ranged attack deals 1d10 times 1d8 extra electricity damage (as per a natural lightning bolt). After your attacks, targets hit must succeed on a Fortitude save or be Paralyzed and Stunned for a number of rounds equal to the amount of successful hits done against them. A successful Fortitude save (DC 18+Wis) stuns for 1 round instead.
This bypasses immunity to Paralysis and Stunning effects but immunity to Stunning confers a +5 bonus on the save.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Thunder Rites "Divine Spirit "Children of the Gods" grants you Iruka’s vengeance. If you are slain, whoever killed you is instantly struck by divine lightning and dies on a failed Fortitude save, (DC 10 + ½ you initiator level + you Wis modifier). Immunity to Electricity makes them lose half their maximum hit points instead.

If you Trance this maneuver before making your fullattack, every attack that hits a target keeps on going in a straight line until they hit a solid obstacle (non-creature). Targets in their path are attacked by the same attack roll as the original target.

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My Way is Truly That of Heaven!
True Administrator (Boost)
Level: Hermit 9
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: Stance
Save: None

"I wanted to overcome my humanity. That's all."

While you are under the Divine Spirits' Universe stance, you may initiate this maneuver to alter the stance, transforming it into a new one: My Way is Truly That of Heaven!

It does everything Divine Spirits' Universe does and more. Desire spirits are drawn to you, searching for you from the far reaches of the multiverse. You attract and absorb desire spirits even when you are not in Trance Mode.

As you enter the Spirit Realm, your spirit is transcended.
While in Trance Mode, the symbol of a red, yellow and purple lotus flower also lays under your feet, granting you an awe-inspiring aura that compels everyone to revere you. This is a light effect.
If a maneuver is tranced, instead of leaving the stance you revert back to the Divine Spirits' Universe stance.
You can still trance maneuvers linked to the Divine Spirits' Universe stance.

All who can perceive you must win an opposed Wisdom check. On a failure, they are taken by your divine spirit and cannot bear to harm you unless you encourage them to fight you or if you attack them (but the martial discipline's etiquette requires that you personally beckon opponents to combat if you wish to harm them).
The result of the opposed check remains in effect for 24 hours even if you leave/enter this stance again.
They may still try to capture you or subdue you but nothing that involves harming you in any way (non-lethal damage is fine).


"Come, worship me!"

Heed the Commands with Absolute Care
True Administrator (Strike)
Level: Hermit 9
Stance Link: My Way is Truly That of Heaven!
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: See text
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: See text

"When you receive the Imperial commands, fail not to heed them with absolute care. The lord is Heaven, the vassal is Earth. Heaven overspreads, and Earth bears up. When Heaven and Earth are properly in place, the four seasons follow their course and all is well in Nature. If the Earth attempted to overspread, Heaven would simply fall in ruin. Therefore when the lord speaks, the vassal listens; when the superior acts, the inferior complies. Consequently, when you receive the Imperial commands, do not fail to carry them out or ruin will be the natural result."

You automatically attract and absorb 1 desire spirit per initiator level that may go above your usual maximum of 10.
Make a melee attack against any one enemy within melee reach. The attack deals additional damage equal to three times a Listen skill check and ignores any miss chance. You can deal this attack with a sheathed weapon that you draw and sheath back as part of this maneuver.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, My Way is Truly That of Heaven! allows you to hear the desires of up to one creature per held desire spirit to learn their past, present and future.
This allows you to gain knowledge of these characters' backstory (very summarized but more detailed if you listen for longer periods of time) and learn what they are hoping to accomplish, what they desire to do or say and so on along with an idea of what might be in store for them in the future if you listen to them for at least one minute and succeed a Listen check opposed by their best mental (Int/Wis/Cha) skill check. You do not merely hear what a person says or see what he does, you hear their desires and understand them.
Everything that happens is as felt by you in the future.
However, because you must ‘keep harmony sacred’, you cannot allow yourself to interfere with the flow of events.
In combat, this translates to an insight bonus to AC, saves and initiative equal your Wisdom modifier. You can never be flatfooted or surprised.

If you Trance this maneuver, instead of making a melee attack you get into Total Defense and select any point of open space that you can see - at the beginning of your next turn, you can instantly move to that chosen position (or the closest eligible space) and attack every enemy within a 5-ft./IL burst area centered on your new position as a free action with a great blade of light that fills the area. Make a single attack roll against all enemies.
This attack cannot be avoided or prevented unless they succeed on a Reflex save (DC equal to the result of your attack roll). Those who make their save can use their defensive options to avoid the attack, if they have any (including using immediate actions against it). Enemies within its area receive weapon damage and additional damage equal to a Listen check from you for every 2 desire spirits spent. This is a light effect.
Those damaged by the effect are Dazzled for 1d6 rounds but the penalties are equal to the amount of spirits spent.


"How long have you been watching me?"
"Retroactively, I've been watching since back before you were born."

Desire Drive WIP - Maneuvers explanations (1st-5th level)

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Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Desire Drive (Stance)
Level: Hermit 1
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: Stance
"Since the era of the deities, the ancient moment when Amanosagume moored the Sacred Stone Boat, the land has flourished for a long, long time."

Your base land speed is increased by 10 ft. and you are immune to entanglement.
You can attune yourself to a number of dish plates equal to your initiator level. They can be crafted with a Craft skill check DC 10 and usually have 3cp market price. (1 hit point, 0 hardness)
Each plate takes 1 minute to attune yourself with, at which point they merge with you and count as weightless.
These plates can be used as a thrown weapon with special interactions with many maneuvers linked to this stance: they can be drawn with a free action, deal 1d2 bludgeoning damage (if medium-sized), have a range increment of 10-ft +5-ft./initiator level and threaten on a natural 20. Upon hitting or missing a target, the dish plates float in mid-air in a square or intersection adjacent to the target without occupying any space (creatures can share their space without trouble).

As you enter the Spirit Realm, your motor aptitudes are transcended.
You emit a white (technically red, but whatever) aura similar to a flame that produces light as a torch.

While in Trance Mode, you may instantly create a spirit boat under your feet big enough to carry you alone as a free action. The boat exists only in the Ethereal Plane and responds to your commands flawlessly, moving by your will while you occupy it. It cannot be destroyed.
The boat has a flight speed (clumsy, but may Hover) equal to half your land speed (rounded up to the nearest 5 ft.), ignores obstacles on the Material Plane (but does not grant you that ability) and can either make a Run action or two move actions per round. It cannot fly higher from the ground on the Material Plane than 5 ft. per IL. Wherever the boat goes it leaves an immaterial water trail behind it that fades away after 1 round. The boat responds so flawlessly to your movements that you may still make tumble checks to move through enemy spaces or avoid attacks of opportunity as you leave threatened squares.
If you move faster than your boat, it still flawlessly remains under your feet, being dragged by your essence instead of carrying you.

Like a mount, you can react instantly to drop down and hang alongside your boat, using it as cover, but this is efficient only against attacks that can affect targets on the Ethereal Plane. You can’t attack or cast spells/similar while using your boat as cover. This usage does not take an action. While on your boat, you count as mounted and as if you had the Mounted Combat feat in regard to your boat alone.
Magic items that can enhance a mount's performance can be adapted to better the boat (unless they are associated to class abilities or feats), becoming ethereal in the process. When the boat is dismissed, so are these items. They are considered non-existent while dismissed but return with the boat when you enter Trance mode again.
You can sail while standing without any difficulty and can dismiss the boat as a free action.



Liuren Holy Fire
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 1
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: 30-ft./IL
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None

You throw an orb of fire at a target in range as a touch attack.
The holy fire deals fire damage equal to 1d2 (if medium-sized) + your Charisma modifier.
If you throw the holy fire at one of your attuned dish plates, the dish plate hit is shot at another target within range as if it was thrown by you but hitting with a touch attack and dealing additional fire damage equal to your Charisma modifier. The attuned dish plate hit is lost, burnt to ashes.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune" allows you use Liuren Holy Fire (even if the maneuver isn't recovered) instead of an attack. Whenever you do so one of your attuned dish plates is burnt and lost.

You can Trance this maneuver by initiating it as a full-round action. All damage dealt by this maneuver becomes fire damage that ignores resistance and immunity to fire. If you throw the holy fire at an attuned dish plate, the holy fire ricochets to the next closest attuned dish plate, then keeps on ricocheting to an additional number of plates equal to ¼ your initiator level (provided that they are all on the battle-grid). Each plate hit by the holy fire inflames and are shot at a target within range, as per Liuren Holy Fire.



Piled Up Kodoku Dishes
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 1
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range:
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None

As part of initiating this maneuver, you instantly create a number of attuned dish plates equal to half your initiator level (minimum 1) and make an attack with one of them.
If you initiate this maneuver as a full-round action you do a full-attack with your dish plates as part of this maneuver instead of one attack and each plate left from those you just created can be thrown at a different open space of your choice. If a creature occupies one of these open spaces, the plate shatters.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune" maintains your attuned dish plates against harm.
They gain hardness equal to 5 x your initiator level and they aren't lost when your maneuvers would destroy them.

This maneuver cannot be tranced.



Path Sign "TAO Fetal Movement ~Dao~"
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 1
Stance Link: Path Sign "Tao Taidou"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Area: See text
Effect: 1 disruption sphere + 1 per 4 ranks in listen
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

You can use the desire spirits attracted by your undead minion and infuse them into your own cosmic energy to create a Tao sphere for each spirit used.
Each Tao sphere deals damage equal to half a Perform (Ritual) check. The spheres can be used by you alone and they share your space and orbit around you for the duration or until you use them, after which the energy and spirit are claimed back by the universe and disperse.
If you create less than 4 Tao spheres when using this maneuver, you make a number of disruption spheres equal to the difference. They function as Tao spheres that deal no damage but may be used as a substitute for a desire spirit (including being used to create Tao spheres with this maneuver).
These spheres are required for some of your other maneuvers and you may use an attack action to send a Tao sphere at an enemy with a ranged touch attack (range 10 ft. per IL).

Until after you use another maneuver, Path Sign "Tao Taidou" allows your undead minion to attract an additional desire per round even if you are not in Trance Mode (1 per round when out of Trance Mode) and you may initiate maneuvers through your undead minion. You use your own actions and stats but your undead minion counts as the initiator for the purpose of range, line of effect, line of sight and target (in the case of Boosts and other self-affecting maneuvers). Maneuvers initiated this way do not end this effect nor change it to another linked maneuver's stance benefits.

This maneuver cannot be tranced.



Path Sign "Tao Taidou"
Desire Drive (Stance)
Level: Hermit 1
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: Stance
"It appears you took care of my delightful underling back there..."
"Delightful underling? You mean the rotten one?"
"Yes, isn't rotting the cutest?"

If you find a humanoid corpse and place an Ofuda (you can make them freely provided you have paper and some sort of writing material) on its forehead, it will rise as an undead minion under your control.
While the Ofuda cannot be destroyed, if it is removed from the undead minion by making a touch attack and winning a strength check against the undead minion, its animation ends and it reverts to an inanimate corpse. Putting a new Ofuda can be done as a swift action or instead of a melee attack.

You can only have one undead minion at a time and if it is destroyed you may not reanimate another until you have meditated for 8 hours on the flow of the universe.
While you are not under this stance, the undead minion remains active. It attends to whichever single command is written on the Ofuda, defends itself when attacked and attacks those who attack it. It is automatically deanimated if it is more than 30 ft./IL away from you, but reanimates once returned within range.

The undead minion has an effective HD equal to your initiator level.
It acquires the normal Zombie template. It gains a bite attack instead of a slam attack (same damage) and ignores the clauses on Hit Dice, Base Attack, Abilities, Skills and Feats, using the following instead;
This undead minion has hit points equal to your own, a BAB equal to your initiator level, uses your save modifiers and has the following ability scores.
Str 15, Dex 13, Con Ø, Int Ø, Wis 14, Cha 12
It loses all the Skills ranks and feats it had and gains half as many ranks in Listen and Spot as you do (not cross-class) and feats selected by you.
An undead minion gains additional feats as it gains HD but does not have the intelligence and will to acquire or control minions of its own.

As you enter the Spirit Realm, your connection to the realm of the dead grows stronger.
You emit a red aura and your undead minion emits a violet aura, both similar to a flame that produce light as a torch.

While in Trance Mode, at the beginning of each turn, your undead minion attracts 1 desire (desire spirit), to a maximum number of 10 desire spirits. They give you power and influence that you need to use certain maneuvers properly. You cannot spend more than 1 desire spirit per 2 IL (minimum 1) on a maneuver. Desires used on a maneuver are deducted from the amount of desires you currently have attracted. If you leave the stance, the attracted desires are not lost.
For every 5 ranks in Perform (Ritual) that you have your undead minion attracts an additional desire per round.
Each desire spirit is Tiny sized and has AC (12 + double your initiator level) and 1 hit point. They automatically fail every saving throw against damage and are otherwise considered to be insubstantial incorporeal objects. They orbit around your undead minion, sharing its space without granting it cover.

Your undead minion may devour a desire spirit sharing its space as a standard action, which heals it by 1d8+IL hit points

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Standing Mountain
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 2
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Centered on self
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None

As part of this maneuver, you harmlessly fall to the ground to spread some dirt and a subterranean dragon vein links to it, forming a pillar of stone and earth. It has a radius equal to your melee reach and rises forth to a height of up to 10-ft./IL. Make a Charisma check against a Strength check from everyone else on the rising pillar's path.
Those who succeed can may automatically move to an adjacent square from where they are as they push themselves off of it or stay. Those who fail take damage equal to your Charisma modifier and are pushed off the top of the risen pillar by 5-ft. directly upwards and an additional 5-ft. for every 5 points by which you win the opposed check. You must remain in the center of the pillar to keep it rising, then may either get transported to the ground as the pillar returns to dirt or get launched 5-ft./IL upwards in a direction of your choice.
This counts as a Bull Rush attempt for the purpose of abilities and bonuses that apply to Bull Rush attempts. Any creature that shares at least half his space with the rising pillar is lifted up.
The pillar cannot rise and break through other surfaces and if a creature (including you) ends up between a surface and the rising pillar, the creature
takes 1d6 damage for every point they failed the opposed check and the pillar instantly shatters.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune" also grants you great stability, getting a bonus to balance checks and to defend from Bull Rush, Trip and Overrun attempts equal to ⅓ your ranks in Perform (Ritual).

If you trance this maneuver, the pillar does not return to a handful of dirt after initiating this maneuver. If you trance this maneuver again, the previous pillar is undone.

