Savage Maw (ToB Discipline)

I've decided to work out a new discipline for the Tome of Battle classes, witha decidedly darker flavor. This isn't about glory in combat or such things, it's about tearing your foe to shreds and dancing on what's left of his innards. Pleasant, no?

Oddly enough, this discipline was inspired by the new goblin art/fluff coming out in Pathfinder. I can just see the little buggers with those nasty blades shredding PC's left and right, cackling gleefully the whole time. Oh, and singing their catchy li'l song, of course.

I've actually just started on it, but I figured I'd post the few ideas I have so far, and the general concept, both to get an early idea on what people think of it, and to troll for ideas. The fishing-type trolling, not the bad kind.

The basic concept is three main things: Your attacks make your foe hurt/bleed, your attacks are scary, and you really like making critical hits. There will be a lot of coutners that activate on a successful crit, giving you bonuses, and a lot of intimidate-based maneuvers. There will also be plenty of "bleed for x damage over y rounds" dealies, and a few con damage attacks.

I've got a few early level ideas already, but I'd love to hear what you guys all have to say. I'm also thinking of some sort of "gain a bonus to Intimidate, and take no size penalty when Intimidating" stance, but I'm not sure where to put it, and how good to make it... I just want my little flesh-ripper goblins to be able to scare the crap out of people. Mechanically, as well as otherwise.

Also, any ideas on appropriate discipline weapons would be appreciated. I've got Intimidate as the skill. For the classes, I'm allowing a Warblade to trade Diamond Mind for it, and an Evil Crusader can trade anything but Devoted Soul for it. I think that works out alright...

Edit: Ok, been working the last few hours, and I've got a basic list of ideas. I'm still open to new thoughts and everything, of course, but this is my basic, rough-draft idea for the discipline.

[sblock=The Savage Maw Discipline]
The weapons associated with this discipline are the spiked chain, spiked gauntlet, morningstar, scythe, and scimitar. The skill associated with this discipline is intimidate.

Savage Maw Strikes and Maneuvers

*Note*
The Savage Maw strikes rely on leaving behind gaping wounds and shredded flesh. You may only use Savage Maw strikes with a slashing or piercing weapon.


[sblock=Level One Maneuvers and Stances]Bloodletting Strike (Strike)
(Successful attack bleeds for extra damage.)
You make a melee attack. If your attack is successful, you leave behind a gaping wound that bleeds over the next five rounds, dealing 1 damage per round. Multiple bleeding effects stack, as normal.

Open Wound (Strike)
(Target of attack takes additional damage from attacks.)
Make a melee attack. If it is successful, you twist your blade in such a way as to leave your target weakened. They take an additional +1 damage from all attacks for one round.

Savage Critical (Counter)
(Counter. Critical hit deals bonus damage.)
You may initiate this maneuver whenever you make a successful critical hit. If you do, you deal additional damage equal to 1d6 per point of your critical multiplier. For example, if you have a x3 multiplier, you deal an additional +3d6 damage.

Bloody Horror (Stance)
(Make free Intimidate checks with critical hit.)
While in this stance, if you make a successful critical hit, you may make an intimidate check as a free action, applying the result against every hostile creature within 10ft.

Bloodthirsty Stance (Stance)
(Threat range of weapon is doubled.)
Any weapon you wield while in this stance has its critical threat range doubled. As usual, this benefit does not stack with other such effects.[/sblock]

[sblock=Level Two Maneuvers and Stances]Horrifying Glare (Maneuver)
(Glare at foe to frighten them.)
As a standard action, choose a target within 60ft and make an Intimidate check against them. If they fail their save, they are Shaken for 5 rounds. If they roll a natural 1, they are instead Frightened for 3 rounds, then Shaken for 5 rounds.

Painful Strike (Strike)
(Successful attack leaves foe in great pain.)
Make a melee attack. If your attack is successful, you twist your blade in the wound, causing your target pain. The target of your attack must make a Fortitude save or take a -2 penalty on attack rolls and AC for one round.

Bloodletting Stance (Stance)
(Critical multiplier of weapon is increased.)
Your critical multiplier for any weapon you wield in increased by x1. This bonus does not stack with any other such bonus.

Ravage the Weak (Stance)
(Gain bonuses to attack and damage vs frightened foes.)
You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls against Shaken foes. This damage increases to +2 against Frightened foes, and to +4 against Panicked foes.[/sblock]

[sblock=Level Three Maneuvers and Stances]Savage Delight (Counter)
(Counter. Gain bonuses after critial hit.)
You may initiate this maneuver whenever you make a successful critical hit. If you do, you gain a +2 bonus to attacks, AC, damage and saves for one round.

