Kenjishinomouri |
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I have only done 2 so far but am looking for input on what I have, I'm also converting the base classes from the book into pathfinder hybrid classes. (Swordsage = Monk/Magus, Warblade = Monk/Barbarian, Crusader = Monk/paladin).
These are the two styles I have made and am seeking critical input and suggestions for balancing.
-Shadow Hand-
Shadow Style-
Prerequisites- Wis 12, Stealthy feat, Stealth 1 rank, or sneak attack +1d6.
Benefit- whenever you and an ally are adjacent to a creature you and that ally gain the benefit of flanking.
Normal: You and an ally must be on opposite sides of the creature to gain flanking benefits.
Shadow Strike-
Prerequisites- Wis 15,Shadow style, Stealth 3 ranks, or sneak attack +2d6 and Shadow Style.
Benefit- You gain sneak attack +1d6. Whenever you are using Shadow style you gain a +2 on damage while you are flanking a target.
Shadow Stalker Strike-
Prerequisites- Wis 17, Shadow Strike, Spring attack Stealth 5 ranks, or Sneak attack +4d6 and Shadow strike.
Benefit- You can move at full speed while stealthed and only take a -5 penalty to your check. You can use the spring attack feat and retain your concealment to strike a target. If you end your turn where you could make a stealth check to retain your concealment you can take it as a free action.
-Diamond Mind-
Diamond Style-
Prerequisite- Int 12, Weapon focus (light blade*), or Fighter level 1.
Benefit: While in this stance each successive miss by an opponent grants you a +2 dodge bonus to AC against that opponent, This bonus lasts until the start of your next turn.
* light blade refers to any weapon in the light blade weapon group*
Diamond Strike-
Prerequisite- Int 15, Diamond style, or Fighter level 3 and Diamond style.
Benefit: While in your diamond style stance, for each miss made by an opponent against you during the last round you get a +1 damage bonus, this bonus becomes a +2 bonus when you are wielding a light blade*.
Also, as a standard action you may make a melee attack as a touch attack against an opponent you could normally attack.
Diamond Flurry
Prerequisite- Int 17, Diamond strike, or Fighter level 5 and Diamond Strike.
Benefit: As a full round action make an attack against a target at your highest base attack bonus, if you hit you may make another attack at a -5 penalty. Continue this process until miss the target with an attack. If that target attack and missed you at least once during the last round of combat these attacks are considered touch attacks.
Malwing |
I came late to the Book of 9 Swords/Path of War idea of stances and maneuvers. When I read them I immediately thought of style feats and really I think that style feats would be a better way to implement maneuvers/stances without going through the mess 3+ classes and a system of initiators and junk. What you have here, while the wording is undesirable, is pretty much what I imagined style feats should turn into.
Otm-Shank |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
They're still working on a number of the classes but I would be remiss if I didn't point you to DSP - The Path of War
Book of Nine Swords for Pathfinder! I get that it's maybe not what you are trying to do but I just thought I'd make sure you're aware of it.
Kenjishinomouri |
Here are two more of the disciplines remade as pathfinder combat styles.
I appreciate any input anyone can give on adjustments to the effects or to the prerequisites.
-Devoted Spirit-
Devoted Style-
Prerequisite: Cha 12, Persuasive feat, intimidate 1 rank or Cleric level 1.
Benefit: While you are in your stance any enemy you threaten takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls against your allies. If you successfully strike your target with a melee attack your allies gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls against them until the start of your next turn, this bonus ends if the enemy moves out of your threat range.
Devoted Counter-
Prerequisites: Cha 15, Devoted Style, intimidate 3 ranks, or Cleric level 3 and devoted style.
Benefit: While you are in your stance and successfully strike an enemy with a melee attack until the end of your next turn that enemy provokes an attack of opportunity against you if they attack one of your allies. If your attack hits that enemy forfeits that attack but may still use any other attacks it could that round.
Devoted Spirit-
Prerequisites: Cha 17, Devoted Counter, intimidate 5 ranks, or Cleric level 5 and devoted counter.
Benefit:You add your charisma bonus to the number of attacks of opportunity you get each round.
Also, While in your Devoted Style stance, any time you successfully hit an enemy with an attack you gain 2 hp.
-Iron Heart-
Iron style-
Prerequisite: Str 12, Toughness, Perception 1, or Fighter 1.
Benefit: While you are in your stance, whenever you are attacked you may choose to expend an attack of opportunity to make a melee attack and use the result in place of your AC bonus. If your attack exceeds the opposing attack it does not hit.
Iron Strike-
Prerequisite: Str 15, Iron Style, Perception 3, or Fighter 3 and Iron style
Benefit: Whenever you are in your stance and you deal damage to your opponent with a melee attack they must make a Fortitude save (DC 10+your strength mod) if they fail they are dazed until the start of your next turn.
Iron Endurance-
Prerequisite: Str 17, Iron Strike, Perception 5, or Fighter 5 and Iron Strike.
Benefit: While in your Stance you may make a fortitude saving throw against an effect that you have failed a previous saving throw against, if you succeed you immediately end the effect and heal a number of hitpoints equal to your fortitude bonus.