Wind Sign "Winds of Three-Wheel Plates" : Boost– Spin plates to make a wind that relocates things.
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 2
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Area: See text
Effect: 1 disruption sphere + 1 per 4 ranks in listen
Duration: 1 round
Save: None



Evil Sign : Boost– Animate Tao spheres.
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 2
Stance Link: Path Sign "Tao Taidou"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 10 ft. +10-ft./IL
Effect: 1 disruption sphere + 1 per 4 ranks in Perform (Ritual)
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

After using this maneuver, you may have Tao Spheres currently under your control redirected within range. They share a space of your choice and remain active there for another round. If this maneuver is used again on the next round, the Tao spheres that were animated remain under your control and you may animate more Tao spheres, up to the limit of this maneuver.
The Tao spheres may share the space of a creature but they count as difficult terrain and block line of effect. A creature may move out of a square occupied by a sphere but may not enter one.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Path Sign "Tao Taidou" makes it so that anyone adjacent to or sharing the space of a Tao sphere becomes shaken. This does not include you though creatures are also affected by any Tao sphere that shares your space. This fear effect doesn't stack with itself.

If you trance this maneuver, you may immediately convert one desire spirit per 5 ranks in Perform (Ritual) into a Tao sphere for use with this maneuver.

Poison Nail "Poison Raze" : Strike– Throw poison daggers or melee slashes along your path.
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 2
Stance Link: Path Sign "Tao Taidou"
Initiation Action: Fullround action
Duration: See text
Save: See text

When you initiate this maneuver, you may choose to either temporarily neutralize one poison from yourself or transfer the poison from a touched creature or other poisonous source to yourself to purify it.
Alternatively you may give power to your undead minion;
In the later case, as part of this maneuver, your undead minion moves up to its speed and makes a melee attack against one creature at any one point of its movement. It deals bonus damage equal to a Perform (Ritual) check from you.
Creatures immune to poison receive half that bonus damage. This attack is considered to be a charge.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Path Sign "Tao Taidou" now also corrupts your body, making it poisonous to the soul. You neutralize all poisons affecting you (which protects you from any poison transferred to you) while this effect lasts and whenever you receive lethal damage you may bleed a 15 ft. spray of blood in the direction of your choice. Those in the area must succeed on a Will save DC 13+Cha or receive 1d2 points of Charisma damage.

If you Trance this maneuver, you harmlessly coat your weapon or natural weapon (or your undead minion's), with a poison that applies only for its next attack. The poison deals 2d4 temporary Dex damage on a failed Fortitude save (DC 10+½ your initiator level + your Cha modifier) and 2d4 temporary Dex damage 1 minute later on a failed Fortitude save (same DC).
If you have 13 ranks in Perform (Ritual), the poison bypasses immunities to poison and may affect constructs and undead creatures but they get a +5 bonus on the saving throw.

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Blaze Sign "Blazing Winds of Haibutsu" : Strike– Scorching winds blow over the area.
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 3
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range:
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None

Throwing Dishes "Mononobe's Eighty Sake Cups" : Strike– Drench everyone into insobriety.
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 3
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range:
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None

Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation" : Boost– Attract desire spirits.
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 3
Stance Link: Path Sign "Tao Taidou"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Area: See text
Effect: 1 disruption sphere + 1 per 4 ranks in listen
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

Yang Xiaogui
Desire Drive (Counter)
Level: Hermit 3
Stance Link: Path Sign "Tao Taidou"
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range: 10 ft. per IL
Duration: See text.
Save: See text.

If an enemy enters or begins movement within range of this maneuver, and you have line of effect to it, you may launch a Tao sphere at it with a ranged touch attack.
On a hit, the target is also immobilized until its next turn.

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An immobilized creature can attack and cast spells normally, but it cannot move from the square or squares it is in. This condition does not prevent a character from defending itself nor does it cause a creature to lose its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class. Flying creatures that become immobilized in mid-flight can control their descent so they do not take falling damage, but they are incapable of moving from their current square as long as the effect ends and descent at a rate of 20 feet per round. Flying creatures with the ability to hover can maintain their initial altitude if they choose.

By taking a Total Defense action on your turn after using this maneuver, you may shoot lasers all around you in a burst radius equal to the range of this maneuver, dealing cold energy damage equal to your weapon damage + Charisma modifier, half damage on a successful Reflex save, DC 12+Cha mod.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Path Sign "Tao Taidou" now also allows you to change the color of your aura, increasing the Martial Lore DC to recognize your stance by an amount equal to your Perform (Ritual) skill modifier, and register as a one alignment of your choice whenever it is favorable to you.

If you Trance this maneuver as you fire the Tao sphere, the sphere remains for an extra round, making a ranged touch attack again at the beginning of the target’s next turn if it is still within range.

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Royal Dragon's Arrow : Boost– Next ranged attack ricochets between all plates.
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 4
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Area: See text
Effect: 1 disruption sphere + 1 per 4 ranks in listen
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

Water Bearing Plate : Strike– Throw a waterfall-bearing plate that pours water down and reduces movement speed.
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 4
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range:
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None

Poison Nail "Poison Murder"
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 4
Stance Link: Path Sign "Tao Taidou"
Initiation Action: Fullround action
Duration: See text
Save: See text

When you initiate this maneuver, you may absorb the poison within every poisonous sources within 5-ft. per IL. to yourself to purify them.
Alternatively you may give power to your undead minion;
In the later case, as part of this maneuver, your undead minion moves up to its speed and makes two melee attack rolls.
Its attack rolls oppose the AC of every creatures within a cone of 5 ft. per 5 ft. moved.
It deals bonus damage on each attack equal to a Perform (Ritual) check from you.
Creatures immune to both poison and critical hits receive half that bonus damage. These attacks are considered to be made as part of a charge.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Path Sign "Tao Taidou" now also corrupts your body, making it poisonous to the soul. You gain immunity to ability damage/drain and poisons affecting you are neutralized while this effect lasts. Whenever you receive lethal damage you may bleed a 25 ft. spray of blood in the direction of your choice. Those in the area must succeed on a Will save DC 15+Cha or receive 1d4 points of Charisma damage (half on a successful save, rounded down, minimum 1).

If you Trance this maneuver, you harmlessly coat your weapon or natural weapon (or your undead minion's) with a poison that applies only for its next attack. The poison deals 2d4 temporary Dex damage on a failed Fortitude save (DC 10+½ your initiator level + your Cha modifier) and unconsciousness 1 minute later on a failed Fortitude save (same DC).
If you have 13 ranks in Listen, the poison bypasses immunities to poison and may affect constructs and undead creatures but they get a +5 bonus on the saving throw.

Recovery "Heal By Desire" : Boost– Dark absorption of desire spirits.
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 4
Stance Link: Path Sign "Tao Taidou"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Area: See text
Effect: 1 disruption sphere + 1 per 4 ranks in listen
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

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Blaze Sign "Taiyi True Fire" : Strike– Spin flames and set the ground ablaze.
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 5
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range:
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None

Saint Girl "Oomonoimi's Dinner" : Boost– Create a curative feast.
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 5
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Area: See text
Effect: 1 disruption sphere + 1 per 4 ranks in listen
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

Wind's Ominous Hole : Boost–  Wind carries you with force, pushing aside those in the way.
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 5
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Area: See text
Effect: 1 disruption sphere + 1 per 4 ranks in listen
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

Desire Sign "Score Desire Eater" : Counter– Use desire spirits to bolster an ally's hit points or devour them to heal.
Desire Drive (Counter)
Level: Hermit 5
Stance Link: Path Sign "Tao Taidou"
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Area: See text
Effect: 1 disruption sphere + 1 per 4 ranks in listen
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

Possession "Corpse Tongji" : Boost– Raise the fallen to fight for you.
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 5
Stance Link: Path Sign "Tao Taidou"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Area: See text
Effect: 1 disruption sphere + 1 per 4 ranks in listen
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

[Anomander]

Corrections and Updates
Latest update in red.

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Hermit
- Dantian Auras are now Dantian Focuses. They aren't auras anymore and affect only the hermit. Can now also be activated as a move action. Also took out the Transcendental Exorcism and added the Transcendental Talent. Also added MR/PR/other piercing bonus to the Disruption since Minor Auras are out. Clarified that the healing of Vigor takes effect upon activation rather than at the beginning of the next turn.
- Since the Dantian Focuses are no longer auras and Minor Auras aren't there anymore, I removed all Trance Mode restrictions, which helps to make the class independent of the Desire Drive discipline.
- True Administrator's first effect is now allowing altruist/community hermits to turn Dantian Focus into an aura and the second effect is now the first effect; making reverse auras. Consequently, the ethereal/material shift is now out.
- I removed the AC bonus ability and gave light armor proficiency and one more maneuver known. Figured the hermit could just get the +AC with Dantian Focus so it didn't need two +AC abilities one after the other.
- Maneuver recovery is now done by activating a stance or a Dantian Focus. It is more convenient and further emphasizes the idea of flowing with the battle by changing styles.
- Wu Wei is now gained at 1st level and gained every 6 level instead of every 5 level. Figured it was a good idea to begin with a staple ability unique to the class.
- Unarmed strike now begins at second level. While it could fit at first level, I like the idea that physical performance is acquired after learning an aspect of the core philosophical notions.
- Accelerating Tastes is now a 3rd level and now gives progressive reduction in the needs for sustenance rather than outright removing them.
- The Wu Wei  'Harmonic Auras' is renamed to 'Harmonic Release' since I got rid of the auras. Clarified how it works to prevent abuse.
- Raised 1track Paradise to level 12.
- As we agreed, I swapped Hold Harmony Sacred (dropped to 9th) with Senkai (and dropped that one to 18th level). I didn't like that Hold Harmony Sacred without the additional stuff was just Divine Impetus with a different name so I gave it a twist by keeping it to once per round, making it immediate actions and limiting them all to the use of maneuvers or changing stance/dantian focus w/ maneuver recovery.
I think it is more thematic this way as well.
- Senkai's dimensions are now 1 cu. mile + 550 cu. ft./rank in Listen. Big enough for a farming village. The increments allows the difference between the senkai of a super epic hermit and a level 18's to actually be noticeable.
- Transformation of Things lost its lifeforce sharing effect.
- Removed Ashen Arm's ability to destroy the souls of the fallen. Realized Kasen was destroying evil spirits and not actual souls so there are no hermits known to have such an ability.

Maneuvers
Secret Treasure "Armillary Sphere of Ikaruga-dera": Updated the Trance Stance link effect, clarifying that by being able to speak with everything, it is meant to allow you to comprehend and converse with anything. Not just speak to them without them understanding or being able to respond.

Possession "Corpse Tongji": Clarified that the possessed creature has a standard action for use after you use your standard action to possess it.

Trancing Maneuvers: You may now only trance a maneuver if you are in under the Trance Mode of the maneuver's linked stance.

Loyal Undead: The minion is two levels under instead of one. You always get the same minion no matter the corpse used to raise it.No longer grants master's Wis mod to Hit points.

Maneuver and Stance List: Corrections on a few maneuvers being listed in the wrong maneuver level order.

Honor "Colors of Twelve Levels": Gave indications of how many effects were guarded against twice. Removed the duplicate for clarity.

Divine Spirit "Trance": Reduced the trance effect that negate distance penalties to listen checks from 60ft/IL to 20ft/IL. This new increment should suffice.

Evil Sign "Guhun Yegui": Clarified what an opening/breach is for the purpose of closing them with a wall of force

==============

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Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Desire Drive (Stance)
Level: Hermit 1
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: Stance
"Since the era of the deities, the ancient moment when Amanosagume moored the Sacred Stone Boat, the land has flourished for a long, long time."

Your base land speed is increased by 10 ft. and you are immune to entanglement.

As you enter the Spirit Realm, your motor aptitudes are transcended.
You emit a white (technically red, but whatever) aura similar to a flame that produces light as a torch.

While in Trance Mode, you may instantly create a spirit boat under your feet big enough to carry you alone as a free action. The boat exists only in the Ethereal Plane and responds to your commands flawlessly, moving by your will while you occupy it. It cannot be destroyed.
The boat has a flight speed (clumsy, but may Hover) equal to half your land speed (rounded up to the nearest 5 ft.), ignores obstacles on the Material Plane (but does not grant you that ability) and can either make a Run action or two move actions per round. It cannot fly higher from the ground on the Material Plane than 5 ft. per IL. Wherever the boat goes it leaves an immaterial water trail behind it that fades away after 1 round. The boat responds so flawlessly to your movements that you may still make tumble checks to move through enemy spaces or avoid attacks of opportunity as you leave threatened squares.
If you move faster than your boat, it still flawlessly remains under your feet, being dragged by your essence instead of carrying you.

Like a mount, you can react instantly to drop down and hang alongside your boat, using it as cover, but this is efficient only against attacks that can affect targets on the Ethereal Plane. You can’t attack or cast spells/similar while using your boat as cover. This usage does not take an action. While on your boat, you count as mounted and as if you had the Mounted Combat feat in regard to your boat alone.
Magic items that can enhance a mount's performance can be adapted to better the boat (unless they are associated to class abilities or feats), becoming ethereal in the process. When the boat is dismissed, so are these items. They are considered non-existent while dismissed but return with the boat when you enter Trance mode again.
You can sail while standing without any difficulty and can dismiss the boat as a free action.



Wicked Spirit "Trance"
Desire Drive (Stance)
Level: Hermit 1
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: Stance
"It appears you took care of my delightful underling back there..."
"Delightful underling? You mean the rotten one?"
"Yes, isn't rotting the cutest?"

If you find a humanoid corpse and place an Ofuda (you can make them freely provided you have paper and some sort of writing material) on its forehead, it will rise as an undead minion under your control.
When not directly following your orders in combat, this undead minion attends to whichever commands were written on the Ofuda. While the Ofuda cannot be destroyed, if it is removed from the undead minion by making a touch attack and winning a strength check against the undead minion, its animation ends and it reverts to an inanimate corpse.

You can only have one undead minion at a time and if one is lost you may not reanimate another until you have meditated for 8 hours on the flow of the universe.
While you are not under this stance, the undead minion remains active but dedicates all its actions to defending itself. It is automatically deanimated if it is more than 30 ft./IL away from you, but you may raise it back up.

The undead minion has an effective HD equal to your initiator level.
It acquires the normal Zombie template, but ignores the clauses on Hit Dice, Base Attack, Abilities, Skills and Feats, using the following instead;
This undead minion has hit points equal to your own, a BAB equal to your initiator level, uses your save modifiers and has the following ability scores.
Str 15, Dex 13, Con Ø, Int Ø, Wis 14, Cha 12
It loses all the Skills ranks and feats it had but instead gains half as many ranks in Listen and Spot as you do (not cross-class). Feats as selected by you.
An undead minion gains additional feats as it gains HD but does not have the intelligence and will to acquire or control minions of its own.

As you enter the Spirit Realm, your connection to the realm of the dead grows stronger.
You emit a red aura similar to a flame that produces light as a torch.