Blood Frenzy (Boost)
(Boost. Similar to barbarian's rage, lasts 3 rounds.)
You gain a +2 bonus to Strength, +1 to your critical multiplier, and a +2 bouns on Will saves. The bonus to your multiplier does not stack with other such bonuses. You take a -2 penalty to AC, and cannot take actions requiring concentration, as with a barbarian's rage.
These benefits and penalties last for three rounds. At the end of this time, you are fatigued for the rest of the encounter, or until you refresh your maneuvers.

Bloody Strike (Strike)
(Successful attack deals Con damage, bleeds for damage.)
Make a melee attack. If your attack is successful, you leave behind a gaping wound that bleeds profusely. Your target takes 2 points of Con damage from blood loss, and continues to bleed for 1 point of damage per round for ten rounds. A successful Fortitude save negates the Con damage and halves the bleeding duration.[/sblock]

[sblock=Level Four Maneuvers and Stances]Flensing Strike (Strike)
(Successful attack leaves foe writhing in pain.)
Make a melee attack. If your attack is successful, you twist your blade in the wound, causing your target great pain. Your target must make a Fortitude save or be limited to a single move or standard action next round. If your attack is also a critical hit, they take a -2 penalty to attacks and AC for 3 rounds, as well.

Ravaging Critical (Counter)
(Counter. Critical hit deals Con damage, bleeds.)
You may initiate this maneuver whenever you make a successful critical hit. If you do, the target of your attack takes Con damage equal to your critical multiplier, with no save. In addition, they bleed for an additional 1 point of damage per round for five rounds.

Savage Rhythym (Counter)
(Counter. Free attack after successful critical hit.)
You may initiate this maneuver whenever you make a successful critical hit. If you do, you may make another attack as a free action, at the same bonus as your last attack.

Savage Glare (Stance)
(Gain bonuses with the Intimidate skill.)
You gain a bonus to all intimidate checks equal to 1/2 your initiator level. In addition, you may use the demoralize option of the intimidate skill against any one foe within 60ft as a standard action. Finally, you take no size penalty to intimidate checks, though you still gain any size bonuses.

Savage the Fallen (Stance)
(If you drop an enemy, gain free attack against them.)
While in this stance, if your attack causes a foe to drop to 0 HP or below, you gain a free melee attack agaisnt them, as a free action. This attack is made at the same bonus as the attack that dropped your foe.[/sblock]

[sblock=Level Five Maneuvers and Stances]Fleshripping Strike (Strike)
(Successful attack deals Con damage, bleeds for damage.)
Make a melee attack. If your attack is successful, you leave behind a gaping wound that bleeds profusely. Your target takes 4 points of Con damage from blood loss, and continues to bleed for 1d4+1 points of damage per round for five rounds. A successful Fortitude save halves the Con damage and the bleeding duration.

Frenzied Attacks (Boost)
(Boost. Attacks gain doubled threat, x2 multiplier.)
Your attacks gain a doubled threat range for one round, and their critical multiplier is increased by x2 for one round. These bonuses do not stack with other such bonuses.

Terrifying Gaze (Maneuver)
(Make a gaze attack that frightens foes within 60ft.)
As a standard action make an Intimidate check against all foes within 60ft. If they fail their save, they are Shaken for 5 rounds. If they roll a natural 1, they are instead Frightened for 3 rounds, then Shaken for 5 rounds.

Gaping Wounds (Stance)
(Bleeding attacks you make bleed for extra damage.)
Whenever you make an attack that causes a foe to bleed for a certain amount of damage per round, they bleed longer and harder. They take an additional +1 damage per round they bleed, and they bleed for 50% longer. So, if they would normally bleed for one damage per round for 5 rounds, they would instead bleed for two damage per round for 7 rounds.[/sblock]

[sblock=Level Six Maneuvers and Stances]Bloody Rage (Boost)
(Boost. Improved Blood Frenzy, lasts 5 rounds.)
You gain a +4 bonus to Strength, +2 to your critical multiplier, and a +4 bouns on Will saves. The bonus to your multiplier does not stack with other such bonuses. You also gain 2 temporary HP per initiator level that last until this maneuver ends. You may make a flurry of attacks, making one extra attack, and all of your attacks in the round take a -2 penatlty to the attack rolls. You take a -2 penalty to AC, and cannot take actions requiring concentration, as with a barbarian's rage.
These benefits and penalties last for five rounds. At the end of this time, you are exhausted for 3 rounds, then fatigued for the rest of the encounter, or until you refresh your maneuvers.

Escalating Fear (Strike)
(Make full attack, scare foes with successive attacks.)
This maneuver requires a full-round action to initiate. You make a full attack as normal. Every time you successfully hit a target, you may make an intimidate check against them, using the demoralize action, except that they remain Shaken for 5 rounds. Unlike normal uses of the demoralize option, successive successes stack, though any Frightened or Panicked conditions remain only for one round. So, if you successfully hit a single for twice, and they fail both saves, they become Frightened for one round instead of Shaken, and then are Shaken for 5 rounds.