Kenjishinomouri |
Also I think the ability prerequisites for the first style feat shouldn't be 12, it should be 13. You don't really see even ability scores as prerequisites.
That is a good point, I'm gonna change those 12s to 13s.
After I get these ones done I will probably go through GiTP and adapt any that I like them. I might also do the path of war styles the same way.
Kenjishinomouri |
Sorry Ive been distracted working on a variant magic system, Midterms, and setting up my new campaign that will imminently be starting.
But..... I did a little bit of work on a prestige class that will let a character perform some of the more ridiculous and magical style abilities from the Bo9s using ki points to limit uses. This is that basic outline of the class as well as the abilities you can obtain with it, all I've done is shadow hand so far.
Master of Combat Style
d8
6+int
level Bab Fort Ref Will Special abilities
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
1st +0 +1 +1 +1 Dual Stance, Ki pool, Style mastery
2nd +1 +1 +1 +1 Style Mastery, Dual Study
3rd +2 +2 +2 +2 Style Mastery
4th +3 +2 +2 +2 Style Mastery,Dual Study
5th +3 +3 +3 +3 Triple Stance, Style Supremacy
Dual Stance- You can choose to not lose the benefits of a style stance when you enter a new stance. You may not have more than 2 style stances active at one time.
Ki-pool- A Master of Combat styles gains a ki-pool equal to ½ their level + their choice of Int, cha, or Wis. If they already have a ki- pool from another source their master of combat style levels are added to that classes levels to determine the number of ki points the character has.
Style Mastery- A Master of combat styles develops a deep understanding of the flow of their energies and masters even greater almost supernatural ways of using the various combat styles they have learned. To learn a style mastery a character must have all 3 style feats associated with that style.
Shadow style Mastery-Shadow Leap- You can travel 50ft teleporting through shadows, your movement must begin and end in an area of dim light. You can do it as a standard action by spending 1 ki point, a move action by spending 2 ki points, or a swift action by spending 3 ki points.
Shadow style Mastery- Shadow Noose- You can turn your shadow into a weapon, as a standard action you can spend 1 ki point to stretch your shadows form and attempt to strangle an enemy with it. You can make a ranged touch attack against a flat footed opponent, Maximum of 60ft, to strangle that opponent with your shadow. This attack deals damage equal to your sneak attack damage dice. In addition he must make a fortitude saving throw (DC 16+ your ki modifying ability score bonus) or be stunned for 1 round. A successful save negates the stun but not the damage. You must have at least one other Shadow Style mastery ability to select this one.
Shadow Style Mastery- Assassin Stance- While in your shadow style stance you deal an extra 2d6 sneak attack damage.
Shadow Style Mastery- Dance of the spider- You may expend 1 ki-point to cast the spider climb spell on yourself, treat your character level as your caster level.
Shadow Style Mastery- Shadow clone- By spending 2 ki points you create a duplicate of yourself, this duplicate acts as a copy of your character except it shares your ki pool, and doesn’t have any of your magical equipment, it instead has mundane versions of any equipment you are wearing. The duplicates appears in a square at adjacent to you and can act immediately on your turn. Whenever your duplicate is hit by an attack it is destroyed and you learn of anything your duplicate learned (Such as if you sent your duplicate around a corner that you had not seen, when it is destroyed you would learn what is around the corner). You may spend ki points in increments of 2 to create extra duplicates. You must have at least 2 other shadow style masteries to select this mastery.
Dual Study- Dual study will have something to do with advancing one of your base classes a bit with this prestige class but havent hammered out the details yet.
Triple stance- This is as the dual stance ability, but you may have 3 stances active at the same time.
Style supremacy- To select a style supremacy you must have 3 style feats from the discipline and 4 style masteries from the same discipline unless you choose the master of many styles style supremacy ability.
Shadow style supremacy- 5 shadow infusion strike- This is a melee attack that takes 1 standard action and 5 ki points to initiate, your attack deals damage as though you hit the target with a sneak attack, and roll a d20 to determine the effects of the attack result 1-7 shadows poison legs deal 2d6 dex ability damage, and reduce speed to 0ft. result 8-14 shadow poisons arms deals 2d6 strength damage and cause a -6 penalty on attack rolls. result 15-20 shadow poisons heart and deals 2d6 Dex damage, 2d6 str damage, and 2d6 con damage. A fortitude save (DC 19+ highest ki point ability bonus) will negate the effects but not the HP damage.
Te'Shen |
Also I think the ability prerequisites for the first style feat shouldn't be 12, it should be 13. You don't really see even ability scores as prerequisites.
If I remember correctly, the initiators did not operate under Wisdom/Charisma/Intelligence minimums. Their classes have features based on a key mental stat, and if a maneuver had a save it was keyed to a mental stat normally, but they didn't have a minimum stat to use a strike, counter, boost, or stance.
If you are filing off the serial numbers and opening them up to other martial classes, I recommend losing the stat requirement entirely. It does nothing but unnecessarily tax a character in a point buy system, especially when you already have many feats and not enough slots to go around. Can you really say that the stat requirements make things like combat expertise or two-weapon fighting better designed feats?