While in Trance mode, you may try to speak with the spirits of the dead no matter their language if you find their corpse (must have at least its head/skull) on the Material Plane or their spirit on the Ethereal Plane. When speaking to a spirit through a corpse, you communicate with their soul despite whatever afterlife they are.
Although you may speak with them, they are under no obligation to speak to you.



Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation"
Desire Drive (Stance)
Level: Hermit 1
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: Stance
Save: None:
"Dooon't come any closeeer!"

You gain a Bite attack dealing 1d6+1½ Str damage (if medium sized) or only +Str damage if you already have other natural attacks. This Bite attack allows you to eat and digest harmlessly anything it can damage (must still beat hardness and includes ingested poisons and other dangerous stuff).

As you enter the Spirit Realm, your connection to the realm of the dead grows stronger.
You emit a violet aura similar to a flame that produces light as a torch.

Upon entering Trance Mode you may attract one desire spirit per 2 initiator level as a free action. Conjuring new spirits dismisses any remaining spirit. Each of these desire spirits are Tiny sized and have AC 24 and 1 hit point. They automatically fail every saving throw against damage and are otherwise considered to be insubstantial incorporeal objects. They orbit around you, sharing your space without granting you cover.
This is not soul eating. These desire spirits are more akin to actual desires than spirits, yet not much different than Faith.

You may devour a desire spirit sharing your space as a standard action, healing you 1d8+IL hit points.



2nd level


Blaze Sign "Blazing Winds of Haibutsu"
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 2
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Personal
Area: 15 ft./IL burst radius centered on you
Duration: See text
Save: 12+Wis mod

This maneuver creates a strong and warm wind blowing in the direction of your choice for 1 round, affecting all enemies in its area.

On a failed Fortitude save, Tiny or smaller creatures on the ground are knocked down and rolled 1d4×10 feet/3 IL, taking 1d4 points of nonlethal damage per 10 feet. If flying, Tiny or smaller creatures are blown back 2d6×10 feet/3 IL.
Small creatures are knocked prone by the force of the wind, or if flying are blown back 1d6×10 feet/3 IL.
Medium creatures are unable to move forward against the force of the wind, or if flying are blown back 1d6×5 feet/3 IL.
Large or larger creatures may move normally within the effect.
The wind cannot move a creature beyond the limits of the area but creatures rolled off or blown back take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage per 10 feet due to battering and buffeting.
For every 8 ranks in Listen, the size dependent effects all increase by one size category..
   
Every enemy, regardless of size, takes a penalty on ranged attacks and Listen checks in the area equal to your IL.
In addition to the effects noted, this wind can do anything that a sudden blast of wind would be expected to do. It can create a stinging spray of sand or dust, fan a large fire, overturn delicate awnings or hangings, heel over a small boat, and blow gases or vapors to the edge of its range. However, it does not put out fires.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune" now also allows you to carry one additional creature of your size and up to their maximum load per two initiator level. A Large creature counts as two Medium creatures, a Huge creature counts as two Large creatures, and so forth. The boat’s shape changes to accommodate these creatures and they stay aboard without risk of being shaken off despite the boat being on the Ethereal Plane.
You and those on the boat are immune to Fascination effects.

If you Trance this maneuver, all nongood creatures within the area also catch on fire, receiving fire damage at the beginning of their turn equal to your ranks in Listen for a number of rounds equal to your Wis modifier or until they spend a move action to put it out.
If you will it, it may also set religious establishments, unattended religious symbols and religious items within the area that are not related to Taoism aflame, burning until fully consumed.



Evil Sign "Yang Xiaogui"
Desire Drive (Counter)
Level: Hermit 2
Stance Link: Wicked Spirit “Trance”
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range: 10 ft. per IL
Duration: See text.
Save: See text.

If you hear an enemy entering or beginning movement within range of this maneuver, and you have line of effect to him, you may launch two gravity-disruption orbs at him, both simultaneously hitting with a single touch attack from you with a +2 bonus. On a hit, the target is immobilized until its next turn.

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An immobilized creature can attack and cast spells normally, but it cannot move the the square or squares it is in. This condition does not prevent a character from defending it itself nor does it cause a creature to lose its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class. Flying creatures that become immobilized in mid-flight can control their descent so they do not take falling damage, but they are incapable of moving from their current square as long as the effect ends and descent at a rate of 20 feet per round. Flying creatures with the ability to hover can maintain their initial altitude if they choose.

By taking a Total Defense action on your turn after using this maneuver, you may shoot lasers all around you in a burst radius equal to the range of this maneuver, dealing cold energy damage equal to your weapon damage + Wisdom modifier, half damage on a successful Reflex save, DC 12+Wis mod.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Wicked Spirit (Trance) now also allows you to change the color of your aura, increasing the Martial Lore DC to recognize your stance by an amount equal to your Listen skill modifier, and register as a Good and/or Lawful aligned creature whenever it is favorable to you.

If you Trance this maneuver as you fire the gravity-disruption orbs, the orbs remain for an extra round, making a ranged touch attack again at the beginning of the target’s next turn if it is still within range.



Recovery "Heal By Desire"
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 2
Stance Link: Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Area: 10 ft. +10 ft./rank in Listen
Duration: 2 rounds
Save: None

Upon initiating this maneuver, you attract a single extra desire spirit that lasts until the duration expires and you may have all your desire spirits move once to any position within range.
Each spirit gain a 5 ft. reach and an attack modifier equal to your Initiator level + your Wis modifier, and may make a single attack of opportunity per round to make a touch attack. On a hit, they self-destruct and deal damage equal to your ranks in Listen. At the end of the duration of this maneuver, they return to you, sharing your space again.
While maneuver lasts, each round by taking a Total Defense action, you may have the desire spirits all make a single ranged touch attack each with a range of 60 ft. and dealing the same damage. No target may suffer damage more than once from this maneuver.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation" now also gets your desire spirits to heal you as if you had devoured them if they are destroyed.

If you Trance this maneuver as you take a Total Defense action, you may have your spirits heal a target they are adjacent to. The healing granted is equal to your initiator level times the amount of divine spirits doing the healing. After healing their target, each spirit that participated is freed from your influence and is dismissed.



3rd level

Summon "Royal Clan's Chaotic Dance"
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 3
Stance Link: Divine Spirit “Trance”
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 10 ft./IL
Target: See text
Duration: See text
Save: None

Upon initiating this maneuver, you and allies in range get a bonus to your base speed equal to 5 ft. + 5 ft./2 ranks in Listen for one round.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirit "Trance" allows you to spend a Total Defense action to allow all allies within 10 ft. of you (not including you) to instantly make one melee or ranged attack. This attack does not affect their initiative order and no ally can benefit from this effect more than once per round.

If you Trance this maneuver as you do a Total Defense action, you may summon allies that you can hear to your side, positioning them as you wish within range from you. After they make their attacks, the maneuver ends and the allies return to wherever they were.



Throwing Dishes "Mononobe's Eighty Sake Cups"
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 3
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: 10 ft./IL
Area: 30 ft. radius cylinder burst going all the way down
Duration: See text
Save: 13+Wis mod

Strike– Send 80 cups of sake flying, drenching everyone into inebriety.
As the cups are thrown, celestial, holy and totally exalted sake rains over, through and into everyone within the area. Creatures affected get completely drunk, falling prone and taking temporary 2d4 Dex and Wis damage that last until they get a good night’s sleep, waking up with an horrible hangover, half on a successful Fortitude save. Flying creatures are too drunk to fly and crash down into prone position.
The sake is so pure that, although it can still be cured by effects curing poisons, though it is not considering to be poison.
Being hopelessly drunk, those failing the Fortitude save fall prone to grab one of the unbroken cups and keep drinking, unable to get up from prone and losing the use of one hand (or other appendage that can manipulate objects as it it is busy holding a drink) for 1 round.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune" now also enhances your ranged weapon attacks with a bonus electricity damage equal to your half your ranks in Listen.

If you Trance this maneuver, all creatures in the area are slowed for 1 round and those who failed their save cannot do anything for one round other than lay down or sit prone where they are in drunken stupor.



Path Sign "Tao Taidou"
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 3
Stance Link: Wicked Spirit “Trance”
Initiation Action: Swift action
Area: See text
Effect: 1 disruption sphere + ¼ ranks in listen (rounded down)
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

You create disruption spheres within your space that orbits around you.
You may make a make a touch attack with these spheres whenever they share their space with an enemy or with a ranged touch attack if they are shot with a move action, immobilizing them when they hit. Each sphere may be used only once and when more than one sphere is used to attack the same target, they all use the same attack roll from you with a bonus equal to the number of spheres used against the same target.
With a move action on the turn you initiated this maneuver, you may fire the spheres anywhere within 10 ft./IL., making a ranged touch attack when a creature is targeted.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Wicked Spirit (Trance) now also allows you to keep the distortion spheres created by this maneuver. They stay where you last sent them, blocking your enemies’ line of effect in a 5 ft. cubic space per sphere and making a touch attack to immobilize them if they enter their space. You may relocate them only with a fullround action.

If you Trance this maneuver with Total Defense action while it lasts you may shoot lasers all around you in a 10 ft./IL burst radius dealing cold energy damage to your enemies equal to your Wis mod times ½ your ranks in Listen, half damage on a successful Reflex save (DC 10+½ your initiator level + your Wis modifier).



Poison Nail "Poison Raze"
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 3
Stance Link: Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation"
Initiation Action: Fullround action
Duration: See text
Save: See text

Strike– Poisonous attacks slashing along your path.
As part of this maneuver, make a double move and make a melee attack against one creature at any one point of your movement. You deal bonus damage equal to a Listen check.
Creatures immune to poison receive half that bonus damage. This attack is considered to be a charge.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation"  now also corrupts your body, making it poisonous to the soul. You gain immunity to Poison if you do not have it already and whenever you receive lethal damage you may bleed a 15 ft. spray of blood in the direction of your choice. Those in the area must succeed on a Will save DC 13+Wis or receive 1d2 points of Charisma damage.

If you Trance this maneuver before you attack, you harmlessly coat your weapon or natural weapon with a poison that lasts until your next attack. The poison deals 2d4 temporary Dex damage on a failed Fortitude save (DC 10+½ your initiator level + your Wis modifier) and unconsciousness 1 minute later on a failed Fortitude save (same DC).
If you have 13 ranks in Listen, the poison bypasses immunities to poison and may affect constructs and undead creatures but they get a +5 bonus on the saving throw.



4th level




Heaven Sign "Iwafune Ascending to Heaven"
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 4
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: See text
Area: See text
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None

You invoke a dragon god from the deep seas of the Spirit Realm. The water dragon is 5 ft. /IL long, 10 ft. large and 10 ft. high. The width and height may increase by an additional 5 ft. if you have 14 ranks in Listen and every additional 3 ranks afterwards. Upon initiating this maneuver, the dragon’s head starts adjacent to you and the rest of its body appears as it moves away from you. It moves a distance twice its length and makes a grapple check against every enemy creature it passes through. Its grapple check modifier is equal to your Initiator level + your Wis modifier +4 and an additional +4 for every additional 5 ft. added to the water dragon’s width and height (these are not size bonuses). On a successful grapple check, the water dragon deals 1d6 + your Wis modifier bludgeoning damage. Grappled creature small enough to fit within its space are carried along the water dragon and you may leave them at any point within the water dragon’s body. Those too large to fit are left behind and creatures grappled cannot speak. The space occupied by the water dragon effect counts as actual water.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, the boat granted to you from the Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune" stance has its flight speed increased by the length of the water dragon and its flight maneuverability changed to Good.
For as long as you are on your boat, you move and breathe through water as if it was air and are immune to Slow effects.

If you Trance this maneuver as you initiate it, you may ‘attach’ your boat to the dragon god’s tail, following it. When the water dragon ends its movement, you sail along its body all the way to the tip of its head, ramming through every creature caught within it and dealing them Force damage equal to your Listen skill modifier.



Thunder Arrow "Gagouji's Cyclone"
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 4
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: Stance
Save: See text

While you are within any Trance stance, you may initiate this maneuver to alter the stance, transforming it into a new one: Thunder Rites “Children of the Gods”.

You can shoot arrows of thunder with your bare hands. You shoot arrows this way with a 200 ft. range increment, dealing 1d8 damage (damage type depends on the arrow), a critical multiplier of x3 and they deal an additional 2d8 points of sonic damage (no save) and deafens permanently on a failed Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ your ranks in Listen + your Wis modifier). Because you need only one hand to shoot the arrows, you can shoot arrows using the Two-Weapon Fighting rules.
Feats and abilities that improve your aptitude with longbows work with your thunder arrow shooting.

As you Trance and enter the Spirit Realm, your reach out closer to the spiritual tempest.
You emit a light blue aura similar to a flame that produces light as a torch.
You become immune to weather conditions and all your arrows gain the same enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to ⅓ your ranks in listen.
They cannot gain an actual bonus to attack and damage rolls bigger than +5, but you can expend points for special weapon abilities. Any save DCs of the weapon are increased by your Wis modifier. If you grant an arrow the Thundering special ability, it instead deals an extra 1d6 points of sonic damage on a successful hit and gives the target a penalty on listen skill checks equal to your ranks in listen for 1 round (does not stack with itself).
For as long as you maintain this stance, this maneuver cannot be recovered or unreadied.



Possession "Corpse Tongji"
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 4
Stance Link: Wicked Spirit “Trance”
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: 10 ft./IL
Duration: See text
Save: None


If someone is killed or destroyed within range up to one round before the current round, you may initiate this maneuver to have it rematerialize and rise for one round under your control. You control the fallen creature with all the abilities that were at its disposal while alive, though it is still just a corpse that you are moving around.
You make the possessed corpse rise up from Prone as a free action and may have it do anything it is able to do with a standard action and any other kind of actions you still haven't spent this turn (including a fullround action, if you haven't used your move action). When its actions are done, it is deanimated and may not be possessed by this maneuver again.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, if you die or are destroyed while under the Wicked Spirit (Trance) stance, you rematerialize and raise yourself, controlling yourself for one round. Your soul is restored or pulled back to you if it has been lost. If you can get adjacent to your undead minion before the end of that round, you can transfer your soul into it as an immediate action. You still die, but your undead minion remains animated despite your loss and your consciousness and memories ride alongside its body and still get to order it around. If a Raise Dead effect is used on the undead minion, it is upgraded to a True Resurrection effect to restore you to life.
You may not raise another undead minion while riding one.

If you Trance this maneuver upon initiating it, you may instead possess your undead minion, for one round, you may use all your abilities though your undead minion using its remaining actions and sense everything it senses. You maintain just enough consciousness in your own body to make move actions at half-speed, 5 ft steps, basic attacks (defensively or not) and Total Defense actions.