Savage Tide (Counter)
(Counter. After critical hit, next hit is a threat.)
You may initiate this maneuver whenever you make a successful critical hit. If you do, your next attack is considered a critical hit, as long as you successfully hit your target. If this second attack is also a successful critical, the next attack after that is a critical threat, and so on until you either run out of attacks or you do not make another critical hit.[/sblock]

[sblock=Level Seven Maneuvers and Stances]Explosive Critical (Counter)
(Counter. Damage dice on critical are exploding dice.)
You may initiate this maneuver whenever you make a successful critical hit. If you do, you gain a special benefit for the attack. If any of the dice you roll for the critical damage comes up as the natural maximum (6 for a d6, etc...), you may roll an additional die fo the same size, adding this die as extra damage. You may roll only once for each die that comes up a maximum number, and you cannot gain extra damage dice from other extra damage dice.

Fleshgrinding Strike (Strike)
(Attack deals Con damage, bleeds, penalties.)
Make a melee attack. If your attack is successful, your foe takes 4 Con damage, with a Fortitude save for half. In addition, they bleed for an additional 1d4+1 damage per round for ten rounds. Finally, they must make a Fortitude save or be limited to a single move or standard action next round. If your attack is also a critical hit, they take a -2 penalty to attacks and AC for 3 rounds, as well.

Coward's Bane (Stance)
(Gain improved bounses against frightened foes.)
You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls against Shaken foes. This damage increases to +2 against Frightened foes, and to +4 against Panicked foes. In addition, any foe you successfully strike that is currently affected by a fear effect has the duration of that effect extended by one round. Finally, if you make a successful critical hit against a foe affected by a fear effect, the severity of that effect increases by one step for one round. For example, if you score a critical hit against a Shaken foe, that foe is automatically Frightened for one round.

Rending Strikes (Stance)
(All attacks you make cause foes to bleed out.)
Whenever you successfully hit a foe with a melee attack, they continue to bleed, taking one damage per round for the next three rounds. As usual, bleeding from multiple sources stacks.[/sblock]

[sblock=Level Eight Maneuvers and Stances]Savage Glee (Counter)
(Counter. Gain more bonuses after a critical hit.)
You may initiate this maneuver whenever you make a successful critical hit. If you do, you gain a +2 bonus to attacks, AC, damage and saves for three round. In addition, you gain +2 temporary HP per initiator level, a +10ft bonus to speed, and may make an extra attack during the round, with all attacks taking a -2 penalty.

Gutwrenching Strike (Strike)
(Successful attack drops target with searing pain.)
Make a melee attack. If your attack is successful, you twist your blade in the wound, causing your target great pain. Your target must make a Fortitude save or lose his next action, after which he is limited to a single move or standard action for the next three rounds. On a successful save, he is instead limited to a single move or standard action for one round only. If your attack is also a critical hit, they take a -2 penalty to attacks and AC for 3 rounds, as well.[/sblock]

[sblock=Level Nine Maneuver]Fleshripper Frenzy (Boost)
(Boost. Attacks deal Con damage, bleeding, more.)
All attacks you make in the round gain several benefits. First, all of your attacks have a double threat range and extra x2 critical multiplier. These bonuses do not stack with other such bonuses. Next, all attacks you make cause your foe to take 1 Con damage (no save), and bleed for 1d4+1 damage per round for the next five rounds. Finally, on a successful critical hit, you may make a free attack against the foe you hit, at the same bonus. There is no limit to how many extra attacks you make this way, and if you continue to make successful critical hits, you can continue to make extra attacks.[/sblock][/sblock]

Looks really interesting thus far!

Knee jerk says that some type of axe would make the perfect weapon for such a discipline. Maybe a gyrspike? Spiked chain?

The problem with stuff that triggers only on crits is that it's too situational, even with a high crit range weapon.


I'd go with the wider crit range weapons over the axe.

I like this idea.

Yeah, the only reasons I added the scimitar is because I wanted at least one slashing weapon, and because of it's crit threat range. The rest of the weapons listed were chosen because they just seem like they'd caus ea lot of collateral damage when you get hit by them.

I though about the big situational stuff with the critical things, which is why I made the crit-requiring stuff a little more powerful. I also made them Counters rather than Strikes or Boosts, so you don't have to hope to get a crit, you just have to wait until you do. And there's the first level Keen stance as well, which helps along those lines. 15-20 with a scimitar isn't that bad.

And if you're worried about not making enough crits, there's always the pain/bleeding/intimidate maneuvers to go for. Hopefully, that'll make it attractive for both sets of players. The ones who want to control their attacks, and the ones who don't mind waiting for a good crit to make a more powerful attack.

Though... could the Crit-based maneuvers be a little more powerful, what with the huge situational thing? I'm thinking that for the rarity of their ever coming into play, they could probably be a little higher-powered without a problem...

BUMP!