5th level

Hermit Sign "Taoist of the Land of the Rising Sun"
Desire Drive (Counter)
Level: Hermit 5
Stance Link: Divine Spirit “Trance”
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 10 ft./IL
Targets: One creature per initiator level
Duration: 1 round
Save: None

You may initiate this maneuver whenever someone is attacked or must roll a saving throw within the range of this maneuver, but before the attack or effect takes place.
This maneuver creates a certain brilliance around the head of the chosen creatures in range that wards them from danger.
This grants them a sacred bonus to AC and saves equal to 1 + ¼ your ranks in Listen (rounded down)

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Divine Spirit "Trance", if you have the ability to Turn or Rebuke Undead, you may burn two of its uses to make a greater turning/rebuking. Creatures that would be turned are destroyed instead and creatures that would be rebuked are commanded instead.

If you Trance this maneuver with a Total Defense action, you initiate Hermit Sign "Emperor of the Land of the Rising Sun".
You remember your training and your place above the realms of desires, becoming a force that inspires harmony.
You suddenly give an impression of absolute authority, curing you from any mind-affecting negative effect that has a hold on you. As part of the Total Defense action, you may order a number of creatures equal to half your ranks in Listen (rounded down) within 10 ft./IL to behave. Those failing a Will save (DC 10 + ½ initiator level + your Wis modifier) are affected by a Calm Emotion spell effect that does not count as mind-affecting. A creature loses this pacified state once it is no longer conscious of your presence or if an attack is dealt to one of the calmed creatures, as normal. If the initial counter was done in response to an ally's attack, this maneuver can only be used against allies.
You may Trance this maneuver despite any mind-affecting effect inflicting upon you after initiating Hermit Sign "Taoist of the Land of the Rising Sun".
This maneuver is an Extraordinary ability.


Toyosatomimi no Miko commands you...

Saint Girl "Oomonoimi's Dinner"
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 5
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 0 feet
Effect: 5 ft./2 IL picnic blanket
Duration: See text
Save: None

You invoke a picnic blanket on a horizontal surface. Upon it awaits an incredible feast.
The meals literally are spiritual food, and the drinks are powerful spirits. One creature per two initiator level can partake to the feast but it may not provide for more creatures that the blanket's space can contain.
The feast takes 1 hour to consume, and the beneficial effects do not set in until this hour is over. The spiritual food satiates creatures no matter their usual diet. Creatures who do not eat are also satiated as the absorb the spiritual energy emanating from the feast one way or another.
Every creature partaking of the feast is cured of all diseases, sickness, and nausea.
If the feast is interrupted for any reason or if the maneuver is recovered, used again or unreadied before the hour is complete, the maneuver is expended and its effects are not granted.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, the boat granted by your Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune" stance now has a flight speed equal to your own and also allows you to to carry one additional creature of your size and up to their maximum load per initiator level. A Large creature counts as two Medium creatures, a Huge creature counts as two Large creatures, and so forth. The boat’s shape changes to accommodate these creatures and they stay aboard without risk of being shaken off despite the boat being on the Ethereal Plane.
You and those on the boat are immune to dimensional locks/anchors.

If you Trance this maneuver by initiating it as a fullround action, all unallied creatures within 5 ft./ ranks in Listen must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + ½ initiator level + your Wis modifier) or be unable to resist the temptation of gorging themselves with its content, using all their actions for the next hour to move over the picnic blanket, eat and drink. One round after initiating this maneuver, everything standing on the picnic blanket is sealed in an extradimensional space that looks exactly like the area that surrounds the blanket. Affected creatures can still be conversed and their attitude to everyone on the blanket becomes Friendly for the duration.
After one hour, the seal wears off and those who failed their Will save return completely drunk, prone and take temporary 2d4 Dex and Wis damage that last until they get a good night’s sleep, waking up with a horrible hangover.
This maneuver also automatically ends if you leave the picnic blanket or if anyone unaffected by the urge to keep eating and drinking harms any one of those who failed their Will save. You may not recover this maneuver while on the picnic blanket and may only do so 4 rounds after the end of this maneuver.



Demonify "Zouhuo Rumo"
Desire Drive (Counter)
Level: Hermit 5
Stance Link: Wicked Spirit “Trance”
Component: See text
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Duration: See text
Save: None

Whenever a creature is adjacent to you, you may try to stamp a specially made Ofuda on it.
Make a melee touch attack. If you succeed, the ofuda is successfully put and the targeted creature and it has until the end of its next turn to get the ofuda removed or have its mind sealed, following any order written upon the ofuda blindly as long as it is not self-destructive, impossible or potentially taking longer than a day to do. The victim still defends itself from attacks. If harmed, it will attempt to destroy whoever harmed it to the best of its ability. The ofuda can be removed with a successful strength check against a wisdom check from you and the effect ends when the order written on the ofuda is successfully accomplished. Attempting to remove it takes a move action.
If it is removed as a swift action, the creature gets a -10 penalty on the check.
If it is removed as a standard action, the creature gets a +4 bonus on the check.
If it is removed as a fullround action, the creature gets a +10 bonus on the check.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Wicked Sign “Trance”  now also allows you use some of the Tao knowledge of becoming a Shikaisen to transform a bamboo shoot or some other object made of plant or metal (up to your size) into a perfect copy of your body with a fullround action. The double acts as an Unseen Servant and has mundane copies of your equipment that fades away if separated from it. It appears in a square adjacent to yours.
The DM rolls a Listen skill check in secret when the body double is made and the result is opposed by the spot check of those looking at it. Success prevents them from realizing it is an imitation.
If the double takes damage or if you leave the stance, it appears appropriately injured and collapses, dead.
You can only have one such double at a time and may not raise a dead double into an undead minion. Transforming another bamboo shoot reverts the previous to its original form.

If you Trance this maneuver as an immediate action, you may have your undead minion or your bamboo shoot double appear in a straight line between you and an attack or between you and a line effect or the emanation point of a burst area of effect, the undead minion or bamboo shoot double blocks line of effect like a wall of its space.
If a ranged attack against you would succeed, the undead minion or double takes the shots in your stead. If a melee attack against you would succeed, the minion or double instead appears adjacent to you and takes the hit in your stead. It provides you cover with its own body until your next turn, if it is adjacent to you.



Poison Nail "Poison Murder"
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 5
Stance Link: Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation"
Initiation Action: Fullround action
Area: See text
Duration: See text
Save: None

Strike– Dual poisonous waves. Movement increases their reach.
As part of this maneuver, move up to your speed and make two melee attack rolls.
Your attack rolls oppose the AC of every creatures within a cone of 5 ft. per 5 ft. moved.
You deal bonus damage on each attack equal to a Listen check.
Creatures immune to both poison and critical hits receive half that bonus damage. These attacks are considered to be made as part of a charge.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation"  now also corrupts your body, making it poisonous to the soul. You gain immunity to poison and critical hits if you are not already and whenever you receive lethal damage you may bleed a 25 ft. spray of blood in the direction of your choice. Those in the area must succeed on a Will save DC 15+Wis or receive 1d4 points of Charisma damage (half on a successful save, rounded down, minimum 1).

If you Trance this maneuver before you attack, you harmlessly coat your weapon or natural weapon with a poison that lasts until your next attack. The poison deals 2d4 temporary Dex damage on a failed Fortitude save (DC 10+½ your initiator level + your Wis modifier) and unconsciousness 1 minute later on a failed Fortitude save (same DC).
If you have 13 ranks in Listen, the poison bypasses immunities to poison and may affect constructs and undead creatures but they get a +5 bonus on the saving throw.

(click to show/hide)

6th level

Evil Sign "Guhun Yegui"
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 6
Stance Link: Path Sign "Tao Taidou"
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent (D)
Save: None

As part of this maneuver you may lock and/or close shut any door, chest, breach, gate, portal to another dimension and other similar things.
If you close it shut, an opening is filled with energy and ofudas barring access, acting as a wall of force while a planar portal/gate/breach is simply terminated and rendered unusable. Open spaces can barred only if the wall connects two opposite surfaces (two walls, floor/ceiling) and may cover no more than 5ft square per initiator levels.
If you lock them, you put a wicked seal upon it that makes it impossible to open or use.
You may unlock and lock a seal you’ve already established with a free action but openings closed shut can only be dismissed with a standard action.
Add 20 to the hardness and the normal DC to break open things sealed by this maneuver.
Effects that can undo your seal must win an opposed level check against you initiator level.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Wicked Spirit (Trance) now also allows you to make Passwall spell effects with a standard action, using your initiator level instead of your caster level. The passage can be made through any kind of material but the effect is automatically dismissed once you reach the other side of the tunnel.

If you Trance this maneuver upon initiating it, you and your undead minion may instead become incorporeal for 1 round. If by your next turn you do not occupy an open space that can contain you, you are instantly shunted off to the nearest eligible space, taking no damage from the process.



Desire Sign "Score Desire Eater"
Desire Drive (Counter)
Level: Hermit 6
Stance Link: Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation"
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range: 20 ft./IL
Duration: 1 round
Save: None


When an ally (yourself included) is about to be attacked, you may attract two extra desire spirits and you may have all your desire spirits move to orbit around creatures within range. For each spirit that orbits around a creature, that creature gets temporary hit points equal to your ranks in Listen for 1 round. After 1 round, all your spirits are freed and dismissed.
While the maneuver lasts, if you take a fullround action, you may devour up to all your desire spirits at once, provided that they are in orbit around you, healing you as normal.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation" now also allows you to blur the line between life and spirit even further.
If you are alive, you become immune to negative effects that specifically affects only living creatures.
If you are not alive, you may be treated as a living creature whenever it would be beneficial to you; granting you, among other things, immunity to Turn and Rebuke Undead abilities (though you are still destroyed at zero hit points and keep a null constitution score).

If you Trance this maneuver with a fullround action, you may make a ranged grapple check on any creatures that have at least one desire spirit orbiting around them provided that they are still within range.
Your grapple modifier for this ranged grapple is equal to your ranks in Listen + your Wis modifier +2 for every desire spirit assigned to orbit around the grappled target. Creatures that fail this check are pinned for one round and receive one negative level for every two divine spirit assigned to them.



7th level

Blaze Sign "Sakuraiji in Flames"
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 7
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 0 feet
Area: See text
Duration: See text
Save: None

Strike– Carpet of flames sweep the area.
You invoke a dragon god from the fiery mountains of the Spirit Realm. The fire dragon is 10 ft./IL long, 5 ft. large and 5 ft. high.
Upon initiating this maneuver, the dragon’s head starts adjacent to you and the rest of its body appears as it moves away from you up until its whole body is out.
Every creature it passes through cannot make immediate actions for 1 round against the next attack made against them.
Although it is made of ethereal flames, it does not harm creatures on its path, nor can it be harmed.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, the boat granted to you from the Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune" stance leaves a trail of sacred flames behind it as it moves, even in mid air. These trails occupy every squares you pass through while moving on the boat and fade away after 1 round. They count as difficult terrain and deal fire damage equal to your ranks in Listen to any enemy that moves into them or a square adjacent to them (but only once per crossing). Enemies take half that damage (rounded down) if you move by or through their occupied space, but full damage if they remain on the trail at the end of their turn.
For as long as you are on your boat, you are immune to nonmagical sources of fire damage.



If you Trance this maneuver after the dragon has moved up to its full length, with a Total Defense action you may have the dragon god breath a 10 ft./IL cone of sacred flames, dealing half fire/half divine damage equal to three times a Listen skill check. Half damage on a successful Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ initiator level + your Wis modifier). The cone is emitted from the square occupied by the fire dragon’s head.
All nongood creatures within the area also catch on fire, receiving fire damage at the beginning of their turn equal to your ranks in Listen for a number of rounds equal to your Wis modifier or until they spend a move action to put it out.
If you will it, it may also set religious establishments and unattended religious symbols and religious items within the area that are not related to Taoism aflame, burning until fully consumed.



Spirit Link "Tongling Yoshika”
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 7
Stance Link: Path Sign "Tao Taidou"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: You undead minion’s position
Duration: 1 round per initiator level
Save: None


For the duration of this maneuver, you may initiate your maneuvers, spells, psionic powers and other similar abilities using your undead minion as their point of origin. You do not need line of sight or line of effect to it.
You can see through its eyes and hear through its ears as if you were standing where it is, and during your turn you can switch from using its senses to using your own, or back again, as a free action. While you are using its senses, your body is considered blinded and deafened unless your undead minion can see you.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Path Sign "Tao Taidou" also makes your undead minion gain a +4 bonus to its Strength and Wisdom scores.

If your undead minion is destroyed/slain and you did not raise a new one, you may Trance this maneuver with a fullround action to teleport/planeshift to its remains and begin its revival. With another fullround action and a swift action spent adjacent to its remains to complete the ritual. When that is done your undead minion is replenished to half its maximum hit points and its body is entirely restored. If the undead minion had been so utterly destroyed that no remains are left or they are currently somewhere you deem inconvenient to go you may instead begin its revival from where you stand, recreating its body from scratch.



Poison Nail "Undead Murderer"
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 7
Stance Link: Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation"
Initiation Action: Fullround action
Range: Twice your movement speed
Duration: See text
Save: None

Strike– Ten slashes spreading poison.
You must fight with two different weapons (manufactured or natural) to use this maneuver. If you have only one weapon, you may choose to make an unarmed attack with your off hand as an unarmed strike.
As part of this maneuver, select one target in range and make two melee attacks against it, with both attacks at your maximum BAB modifier. Although you may not be at melee range, these attacks are made as if you were.
If at least one of two attack hits, make another two attacks against a target in range with the same attack roll modifiers (it can be the same target). As long as you hit, you may make another two melee attacks against a target in range, up to a maximum of ten attacks as part of this maneuver. If you miss both attacks, the maneuver ends. The last creature you successfully hit receives bonus poison damage equal to a Listen check from you.
Creatures immune to both poison and critical hits receive no bonus poison damage.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation"  now also grants you the Attach (Ex) ability. If you hit with a bite attack, you use your powerful jaws to latch onto the opponent’s body and automatically deal bite damage each round it remains attached. While attached you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class. You can be struck with a weapon or grappled yourself. To remove you through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against you. This only works if the bite attack is done within melee reach.

If you Trance this stance before you make your first two attacks, your weapons deal damage as if you were one size category larger and, after your attacks, every target that got hit by at least two attacks must succeed a Fortitude save (DC 10+½ your initiator level + your Wis modifier) or be shred to pieces, destroying/killing them. This is not a death effect.



8th level

Saint Girl "Sun Goddess's Sacrifice"
Desire Drive (Strike)
Level: Hermit 8
Stance Link: Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: 5 ft./IL
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: Will negates, DC 18+Wis

An immaterial lotus flower rises around the chosen creature, emptying its soul of all rage and selfish worldly desires. The creatures sees a glimpse of the great truths of existence and its alignment changes to Good.
It leaves all its valuable possessions to you as an offering to help you on your journey and leaves to become an humble disciple of Taoism. This is not a mind-affecting ability.
The subject retains whatever outlook, allegiances, and relationships it had before, as long as they do not conflict with its new alignment. If you are currently in a fight, the creature will aid you in combat, decided to help its spiritual saviour.
If the creature’s alignment is already good, the maneuver simply fails to affect it in any way.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune" allows you to cross the dimensions. You can sail into the Ethereal Plane or back into the Material Plane as a free action once per round.

If you Trance this maneuver, the touched creature is also affected by an Atonement spell effect. Nongood creatures aren’t affected but a creature converted with this maneuver is repentant enough.


With enough 'convincing', anyone can be Good.

Path Sign "TAO Taidou ~Dao~"
Desire Drive (Boost)
Level: Hermit 8
Stance Link: Path Sign "Tao Taidou"
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Area: 30 ft. radius
Duration: See text
Effect: 2 Tao spheres
Save:

You make two Tao spheres, disruption spheres containing the divine essence of unborn gods and broken hermits who failed their reincarnation.

These spheres orbit around you within your space. They have 1 hit point, AC 10 + your ranks in Listen and immunity to energy damage and makes saves using your save modifiers but takes no actions. For as long as they orbit you, all spells/power/maneuvers/similars cannot affect you if they are not cast/manifested/initiated/etc within 30 ft. of you.
They last until destroyed, until you move using a move action, or until you no longer have this maneuver readied. Using this maneuver again replaces your remaining Tao spheres with new ones.

For as long as you do not initiate another maneuver, the Wicked “Trance” stance now also allows you may take Total Defense actions while in Trance Mode to shoot lasers all around you in a burst radius of 20 ft./IL, dealing cold energy damage to your enemies equal to your Wis mod times your ranks in Listen, half damage on a successful Reflex save, DC 18 + your Wis modifier.

If you Trance this maneuver, if your undead minion is within 20 ft. from you, it is able to devour one of these Tao spheres as a free action each round to use any spell/power/maneuver/similar that you know for that round. Uses of these abilities are taken from your own resources (ie: if it initiates a maneuver, it is expended from your readied maneuvers).

[Prime32]

Reserved Post for possible additional stuff, used as commentary for the moment.
---

Alright!!

After so long, I finally finished the bigger share of making this stuff presentable.
Much of the what is offered was built on stuff I read along the process of figuring out what the crew from Ten Desires were all about, trying to be as faithful to their origins and source material as I could.

Musashi Miyamoto was a Buddhist, not a Taoist. That "How to be a good Taoist" list even references Buddha twice.

I still have to finish a sub martial discipline called Heavenly Bhavagra based on Tenchi's spellcards that would consist of about 1 maneuver per maneuver level from 5 to 9 or 10 or something like that. This mostly being a result of finding out about a day ago that her species were Super Hermits and that now I had to fit that in somehow.

None of Tenshi's spellcards have anything to do with her nature as a celestial - they come from her Hinanawi bloodline or the Sword of Hisou. And Tenshi was never a hermit, she just gained a template which hermits can also gain. (note that right now in Touhou, hermits who qualify are being denied promotion because Heaven is full of hipsters)

Xian is a rank below celestial (which seem similar to deathless in concept); Kasen definitely hasn't maxed out her xian-ness yet, since she still needs to eat.

Shikaisen are similar to non-undead liches - they choose a focus object, enter a death-like state, and then the object transforms into their new body (which can be different in appearance) while their corpse transforms into a replica of the object. They die if the object is destroyed. This seems like it should be a feat rather than a class feature (with the option to trade it out if a class feature obsoletes it), since it's more of a stopgap measure while you research proper hermitdom.

Animating undead has less to do with being a hermit, and more to do with Seiga being an evil spellcaster.


Just giving the class Craft (alchemy) does not allow it to use it. Every class gets all Craft skills; the requirement is based on spellcasting ability. Maneuvers are not magical or based on knowledge of magic, so making their abilities maneuvers means they can't use alchemy or create magic items. For the classes in this board to qualify for that, they'd have to use mechanics similar to the arcane swordsage and note that their maneuver list consists of or includes spells which can be used as maneuvers (in the latter case, clearly labelling which ones).

[Anomander]

(click to show/hide)

Musashi Miyamoto was a Buddhist, not a Taoist. That "How to be a good Taoist" list even references Buddha twice.
I'm not insinuating that he was. What he was exactly isn't clear as far as I've found. I put his name there so people would know where the text came from if they're curious and I picked that text because it felt like what I was looking for, saving me the effort of making one myself.
Buddha has more than one meaning and buddhas and gods are entities that exist in Touhou. The text fits so far as Taoism fits in Touhou, I think. I didn't see how that list differed much from the Taoism beliefs, seeing how the two are closely linked.

None of Tenshi's spellcards have anything to do with her nature as a celestial - they come from her Hinanawi bloodline or the Sword of Hisou. And Tenshi was never a hermit, she just gained a template which hermits can also gain. (note that right now in Touhou, hermits who qualify are being denied promotion because Heaven is full of hipsters)
The sword of Hisou is a celestial-only item. They wouldn't be the first touhou maneuvers based on having artifacts.
The idea is not about whether or not Tenshi was a hermit or if her clan of priests who served the heavens were actually hermits. It is that it states the most celestials become celestials via training. So most were hermits. Tenshi is the only celestial, so her spellcards are all I got.

Xian is a rank below celestial (which seem similar to deathless in concept); Kasen definitely hasn't maxed out her xian-ness yet, since she still needs to eat.
Xian was meant originally to be at around middle level, but when I saw all the stuff Xians could do it was obvious I couldn't grant all that as something else than a capstone. Since some sources describe Xians as being lower in status, but about equal in power with celestials, I put them at the same place.
As for Kasen, gotta admit I haven't read the whole thing manga. Hermits can eat even if they don't need to (like most creatures that do no need to eat). Don't know if it clearly says that she MUST eat as opposed to just showing her eating stuff. They also insinuate that she is an oni and outsiders don't need to eat by default, so whatever.
I also removed the need to eat at level 10, so that doesn't really having anything to do with being a Xian or not (which felt like it made sense since although Xian indeed do not need sustenance, some hermits of a certain level of power/age can live on barely nothing without reaching Xian status.

Shikaisen are similar to non-undead liches - they choose a focus object, enter a death-like state, and then the object transforms into their new body (which can be different in appearance) while their corpse transforms into a replica of the object. They die if the object is destroyed. This seems like it should be a feat rather than a class feature (with the option to trade it out if a class feature obsoletes it), since it's more of a stopgap measure while you research proper hermitdom.
In the studies I've read they all seemed to agree that the process was actually just a deception. They do not really die, they just make a fake corpse with an item or use they granddad's dead body and do a ritual to make death managers think you died so they stop influencing their lifespan when they do bad stuff, allowing them to live longer and as long as they find life prolonging talismans.

Animating undead has less to do with being a hermit, and more to do with Seiga being an evil spellcaster.
Actually, Jiang Shis legends supposedly originates around a practice done by Taoist priests that has nothing to do with magic or being evil. You don't need to be a wizard to raise a jiang shi; just be really lazy about the burial.

Just giving the class Craft (alchemy) does not allow it to use it. Every class gets all Craft skills; the requirement is based on spellcasting ability.
The reason I put Craft (Alchemy) on top of just plain Craft and specified it worked despite not being a spellcaster was meant to do just that; allow them to craft alchemy without being a spellcaster.

[Prime32]

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None of Tenshi's spellcards have anything to do with her nature as a celestial - they come from her Hinanawi bloodline or the Sword of Hisou. And Tenshi was never a hermit, she just gained a template which hermits can also gain. (note that right now in Touhou, hermits who qualify are being denied promotion because Heaven is full of hipsters)

The sword of Hisou is a celestial-only item. They wouldn't be the first touhou maneuvers based on having artifacts.
The idea is not about whether or not Tenshi was a hermit or if her clan of priests who served the heavens were actually hermits. It is that it states the most celestials become celestials via training. So most were hermits. Tenshi is the only celestial, so her spellcards are all I got.

Tenshi explicitly did not become a celestial via training. Her family were transformed directly from humans into celestials as a reward for serving Heaven, and she was brought along despite being too young to realise what was happening. People who become celestials the hard way are relatively rare, and far stronger.

Xian is a rank below celestial (which seem similar to deathless in concept); Kasen definitely hasn't maxed out her xian-ness yet, since she still needs to eat.

Xian was meant originally to be at around middle level, but when I saw all the stuff Xians could do it was obvious I couldn't grant all that as something else than a capstone. Since some sources describe Xians as being lower in status, but about equal in power with celestials, I put them at the same place.
As for Kasen, gotta admit I haven't read the whole thing manga. Hermits can eat even if they don't need to (like most creatures that do no need to eat). Don't know if it clearly says that she MUST eat as opposed to just showing her eating stuff. They also insinuate that she is an oni and outsiders don't need to eat by default, so whatever.
I also removed the need to eat at level 10, so that doesn't really having anything to do with being a Xian or not (which felt like it made sense since although Xian indeed do not need sustenance, some hermits of a certain level of power/age can live on barely nothing without reaching Xian status.

As I understand it you're still a xian before that, just not an experienced one; your need to eat goes down as you continue to train.

And the reason there isn't much difference between average xian and average celestials in power is that, essentially, most celestials are carefree and have no reason to improve themselves, while xian have to work very hard to maintain their status. It's like comparing Superman and Batman, with the occasional Superbatman lying around.

Taking a look at the capstone...

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In both cases, the Hermit becomes native outsiders immune to Fire and Cold, gains a flight speed equal to his land speed (perfect) or double his flight speed at perfect maneuverability if he already have one.
Celestials become immune to negative Mind-affecting effects and automatically kill any non-humanoid that devours them. Non-humanoids with the intent to eat a Celestial Hermit (or some part of one, material or immaterial) instinctually feel that eating anything from them would be lethal. Their senses are always aware before consumption that such food would destroy them.
Xians become immune to negative transmutation effects.

That thing about being unbothered by heat and cold just meant they could wear heavy clothing on a hot day or walk around naked on a cold day.

Likewise, eating something poisonous does not mean you die instantly. This is a game where stabbing someone through the eye into a pit of lava with a sword made of black holes isn't guaranteed to kill them. There's also no explanation why humanoids would be immune, how the instinctual part is transmitted or whether it can be fooled (in which case it becomes an I Win button), or why creatures with no metabolisms would die for the equivalent of putting something in their pocket.

Why the stuff on mind-affecting/transmutation immunity? For the latter, why not just give them the shapechanger subtype?

Shikaisen are similar to non-undead liches - they choose a focus object, enter a death-like state, and then the object transforms into their new body (which can be different in appearance) while their corpse transforms into a replica of the object. They die if the object is destroyed. This seems like it should be a feat rather than a class feature (with the option to trade it out if a class feature obsoletes it), since it's more of a stopgap measure while you research proper hermitdom.

In the studies I've read they all seemed to agree that the process was actually just a deception. They do not really die, they just make a fake corpse with an item or use they granddad's dead body and do a ritual to make death managers think you died so they stop influencing their lifespan when they do bad stuff, allowing them to live longer and as long as they find life prolonging talismans.

Note that Tojiko's attempt to become a shikaisen failed and killed her, since Futo had replaced her new vessel with a fake. Miko still carries around her original body in the form of the Seven Star Sword.

Animating undead has less to do with being a hermit, and more to do with Seiga being an evil spellcaster.

Actually, Jiang Shis legends supposedly originates around a practice done by Taoist priests that has nothing to do with magic or being evil. You don't need to be a wizard to raise a jiang shi; just be really lazy about the burial.

The same applies to vampires and many other creatures that require a spell to create in D&D. Just because the process was easy to perform doesn't mean it wasn't magic; mythological magic wasn't a thing separate from the laws of reality like D&D magic is, it was the reason for them.

[Anomander]

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Tenshi explicitly did not become a celestial via training. Her family were transformed directly from humans into celestials as a reward for serving Heaven, and she was brought along despite being too young to realise what was happening. People who become celestials the hard way are relatively rare, and far stronger.
I know. But:

However, unlike other celestials, the Hinanawis became celestials only by serving Nai-no-Kami; that is, not through training. So they didn't have the reputation expected of celestials, and some even called them "bad" celestials.

...seems to hint that those who do not become celestials by training are the rare ones, not the other way around. They do not state anywhere that they are weaker or stronger as a result, as far as I see.

And the reason there isn't much difference between average xian and average celestials in power is that, essentially, most celestials are carefree and have no reason to improve themselves, while xian have to work very hard to maintain their status. It's like comparing Superman and Batman, with the occasional Superbatman lying around.

They are immune to heat and cold, untouched by the elements, and can fly, mounting upward with a fluttering motion. They dwell apart from the chaotic world of man, subsist on air and dew, are not anxious like ordinary people, and have the smooth skin and innocent faces of children. The transcendents live an effortless existence that is best described as spontaneous.

Likewise, eating something poisonous does not mean you die instantly. This is a game where stabbing someone through the eye into a pit of lava with a sword made of black holes isn't guaranteed to kill them. There's also no explanation why humanoids would be immune, how the instinctual part is transmitted or whether it can be fooled (in which case it becomes an I Win button), or why creatures with no metabolisms would die for the equivalent of putting something in their pocket.
Just about everything becomes more powerful by eating a hermit, but I see nothing is said of humanoids, so nothing special happens to them until that is cleared out. I don't need an explanation. I wrote clauses to make it impossible to fool people into eating the stuff and pretty much only. If it is important I could always state that you must win fort saves or die each round t'ill you barf it all out if they are dumb enough to eat it anyway despite all the bad feelings. Its there mostly for fluff purposes only. I could swap it for a very long nauseated status instead. If I can remember where I read more details on the lethality of eating the thing I'll get back to it.

Why the stuff on mind-affecting/transmutation immunity? For the latter, why not just give them the shapechanger subtype?
I thought the capstone was too lame to be a good level 20 capstone and yet too good to be anything else and thought I'd put something to mechanically differentiate the two. Celestials can do whatever they want because they are really freed from desires (closer to thoughtlessness) and as such I guessed they would be near impossible to influence as a result. Xians didn't have much to differentiate it so I thought perhaps they might have purified their body to the point it cannot be altered anymore. I thought of the shapechanger subtype, but they aren't shapechangers.

Note that Tojiko's attempt to become a shikaisen failed and killed her, since Futo had replaced her new vessel with a fake. Miko still carries around her original body in the form of the Seven Star Sword.
I know she's been denied to resurrect as a human due to her connections with Futo in the past but I don't know where all the rest comes from.
Either way, I don't see how it changes anything. This is a resurrection. Becoming a shikaisen involves a fake death, not a resurrection. It is more in line with how Seiga abandoned her family to become an hermit than how they all got to Gensokyo.

The same applies to vampires and many other creatures that require a spell to create in D&D. Just because the process was easy to perform doesn't mean it wasn't magic; mythological magic wasn't a thing separate from the laws of reality like D&D magic is, it was the reason for them.
Yes, but nevertheless, magic is not the only way to raise undead creatures. The process involved supernatural powers and the Hermit has plenty. Seiga's spellcards work with Yoshika and my objective was to make the whole 10D tao-crew into one discipline and I wasn't going to make maneuvers dependent on one's ability to multiclass to get undead raising spells.

And, honestly, does it really matter?

[oslecamo]

Ok, before anything else, how in Makai do you enter in trance mode? It's a central part of pretty much everything, yet no condition/action is listed anywhere I see to actually enter it. Or is it a non-action unless noted otherwise on the maneuver itself?

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Divine Spirit "Trance"-That diamond mind stance of 3rd level that grants blindsense(Hearing the Air wasn't it?) is probably crying right now, but I'm not sure I care. However the whole "1 mile range with most penalties removed" is simply nightmarish from a game's PoV. Enter city, enter trance mode (whoever it works), hear all the plots and secrets of the metropolis. At level 1. Hermits will be dragged from their caverns and put to work as super spies pretty much everywhere.

Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"-Area based on Craft (Explosion). You sure it isn't a warship?
                                               Actually, I don't see the point of the area considering the boat seems to automatically fit to your size only. Taking cover takes no action, then you're locked into some quantum state where you can't get out of cover short of dismissing the boat I guess. It's also a boat that tecnically can't float in water.


Wicked Spirit "Trance"-Again area based on Craft (Explosion). Kamikaze zombies? The trance mode seems kinda weak compared to the other trance modes so far, altough still pretty cool. On the other hand expendable pimped zombies kinda is kinda stronger than the other stances non-trance. Do they really need the feats?

Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation"-First level stance allows you to chew trough adamantine doors, nowhere safe to hide now. What's exactly the point of geting multiple spirits if they can't fight, don't grant cover and you can only chew in one at a time and then renew them as a free action?

Honor "Colors of Twelve Levels"-Swift action spammable unblockable scrying bitches! Ok, the range is "just" 1 mile per IL, but that's still kinda sick.

And then it can be consumed as an area nuke? This is, at third level, 18 starting Wis, you deal 12 damage, which is more than your usual 3d6 formula for 9.5 damage while geting the benefits of total defense. Ah, and it wards creatures too.

Blaze Sign "Blazing Winds of Haibutsu"- BURN BABY BURN! Spell component pouch? Potions and food? Holy/druid symbols? All gone. Even not taking in account, is kinda of a super gust of wind that buffs your ranged attacks as well, which is definetely too much for so early level.

Evil Sign "Yang Xiaogui"-Immobilized isn't an actual base condition, need clarification. If you mean unable to move from their spot, then this should be ok for a change.

Recovery "Heal By Desire"-Spirits need a size category to determine their reach.

Summon "Royal Clan's Chaotic Dance"-Kinda too early for allowing all your allies free attacks, even if 1/round. In particular because it doesn't even seem limited to basic attacks. It also says that the trance option makes you leave this stance, yet this is a boost.

Demonify "Zouhuo Rumo"-At 3rd level Immediate action forces your opponent to basically waste their next turn trying to pry the seal off or become your bitch, smells kinda too good to me. Ah, and flawlessly blocking attacks as well, isn't it too early for that?

Poison Nail "Poison Raze"-Double move+poisoned attack actually sounds right for the level for a change. Do notice however that undeads and constructs don't have Con scores to affect.

And that's the levels 1-3 stuff, need to go grab a bite now and then I'll take a look at the others. Overall the stuff seems cool and original, but many effects seem ot be arriving earlier than anybody else could get them and then you throw in simply sick utility as well (big hermit is watching/listening to you).

[Anomander]

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Ok, before anything else, how in Makai do you enter in trance mode? It's a central part of pretty much everything, yet no condition/action is listed anywhere I see to actually enter it. Or is it a non-action unless noted otherwise on the maneuver itself?
Argh. Probably edited it out while I was restructuring the thing. Free action to enter/leave Trance Mode. You're on cooldown once you leave it but sometimes it is better to do so not to stay vulnerable to ethereal enemies.

Divine Spirit "Trance"
Adjusted it to 80 ft./IL. I saw it kind of like an EX moveable Clairaudience effect, where you listen to stuff in particular rather than constantly hear everything. Should be better with the reduced distance falloff. When everything else fails, there is still the Earmuffs. 

Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
Yeah, forgot to fix the block of the most stances. No area section meant to be there.
The cover works like a mount, so you can go in and out of cover normally.
The boat can fly over the water, as if floating, or if you hold tight to it and can even fly down underwater.
Its a spirit boat, but acts like a space surfboard. Oh yeaaah.

Wicked Spirit "Trance"
It was actually done on purpose. The undead minion is mostly useful when you trance a maneuver, but then you cannot control it for a moment if you didn't take the Loyal Undead feat, in which case the stance doesn't grant much more than the cohort already provides. If the zombie is done for, the stance is mostly useless for quite a while.
The feats aren't really necessary but I was aiming at having the stance give some kind of animal companion that doesn't do anything if you leave the stance.

Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation"
Cruds. I meant that you can eat anything provided that you can damage it, which was to say that if you can beat its hardness, you can eat it.
You can only make spirits upon entering Trance Mode, which can only be done once. You leave the stance and gotta wait through the cooldown, so you can't just spam them. The spirits only give healing at first, but get more useful when you get other linked maneuvers.

Honor "Colors of Twelve Levels"
Big mistake on my part. Clarified it allows you to hear-see only stuff within line of sight. Meant to make permanently blind hermits possible, not to give X-ray vision. Must be hard to lay off your worldly desires when you got all you need to be a super pervert.
Fixed the damage.

Blaze Sign "Blazing Winds of Haibutsu"
Precised it is only unattended symbols/items getting burned. It wouldn't potions etc anyway unless they are religion potions or something. Precised they are all religious stuff in case it wasn't clear enough.
Gave the ability to transport people in the boat for this one and put the electric arrows with the 3rd level maneuver about sake.

Evil Sign "Yang Xiaogui"
Immobilized is actually a condition. And being unable to move from their spot is indeed what it does.

Recovery "Heal By Desire"
Clarified that they are Tiny sized in the stance description and that they gain a 5ft reach as part of that maneuver. Also clarified their attack modifier.

Summon "Royal Clan's Chaotic Dance"
Corrected.
As to the extra attack, this is pretty much Haste (3rd level spell) remixed with Snake's Swiftness, Mass (2nd level druid spell).

Demonify "Zouhuo Rumo"
Hm. Indeed. I thought the zombie-block was fine since you use an immediate, leave your stance and cannot enter a new stance on your next round so even if you recover maneuvers quickly like most ToBhou schools do you can't spam it like they can.

I remember feeling some of the later maneuvers felt a little weak for their level. I'll see if I can swap stuff around.
What level do you think this one should be?

Poison Nail "Poison Raze"
Indeed, but they can fall unconscious after 1 minute.
That maneuver path is meant to be used mostly by Jiang Shi and undead/creepy hermits, which shouldn't be particularly effective against other undead creatures.

[oslecamo]

Rest of the maneuvers

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Hermit Sign "Taoist of the Land of the Rising Sun"-So at level 7, a total of +4 to saves and AC of pretty much everybody in the party, which scales to +8 and can be kept pretty much always "on". Seriously for a suposed "hermit" school, this has plenty of group buffs. I would say it would be more than good enough if it only worked in yourself, in particular with the usual extras.

Heaven Sign "Iwafune Ascending to Heaven"- Craft(Explosion) ahoy! Is it a heavy water dragon by chance? No duration visible.

Thunder Arrow "Gagouji's Cyclone"-You say the arrows deal additional sonic damage, but what's the base damage then? Also to make sure, this is actually a disguised stance that happens to demand you to be in another stance to enter it, which is actually a limitation when trancing makes you exit your stance.

Path Sign "Tao Taidou"-Again clarify immobilization. Otherwise looks good.

Secret Treasure "Armillary Sphere of Ikaruga-dera"-how tick are the plataforms, and how much space do you need to leave between them? Also for a 5th level maneuver doesn't seem that useful in actual combat.


Saint Girl "Oomonoimi's Dinner"-A spammable Heroe's Feast with extra effects one level earlier is definetely too much. Also a standard action "boost" that can lock enemies.

Possession "Corpse Tongji"-Definetely too abuseable, in particular if you find any monster with cheesy tricks. Also nnothing stoping you from spamming it again and again on the same poor dudes, meaning this alone turns you into the bastard child of a pokemon trainer and a necromancer. The extra effects seem ok. Also undeads and constructs still don't have Con scores.


Light Sign "Halo of the Guze Kannon"-same issues as Taoist of the Land of the Rising Sun. May be ok if it only affects yourself.


Thunder Arrow "Gagouji's Tornado"-Everything that enters may be locked. Does this include projectiles/spells/lasers/etc and other inanimated stuff?

Evil Sign "Guhun Yegui"-More brutal utility, altough kinda compensated for the lack of direct combat use.

Desire Sign "Score Desire Eater"-Counters need a triggering action. Also kinda will instantly cripple anyone whitout either a really big grapple mod, FoM, or immunity to energy drain.


Discernment "Laser of Seventeen Articles"-Initiation action:swift action is what it says in the begginning.

Blaze Sign "Sakuraiji in Flames"-So you spend a swift action, and you automatically deny all of your opponent's swift/immediate actions? Sounds kinda too good, even for 7th level. Also again "screw you anyone who needs items whitout great hardness and HP".


Spirit Link "Tongling Yoshika”-Sounds good.

Poison Nail "Undead Murderer"-What's stoping you from aiming 4 attacks at an easy target in order to direct 6 blows to your actual enemy?

"Falling Stars on Divine Spirit Mausoleum"-A little too early for fully patching up all your party members while area save-or-be-screwed that has no known immunities if you ask me.

Saint Girl "Sun Goddess's Sacrifice"-Welll, at least it's only affecting one target. I would also ask the planar sailing to be 1/round.

Apparition "Iruka's Thunder"-No to auto-stun. It's trivial to pump enough shots to make sure at least one hits.

Path Sign "TAO Taidou ~Dao~-You know, it's kinda cheap to just going around throwing names in other languages so much if you ask me. You'll notice I work into making rough translations into the other schools instead of just "Oh, shiny!". Also it allows you to use a Fullround action maneuver as a swift action, but I guess that's fine by 8th level and with trance.

Ten Desires-It should allow a save for the whole "I learn everything you were, are and want to be".

"Divine Spirits' Universe"-No to spammable future-viewing divinations. Also no to "don't save, just diereincarnate into a baby". Unless you feel like the DM making your opponent come back as a wyrmling Time Dragon.

And now back to the 1-3 ones.

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Divine Spirit "Trance"
Adjusted it to 80 ft./IL. I saw it kind of like an EX moveable Clairaudience effect, where you listen to stuff in particular rather than constantly hear everything. Should be better with the reduced distance falloff. When everything else fails, there is still the Earmuffs. 

80 ft/IL sounds kinda arbitary, and still a little too big. How about 50 feet/IL, to eer in the side of caution and making easier math?

Wicked Spirit "Trance"
It was actually done on purpose. The undead minion is mostly useful when you trance a maneuver, but then you cannot control it for a moment if you didn't take the Loyal Undead feat, in which case the stance doesn't grant much more than the cohort already provides. If the zombie is done for, the stance is mostly useless for quite a while.
The feats aren't really necessary but I was aiming at having the stance give some kind of animal companion that doesn't do anything if you leave the stance.

Speaking of which, you may want to link it to your Zombie monster class, which I believe is how you intended for it to be used.

Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation"
Cruds. I meant that you can eat anything provided that you can damage it, which was to say that if you can beat its hardness, you can eat it.
You can only make spirits upon entering Trance Mode, which can only be done once. You leave the stance and gotta wait through the cooldown, so you can't just spam them. The spirits only give healing at first, but get more useful when you get other linked maneuvers.

Yes, noticed that. I also noticed your first discipline feat removes the cooldown alltogheter, making it almost a must-pick to remove that limitation.

Evil Sign "Yang Xiaogui"
Immobilized is actually a condition. And being unable to move from their spot is indeed what it does.

I don't see it anywhere on the condition summary.

Summon "Royal Clan's Chaotic Dance"
Corrected.
As to the extra attack, this is pretty much Haste (3rd level spell) remixed with Snake's Swiftness, Mass (2nd level druid spell).

Pointing out to the rampart Druid fanboysm in 3.5 is never a good excuse.
Haste's extra attack only works in a full attack, making it somewhat more limited.
Also comparing to the White Raven, this just seems much better than similar maneuvers that school has. And WR is already pretty effective.

Demonify "Zouhuo Rumo"
Hm. Indeed. I thought the zombie-block was fine since you use an immediate, leave your stance and cannot enter a new stance on your next round so even if you recover maneuvers quickly like most ToBhou schools do you can't spam it like they can.

I remember feeling some of the later maneuvers felt a little weak for their level. I'll see if I can swap stuff around.
What level do you think this one should be?

Around 5th level should be fine.

Poison Nail "Poison Raze"
Indeed, but they can fall unconscious after 1 minute.
That maneuver path is meant to be used mostly by Jiang Shi and undead/creepy hermits, which shouldn't be particularly effective against other undead creatures.

I wonder if anyone ever remembers checking for poison if a battle actually lasts 10 rounds.

[Anomander]

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Divine Spirit "Trance"
How about 60ft./IL. That way at level 20 it will catch up with Long spellcasting range and be about the equivalent of a moving Clairaudience effect.

Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation"
Just to make sure I follow you...
You are asking "What's exactly the point of getting multiple spirits if they can't fight, don't grant cover and you can only chew in one at a time and then renew them as a free action" if you spend a feat to remove cooldowns.
If so, then the answer remains quite similar: They get more useful when you get other linked maneuvers. But there isn't much point spending swift actions to leave the stance and enter it again to enter Trance mode and spam spirits.

Evil Sign "Yang Xiaogui"
I recall seeing it around, it is at least in the Tome of Magic, p.140
Put it in a spoiler by its first appearance in the discipline for convenience.

Summon "Royal Clan's Chaotic Dance"
Haste lasts more than 1 round while this the attacks requires an action to activate each time until you use a maneuver.
You don't participate in the damage dealing.
Strongly doubt this is as good as White Raven Tactics, but I'll change the range of that effect to only allies within 10 ft. of you so it cannot affect entire armies and forces those participating to be in a convenient AoE format. Can put an additional note that the attack doesn't stack with bonus attacks, like Haste's, Speed weapons and so on.

Demonify "Zouhuo Rumo"
Gotcha. Made it 5th level.
Made Path Sign "Tao Taidou" 3rd level since it really wasn't that good and made its optional cold damage burst into the Trance effect.
Made Possession "Corpse Tongji" 4th level with the mentioned changes below.

Poison Nail "Poison Raze"
Haha. I got some neat poison-related anecdotes. When the party is too low level to know Neutralize Poison and only has Delay Poison. Dude casts it on his pal and he charged through an unexplored corridor, triggering hell knows how many traps. He had something like 15+ poisons on him. Realized we didn't actually have anything to remove poison, only means to cure the effects, and the character exploded when the spell expired. 

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Hermit Sign "Taoist of the Land of the Rising Sun"
I'd rather it not affect the adept only since that branch of the discipline is meant to be focused on helping others rather than personal firepower. This branch was meant to be more about the compassionate hermits that help their communities with various social needs and protects them from corruption. The effects weren't meant to be as useful as a cleric's, who can buff well before battles or have some buffs last hours on hours, so a 1 round duration would still be alright with me.

Heaven Sign "Iwafune Ascending to Heaven"
Arf. Hope its the last one. Clarified that it is instantaneous.

Thunder Arrow "Gagouji's Cyclone"
Hello confusion. Somehow thought arrows had their own damage value instead of it being by bow.
I'll go with longbow damage.
You got it right. It was entirely inspired by your idea to make a boost change a stance. When you initiate this one you cannot benefit from maneuvers not linked to it (which is almost all of them) but it made it possible to give Tojiko her own maneuver branch despite having only three spellcards (well, technically only one).

Secret Treasure "Armillary Sphere of Ikaruga-dera"
Going with 6 inches thick since that appears to be a good standard for wooden flooring and happens to convert to 0.5 feet
I've no restriction to the distance between them.
It is a bit weak, yes. Perhaps it could be swapped with Land of the Rising Sun to have it act slightly better as a team buff.

Saint Girl "Oomonoimi's Dinner"
Removed the temp hit points and fear immunity. Now it is just an effect that satiates and removes a few easily cured ill conditions if you waste an hour to eat. The enemy locking isn't that amazing since they remain locked for up to an hour but you are forced to be locked in with them - so you can't just seal them off and go away. In battle it feels kinda Meh to me if not that it grants to opportunity for the party and their enemies to speak together in some sort of Truce, which goes with the idea that the discipline tries to offers peaceful resolutions.

Possession "Corpse Tongji"
Errr. It isn't supposed to be possible to use more than once on the same corpse. Made that clearer.
Made the Trance effect last 1 round instead of as long as Trance mode isn't entered again.
Also made it weaker by having it require that the adept burn more actions to make the corpse do anything.

Poison maneuvers
Maybe Dex damage instead. Much weaker than Con damage but it fits with the Jiang Shi aspect making their enemies more stiff. Will look for a way to compensate without increasing the amount of damage. Maybe another effect when at zero Dex.

Thunder Arrow "Gagouji's Tornado"
If it cannot make the save, aye, its stuck in. Kind of like a tornado but much gentler.

Desire Sign "Score Desire Eater"
At level 20, that's a maximum of 6 negative levels if you focus on a single target with a fullround action and a swift action to enter a stance on the next round (or not). Deals less if some spirits got destroyed since the adept attracted them (using swifts every round to get them back limits the use of counters and boost and so on, probably not worth it unless you just left Trance Mode anyway).
With at least 3 ways to avoid them and more to remove them, is it really that dangerous for a level 6 maneuver?
Can make the neg levels temporary.
Put a trigger in. Pretty standard.

Discernment "Laser of Seventeen Articles"
Fixed.

Blaze Sign "Sakuraiji in Flames"
Corrected that they instead cannot make immediate actions against the next attack made against them within the round (but can still do them in response to anything else). Gave it the same clarification as "Blazing Winds of Haibutsu"

Poison Nail "Undead Murderer"
Not sure why doing that would be particularly special.
You make 2 atks vs 1 target, if one atk hits, make another 2 atks at 1 target, again and again until you either miss the two attacks or you deal 10 atks.
If you begin with an easy target and miss twice for some reason then you don't get to try any atks at your main target.
You can spread the first few attacks against the easier targets and keep the last ones for the main enemy in order to try insure at least some damage is done to something that round, sure, but that's less potential attacks against the main target.

"Falling Stars on Divine Spirit Mausoleum"
Removed the damage. Made the seal last 1 round per rank instead of one year.
Could otherwise turn the sealing into plain damage and dimensional lock or something like that.

Saint Girl "Sun Goddess's Sacrifice"
Done. Wasn't sure it mattered much considering they are vulnerable to attacks both on the Material and on the Ethereal while in Trance Mode no matter which plane they occupy.

Apparition "Iruka's Thunder"
Agreed. Fixed.

Path Sign "TAO Taidou ~Dao~
Good but not that good. The undead minion still spends one of its own actions to do it. So its a swift action from you and a whatever action from it.

I didn't name them this way out of laziness. I actually had to look them all up. I already had their translations.
Most of the chinese/japanese names in these maneuvers are references to actual people, locations and relics/objects. Its not what they are, its their actual names.
This very maneuver and some of Seiga's spellcards are the main exceptions, mostly because they sound plain weird. I preferred to avoid calling maneuvers things like: Path Sign "The Way of Fetal Movement ~Path~.

I opted to keep the original names of some of the Hermit abilities because they are more compact and would take less space in a character sheet. The translations are often either too long or numerous for clarity. Players don't necessarily need to know what it means and if they look it up they'll have the opportunity to learn something.

Ten Desires
Made into a super sense motive effect.
1 minute minimum of listening opposed by bluff checks, so it can't just be used during combat.

"Divine Spirits' Universe"
Didn't sound that good considering how cheap those are by then and that you probably already know the subject's story and everything. Still, changed it to one similar effect linked to Divine Spirit "Trance" of the user's choice. Coulda been more original but I'm a bit dry right now.

Gave a fort save to the forced reincarnation effect. It is a single target 1-attack for a fullround action and loss of stance but would be dangerous enough with a single Fort save. Since its a fort save I clarified it is particularly effective against undead/constructs despite their immunities to Fort saves on creatures. Removed the desire/realm awkwardness to make it simpler to use.

[oslecamo]

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Divine Spirit "Trance"
How about 60ft./IL. That way at level 20 it will catch up with Long spellcasting range and be about the equivalent of a moving Clairaudience effect.

Why should a 1st level stance keep up with a 3rd level spell, while also ignoring all divination immunities?

Desire Sign "Saved Up Desire Spirit Invitation"
Just to make sure I follow you...
You are asking "What's exactly the point of getting multiple spirits if they can't fight, don't grant cover and you can only chew in one at a time and then renew them as a free action" if you spend a feat to remove cooldowns.
If so, then the answer remains quite similar: They get more useful when you get other linked maneuvers. But there isn't much point spending swift actions to leave the stance and enter it again to enter Trance mode and spam spirits.

Very well then.

Evil Sign "Yang Xiaogui"
I recall seeing it around, it is at least in the Tome of Magic, p.140
Put it in a spoiler by its first appearance in the discipline for convenience.

Well done, since indeed not a lot of people wouldn't know about a condition in a splatbook.

Summon "Royal Clan's Chaotic Dance"
Haste lasts more than 1 round while this the attacks requires an action to activate each time until you use a maneuver.
You don't participate in the damage dealing.
Strongly doubt this is as good as White Raven Tactics, but I'll change the range of that effect to only allies within 10 ft. of you so it cannot affect entire armies and forces those participating to be in a convenient AoE format. Can put an additional note that the attack doesn't stack with bonus attacks, like Haste's, Speed weapons and so on.

I was talking about Flanking maneuver actually, but the new range works too, and yes a note of that kind would be good.

Demonify "Zouhuo Rumo"
Gotcha. Made it 5th level.
Made Path Sign "Tao Taidou" 3rd level since it really wasn't that good and made its optional cold damage burst into the Trance effect.
Made Possession "Corpse Tongji" 4th level with the mentioned changes below.

Nice.

Speaking of which, Tao Taidou's spheres need an attack bonus of sorts for when they make their aoos.

Poison Nail "Poison Raze"
Haha. I got some neat poison-related anecdotes. When the party is too low level to know Neutralize Poison and only has Delay Poison. Dude casts it on his pal and he charged through an unexplored corridor, triggering hell knows how many traps. He had something like 15+ poisons on him. Realized we didn't actually have anything to remove poison, only means to cure the effects, and the character exploded when the spell expired. 

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Hermit Sign "Taoist of the Land of the Rising Sun"
I'd rather it not affect the adept only since that branch of the discipline is meant to be focused on helping others rather than personal firepower. This branch was meant to be more about the compassionate hermits that help their communities with various social needs and protects them from corruption. The effects weren't meant to be as useful as a cleric's, who can buff well before battles or have some buffs last hours on hours, so a 1 round duration would still be alright with me.

The absolute values are still too big. I would strongly sugest reducing them or making them deflection/resistance so they don't stack with more common stuff.

Thunder Arrow "Gagouji's Cyclone"
Hello confusion. Somehow thought arrows had their own damage value instead of it being by bow.
I'll go with longbow damage.
You got it right. It was entirely inspired by your idea to make a boost change a stance. When you initiate this one you cannot benefit from maneuvers not linked to it (which is almost all of them) but it made it possible to give Tojiko her own maneuver branch despite having only three spellcards (well, technically only one).

Good.

Secret Treasure "Armillary Sphere of Ikaruga-dera"
Going with 6 inches thick since that appears to be a good standard for wooden flooring and happens to convert to 0.5 feet
I've no restriction to the distance between them.
It is a bit weak, yes. Perhaps it could be swapped with Land of the Rising Sun to have it act slightly better as a team buff.

Good plan. LRS still could use a little debuff even if it moves to 5th level, either slightly slower progression (so it doesn't reach +7 before epic levels) or more common type.

Saint Girl "Oomonoimi's Dinner"
Removed the temp hit points and fear immunity. Now it is just an effect that satiates and removes a few easily cured ill conditions if you waste an hour to eat. The enemy locking isn't that amazing since they remain locked for up to an hour but you are forced to be locked in with them - so you can't just seal them off and go away. In battle it feels kinda Meh to me if not that it grants to opportunity for the party and their enemies to speak together in some sort of Truce, which goes with the idea that the discipline tries to offers peaceful resolutions.

Put a (pratical) limit on the number of creatures that eat, remove the "vampires, wraiths and alien horrors have no more reason to feast on mortals" implied part, add save every round to walk away from the feast-lock whitout penalties (but if they fail three in a row they stay the whole hour) and you have a deal.

The last part is because even if you have to join the feast, the rest of your party can simply loot the place, get their buffs going and then ready attacks to murderize the enemy group as soon as they exit. So not much as peaceful solution but backstabbing  with alchool poisoning mixed in.

Poison maneuvers
Maybe Dex damage instead. Much weaker than Con damage but it fits with the Jiang Shi aspect making their enemies more stiff. Will look for a way to compensate without increasing the amount of damage. Maybe another effect when at zero Dex.

Yeah, Dex damage better represents the whole stiffness thingy. But I don't think it needs anything else to compensate. Reduced Dex means reduced AC and reflex saves after all.

Thunder Arrow "Gagouji's Tornado"
If it cannot make the save, aye, its stuck in. Kind of like a tornado but much gentler.

Just clarifying, ok.

Desire Sign "Score Desire Eater"
At level 20, that's a maximum of 6 negative levels if you focus on a single target with a fullround action and a swift action to enter a stance on the next round (or not). Deals less if some spirits got destroyed since the adept attracted them (using swifts every round to get them back limits the use of counters and boost and so on, probably not worth it unless you just left Trance Mode anyway).
With at least 3 ways to avoid them and more to remove them, is it really that dangerous for a level 6 maneuver?
Can make the neg levels temporary.
Put a trigger in. Pretty standard.

Hmm,  we're at 6th level so i guess it's ok by that perspective.

Blaze Sign "Sakuraiji in Flames"
Corrected that they instead cannot make immediate actions against the next attack made against them within the round (but can still do them in response to anything else). Gave it the same clarification as "Blazing Winds of Haibutsu"

Nicer.

Poison Nail "Undead Murderer"
Not sure why doing that would be particularly special.
You make 2 atks vs 1 target, if one atk hits, make another 2 atks at 1 target, again and again until you either miss the two attacks or you deal 10 atks.
If you begin with an easy target and miss twice for some reason then you don't get to try any atks at your main target.
You can spread the first few attacks against the easier targets and keep the last ones for the main enemy in order to try insure at least some damage is done to something that round, sure, but that's less potential attacks against the main target.

My bad, I missed the part where each pair of attacks must be directed at the same target, it's fine then.

"Falling Stars on Divine Spirit Mausoleum"
Removed the damage. Made the seal last 1 round per rank instead of one year.
Could otherwise turn the sealing into plain damage and dimensional lock or something like that.

I would ratherbe plain damage and dimensional lock, since again, 1 round/rank is still more than enough for the party to finish any enemies that resisted, get in place with buffs oozing out of their ears and murderize the last opponents with readied actions when they come out of stasis.

Saint Girl "Sun Goddess's Sacrifice"
Done. Wasn't sure it mattered much considering they are vulnerable to attacks both on the Material and on the Ethereal while in Trance Mode no matter which plane they occupy.

Just erring in the safe side here.

Path Sign "TAO Taidou ~Dao~
Good but not that good. The undead minion still spends one of its own actions to do it. So its a swift action from you and a whatever action from it.

Ok.

I didn't name them this way out of laziness. I actually had to look them all up. I already had their translations.
Most of the chinese/japanese names in these maneuvers are references to actual people, locations and relics/objects. Its not what they are, its their actual names.
This very maneuver and some of Seiga's spellcards are the main exceptions, mostly because they sound plain weird. I preferred to avoid calling maneuvers things like: Path Sign "The Way of Fetal Movement ~Path~.

I opted to keep the original names of some of the Hermit abilities because they are more compact and would take less space in a character sheet. The translations are often either too long or numerous for clarity. Players don't necessarily need to know what it means and if they look it up they'll have the opportunity to learn something.

Gah, you got me with the "make them go look it up"!

Ten Desires
Made into a super sense motive effect.
1 minute minimum of listening opposed by bluff checks, so it can't just be used during combat.

That was a nice mechanic at lower levels. By now the chances of anyone having a bluff modifier able to keep with your  (certainly extra-pimped )listening modifier are around zero. That's why I said plain Will save.

"Divine Spirits' Universe"
Didn't sound that good considering how cheap those are by then and that you probably already know the subject's story and everything. Still, changed it to one similar effect linked to Divine Spirit "Trance" of the user's choice. Coulda been more original but I'm a bit dry right now.

Gave a fort save to the forced reincarnation effect. It is a single target 1-attack for a fullround action and loss of stance but would be dangerous enough with a single Fort save. Since its a fort save I clarified it is particularly effective against undead/constructs despite their immunities to Fort saves on creatures. Removed the desire/realm awkwardness to make it simpler to use.

I'm still not sure how balanced is that one sucessful attacks results in "You're already f*****", because really, what's that caster/iniator gonna do when he can't use spells/maneuvers?

The fort save to resist the reincarnation is nice, as well as the new "until you use another maneuver" but there should also be some chance of resisting the first effect besides failing to evade an intermidimensional punch from 800 feet away. Perhaps their best skill check opposed by your listen check?

[Anomander]

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Divine Spirit "Trance"
It doesn't keep up with it. It catches up to it. At level 20. The difference in range is incredible in the lower levels.

Demonify "Zouhuo Rumo"
Clarified that the adept makes the attack when they share space with an enemy as well and that they get the bonus to attack if more than one is used.

Put a clause that each sphere can be used only once, so no tumbling into every enemy squares and then shooting at those you missed.

Hermit Sign "Taoist of the Land of the Rising Sun"
Rose to level 5th maneuver. Buff progression reduced to quarters instead of thirds.
Considering making it a Counter instead of a Boost, considering the short duration, that I notice now that this branch doesn't have any counter and that the 6th level maneuver that follows it does about the same thing but better.

Saint Girl "Oomonoimi's Dinner"
Put a cap on creatures who can eat.
Not sure about the issue with special diet creatures, as they usually get benefits for respecting their diets that they wouldn't get for merely being satiated. Its nothing a simple Ring of Sustenance or Clear Ion Stone cannot manage. I thought it thematic as it would allow Hermits of these races to live peacefully despite the violent nature of their diet.

As to the last part, I don't how the forced eat-fest is significantly more advantageous than a Calm Emotion spell if not for the fact that unless an enemy who made the save voluntarily gets on the blanket to slightly harm his ally to end the maneuver, they cannot do it while they are eating in the picnic plane. A save each round each round would make this much worse than Calm Emotion.

Poison maneuvers
Aye, while reduced Con means reduced Fort saves and significantly closer to being dead. I thought perhaps it could have the body turn to stone or something like that at Dex 0, kind of like how so many maneuvers do something to preserve a fallen enemy instead of having it die.
Hm. Though it IS called Poison Murder.

"Falling Stars on Divine Spirit Mausoleum"
Well, as a level 8 maneuver trance effect, it was meant to be a save or lose that could be countered with a Freedom effect or one of the now numerous Alarm Buttons that save you from all effects if you were somehow unlucky enough to fail a save. Turned it into double check dmg + Dimensional Lock.

Ten Desires
I would have thought Bluff checks to avoid revealing stuff to be the easiest skill to buff. With so many effects giving it crazy modifiers. Amongst the more well known options; Glibness and you got an instant +30
Can make it a Wisdom check opposed by the target's Charisma check, or something like that.

"Divine Spirits' Universe"
I can switch it around. Fort save against instant lose and Trance adds the anti-initiator/casting on a successful save.
I was sure it was much more lenient than a "Hit and make all 3 saves or die, and might likely take enough damage to kill anyway if you manage it".
Ways to escape getting hit a single time and buffs to AC are numerous enough in either case but the situation is less final.
They can either escape to strike back another day or help their group with their magic items, wands/scrolls/other, class abilities, feats and so on.
It doesn't deal any damage to anyone and does nothing on a missed hit.

[oslecamo]

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Divine Spirit "Trance"
It doesn't keep up with it. It catches up to it. At level 20. The difference in range is incredible in the lower levels.

Well if you insist so much ok.

Demonify "Zouhuo Rumo"
Clarified that the adept makes the attack when they share space with an enemy as well and that they get the bonus to attack if more than one is used.

Put a clause that each sphere can be used only once, so no tumbling into every enemy squares and then shooting at those you missed.

Spheres? Isn't Demonify Zouhuo Rumo the one that makes somebody your puppet?

Hermit Sign "Taoist of the Land of the Rising Sun"
Rose to level 5th maneuver. Buff progression reduced to quarters instead of thirds.
Considering making it a Counter instead of a Boost, considering the short duration, that I notice now that this branch doesn't have any counter and that the 6th level maneuver that follows it does about the same thing but better.

Sounds good, but remember a counter needs a triggering condition.

Saint Girl "Oomonoimi's Dinner"
Put a cap on creatures who can eat.
Not sure about the issue with special diet creatures, as they usually get benefits for respecting their diets that they wouldn't get for merely being satiated. Its nothing a simple Ring of Sustenance or Clear Ion Stone cannot manage. I thought it thematic as it would allow Hermits of these races to live peacefully despite the violent nature of their diet.


As to the last part, I don't how the forced eat-fest is significantly more advantageous than a Calm Emotion spell if not for the fact that unless an enemy who made the save voluntarily gets on the blanket to slightly harm his ally to end the maneuver, they cannot do it while they are eating in the picnic plane. A save each round each round would make this much worse than Calm Emotion.

Then clarify that they don't get any special benefits for feasting on the free food.

Also Calm Emotions at least gives your opponents a chance to run away, or certain kinds of battlefield control (calm emotions back at yah!) or IRON HEART SURGE the hell out of it, or someone who made the save nuking the hell out of everybody to make its allies "wake up", and is an actual compulsion/mind affecting meaning lots of stuff out there just shrug it off like a boss.

Poison maneuvers
Aye, while reduced Con means reduced Fort saves and significantly closer to being dead. I thought perhaps it could have the body turn to stone or something like that at Dex 0, kind of like how so many maneuvers do something to preserve a fallen enemy instead of having it die.
Hm. Though it IS called Poison Murder.

Pfft, leaving someone paralyzed for somebody else to finish them off sounds like murder all right.

"Falling Stars on Divine Spirit Mausoleum"
Well, as a level 8 maneuver trance effect, it was meant to be a save or lose that could be countered with a Freedom effect or one of the now numerous Alarm Buttons that save you from all effects if you were somehow unlucky enough to fail a save. Turned it into double check dmg + Dimensional Lock.

Nicer, since you need to remember it's alos patching up your allies.

Ten Desires
I would have thought Bluff checks to avoid revealing stuff to be the easiest skill to buff. With so many effects giving it crazy modifiers. Amongst the more well known options; Glibness and you got an instant +30
Can make it a Wisdom check opposed by the target's Charisma check, or something like that.

I believe most serious people don't allow Glibness in their games as written, since it basically means you can bluff your way out of anything, before you start adding actual ranks and cha mod and whatnot, in which case glibness just breaks all the scales.

I sugested highest skill check because you're trying to figure out their desire, and the skill where they've invested more is probably a pretty good bet.

"Divine Spirits' Universe"
I can switch it around. Fort save against instant lose and Trance adds the anti-initiator/casting on a successful save.
I was sure it was much more lenient than a "Hit and make all 3 saves or die, and might likely take enough damage to kill anyway if you manage it".
Ways to escape getting hit a single time and buffs to AC are numerous enough in either case but the situation is less final.
They can either escape to strike back another day or help their group with their magic items, wands/scrolls/other, class abilities, feats and so on.
It doesn't deal any damage to anyone and does nothing on a missed hit.

The diference between 3 saves or 1 attack roll is because there's a lot more ways to buff your attack rolls than to increase your DCs. Between stuff like true strike and that spell that makes you auto-roll a 20, there's plenty of ways to make sure one attack hits.

After all, power attack is considered an auto-pick for melees precisely because it's quite easy to get more to-hit than your opponent's AC.

And altough this doesn't count as killing them, it definetely counts as making them such so much they may as well be dead. Scrolls and wands just don't keep up anywhere close at this level, and if they run away for 24 hours they're as good as defeated (assuming they had a teleport scroll of course, which is even less likely for a martial iniator). And their class abilities/feats were probably aimed at making their maneuvers/spells better.

[Anomander]

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Spheres? Isn't Demonify Zouhuo Rumo the one that makes somebody your puppet?
Confused myself with the comment on Tao Taidou that was done with with Demonify. I meant Tao Taidou's spheres.

Hermit Sign "Taoist of the Land of the Rising Sun"
Will do.

Saint Girl "Oomonoimi's Dinner"
Hm. Point taken.
How about having the pacifying effect affect only people on the blanket 1 round after it appears, on a failed save still?

Poison maneuvers
Aye. I meant calling it Murder meant it would be weird to allow it to preserve victims. Though, like paralysis, it would also allow yourself or that somebody to smash the statue to bits. 

Ten Desires
I don't see why any serious person that would allow a Tobhou discipline would have something against Glibness as written.
However, I'll heed your advice considering there ain't much that can get higher than Bluff anyway, but do it with Mental skills only. Except perhaps Diplomacy (sidenote: you use diplomacy as a discipline main skill. Weren't you preferring to use obscure skills for tobhou?) and Jump (ridiculously easy to pump to the stratosphere).

"Divine Spirits' Universe"
But there are many ways to lower an opponent's saves, which pretty much amounts to the same thing.
And even with insanely high saves, 3 save attempts is always a minimum of 15% odds of instant death and you still deal big damage if you don't die. To the target, and some to those around it. There are also many means to avoid a hit althought, so there isn't even an AC to beat.
I wouldn't mind putting in some roll to make it work or some kind of benefit if it fails, but one save vs defeat is something you'd see for a level many spell/maneuver levels below, and although it *is* a big damp on some targets' powerbase (it remains useless against everything that doesn't have any), it certainly does not lead to instant victory. Especially when there are more than one enemy, and especially considering many opponent still have good class abilities and the ability to make attacks that aren't getting cut off.

[oslecamo]

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Spheres? Isn't Demonify Zouhuo Rumo the one that makes somebody your puppet?
Confused myself with the comment on Tao Taidou that was done with with Demonify. I meant Tao Taidou's spheres.

I imagined as such, good then.

Saint Girl "Oomonoimi's Dinner"
Hm. Point taken.
How about having the pacifying effect affect only people on the blanket 1 round after it appears, on a failed save still?

Hmm, that sounds like a good compromise.

Ten Desires
I don't see why any serious person that would allow a Tobhou discipline would have something against Glibness as written.
However, I'll heed your advice considering there ain't much that can get higher than Bluff anyway, but do it with Mental skills only. Except perhaps Diplomacy (sidenote: you use diplomacy as a discipline main skill. Weren't you preferring to use obscure skills for tobhou?) and Jump (ridiculously easy to pump to the stratosphere).

You didn't complain when I used Intimidate before.

Anyway new version of ten desires looks good enough.

"Divine Spirits' Universe"
But there are many ways to lower an opponent's saves, which pretty much amounts to the same thing.
And even with insanely high saves, 3 save attempts is always a minimum of 15% odds of instant death and you still deal big damage if you don't die. To the target, and some to those around it. There are also many means to avoid a hit althought, so there isn't even an AC to beat.
I wouldn't mind putting in some roll to make it work or some kind of benefit if it fails, but one save vs defeat is something you'd see for a level many spell/maneuver levels below, and although it *is* a big damp on some targets' powerbase (it remains useless against everything that doesn't have any), it certainly does not lead to instant victory.

You're just helping my point here you know? The first effect being useless against a fair percentage of enemies (aka non-casters, non-ToB) is somewhat bad for the last Strike of the school. It is too situational. If it is the only 9th level strike, it better be something you never regret having prepared.

Anyway there's ways to lower enemy saves, but ironically enough pretty much all of them allow saves themselves so kinda of a moot point. Like anti-mage abilities that deal extra damage against casters but don't actually help you landing an hit on them.

Especially when there are more than one enemy, and especially considering many opponent still have good class abilities and the ability to make attacks that aren't getting cut off.

Class abilities as good as spells/maneuvers? Not that common at all, in particular if you apply multi-system transparecy for psionics and custom systems. I would like some examples of such opponents, core if possible. And then remember that strike can still do the whole forced reincarnation thing.

Which reminds me, the extra DC against constructs and undeads is kinda too evil when you consider they already will have pretty bad Fort saves anyway.

[Anomander]

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"Divine Spirits' Universe"
Well, it was the other way around at first. Common effect first and situational second.
The odds of regretting having it readied are low considering it can always be used for the Trance effect.

Not saying that they are as good or better. Spells are overpowered by default. Just that they are good enough to keep fighting and be useful.
Examples: Dragons. Paladins. Rangers. Scorpionfolk. Solar angel. Titan...
Cutting off Su abilities is probably too much as it is - too many class capabilities and feats rely on it. Could otherwise allow a save and have it take effect for 1d4 rounds on a successful save but then I'd have to have it deal some sort of nonlethal damage of some form to also halve on a save. I'm thinking Charisma drain.

I'll remove the penalty on constructs. Since their 'lifeforce' is an artificial animation, and therefor much simpler than normal life/soul forms, the reincarnation will be into a plant of some kind. It really screws undeath though, so instead of a save penalty they could be subjected to a Turn Undead attempt instead of receiving nonlethal damage/charisma drain.

Edit: After reading the Forbidden Schools' premise, I was wondering whether to get Heavenly Bhavagra as one or just a short discipline annexed with the Hermit class and available to celestial creature types. It could work as one but would be a little strange in concept (requiring atonement and everything).

[oslecamo]

1d4 rounds on a sucessful save sounds a lot better, even with the charisma drain or something like that, and turn undead against undeads also seems like a good idea.

However before you start thinking of a Forbidden school for this let me at least take a look at the class. Some first impressions:
-The recovery method is just too cheap, since its cost is zero as your main school already makes you want to re-enter stances all the time. There's not even a randomness factor like the crusader or eternal royal.

-Trance is already a very powerful mechanic even when limited to the school's maneuvers and at a lot of points it was stretching what I consider admissible. Yet the base class itself now goes and gives you even more bonus for spamming trance effects and that's where I draw the line. Base classes shouldn't even be directly benefiting schools mechanics unless it's something completely specialized like the Frostwind Virago or Nuclear Dragon.
-A One-Track Paradise completely nullifies one of the very few limitations of the school just like that?
-Cheap turn undeads for swift actions(which were even keyed to your main stat)? No. Just no. In particular when it's even more abuseable when you want to enter stances all the time.
-You shouldn't make class abilities based on a discipline that wasn't yet designed.
-Ok, just how many auras are you suposed to have on top of 6+int skill points, all good saves, and a school that's overflowing with group buffs already? There's whole classes out there just based on auras, and this one grants multiples of them on top of an already pretty powerful main chassis.