Hi. In my opinion, many of the subsystems/variant systems created by Wizards over the course of 3e (ToB, Binding, Incarnum, and even Truenaming) are cool and interesting, but I don't like to introduce whole new classes and rulebooks to use those options. Instead, I'm planning to make feat chains based on those systems. I'll post them in this thread to get some feedback. As the title says, the first one up is martial adepts.
This system is inspired partially by the Psionic Focus mechanic, and partially by the PHB 2 Combat Form feats (Which were such a disappointment, although a great idea.). The abilities, obviously, are lifted from martial maneuvers and stances. There are a few blank spots, which I'd like suggestions for.
Without further ado, Martial Arts feats:
Martial Focus:
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1, wis 13.
You can enter a state of heightened awareness in combat.
Benefit: Concentration is a class skill for you. With a DC 20 concentration check, you can gain martial focus. Focusing is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. While you have martial focus, you gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks. (If you lose your focus in combat, your initiative score drops by 2) You can expend your focus to take 10 on any single attack roll. Once you have martial focus, you remain focused until you expend your focus, become unconscious, or go to sleep.
Martial Style:
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6, combat focus
You learn the special combat techniques of a martial style.
Benefit: Select one of the styles below. While you have martial focus, you gain the benefits of that style. As a standard action, you can expend your martial focus to make a special strike.
Shadow Style: You gain +2d6 sneak attack.
Strike: Make a melee attack against a flat-footed foe (?). If the attack hits, in addition to taking normal damage, the victim must make a Fortitude save (DC 10+1/2 your character level+wis modifier) or take 1d4 negative levels. This strike is a supernatural ability.
Sunset Style: When you attempt to trip an opponent, you can use the higher of your Strength or Dexterity modifier. The opponent does not get a chance to trip you if you fail. If you succeed in tripping your foe, you can also throw it into an open space of your choice up to 10 feet away from you. An enemy you throw with this maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity for passing through enemies’ threatened areas as part of the throw, and you can throw an enemy through occupied squares.
Strike: Make a trip attempt with all the benefits of the sunset style. You also gain a bonus on the opposed ability check equal to ½ your initiator level. For every 5 points by which you beat the opponent, you can throw them an additional 5 feet. For every 10 feet you throw the opponent, they take 1d6 damage. You can throw the opponent into a square occupied by another character. If you do, that character must also make a check to resist a trip (all size, circumstance etc. bonuses for tripping apply) against the result of your trip attempt, or also take this damage and fall prone.
Tiger Style: As a standard action you can make a melee attack with a +2 bonus to hit that deals an extra 2d6 damage. If you do, you take a -4 penalty to AC until the start of your next turn.
Strike:
Dragon Style:
Strike: Make a Concentration check using the target creature’s AC as the DC of the check. Then make a single melee attack against the target. If your Concentration check succeeded, the attack deals quadruple damage. If your Concentration check failed, the attack takes a -2 penalty and deals normal damage if it hits.
Mountain Style: As a standard action you can make a melee attack that deals 1 Con damage in addition to the weapon damage.
Strike:
Wind Style: When you make a melee full attack, you can make an additional attack at your highest attack bonus, but if you do, all attacks you make this turn suffer a -2 penalty.
Strike: Make two attacks at your highest attack bonus against each opponent you threaten.
Special: If you know multiple martial styles, you can only gain the benefit of one at a time, but you can switch to a different style as a swift action at any time during your turn.
Martial Stance:
Prerequisites: Martial Focus, base attack +6
You learn the stance used by masters of a particular combat style.
Benefit: Select one of the stances below. While you have martial focus, you gain the benefits of that stance. As an immediate action, you can expend your martial focus to use that stance's counter.
Shadow Stance: You have concealment. You can take a full-round action to entirely obscure your exact position. Until your next action, you have total concealment.
Counter: You disappear in a burst of darkness and teleport up to 5 ft/initiator level away. You must have line of sight and line of effect to your destination. If you attempt to use this maneuver to move into an occupied space, you do not move. Your martial focus is expended, but has no effect. Unlike other styles, the shadow style abilities are supernatural.
Sunset Stance: You can make an immediate 5-foot step each time an opponent attacks you in melee and misses. Moving in this manner consumes one of your attacks of opportunity in the currrent round. You cannot move in this manner if you have no attacks of opportunity remaining. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and is resolved after the attack.
Counter: You can attempt to redirect a target who tries to charge, bull rush or overrun you. Make an opposed strength or dexterity check (your choice) with the opponent when they move adjacent to you. A larger character gains a +4 bonus on a strength check, while a smaller character gains a +4 bonus if a dexterity check is used. If you win the opposed check, the target does not get to attack you or finish its move, and you can instead move it up to 10 feet. If you lose the check, you take a -2 penalty on your AC and any rolls to oppose the opponent's charge, overrun or bull rush.
Tiger Stance: You move faster, gaining a +10ft. Bonus to your speed. If you move 10 feet or more during your turn, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC until the beginning of your next turn.
Counter: When an opponent you threaten attempts a melee attack, you can make an attack against him with a -2 penalty. If your attack hits, your target’s next attack automatically misses. You must decide whether to use this counter before you know if the opponent's attack will hit .
Dragon Stance: you can take a second 5-foot step immediately after you take one for the round. This second movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You can make a single 5-foot step into difficult terrain, but if you do, you cannot make the second 5-foot step.
Counter: Add your initiator level to your next saving throw, if it occurs before the beginning of your next turn.
Mountain Stance: You gain a +8 bonus to resist bull rush, overrun and trip attacks, as well as grapple checks to avoid being grappled or to break out of a grapple. Add your initiator level to the DC to tumble through your threatened area or your square.
Counter: You gain DR x/- or resistance x to one type of energy, where x is your initiator level. This damage reduction or energy resistance applies only against the next attack to hit you, and only if that attack occurs before the beginning of your next turn.
Wind Stance: Each time you make a successful melee attack, you can move 5 feet. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the creature you struck. You cannot use this stance to move more than your current speed in a single round.
Counter: You gain a bonus to AC equal to your initiator level against a single attack. You can choose to use this counter after you know whether the attack will hit.
Special: If you know multiple martial stances, you can only gain the benefit of one at a time, but you can switch to a different stance as a swift action at any time during your turn.
Special: A character's initiator level is equal to their levels in fighter and/or monk plus half their levels in other classes.
I'm a bit worried that the mechanics are inconsistent, or that the Initiator Level concept is redundant, but I'd prefer to make IL more important rather than excise it completely, since I like how it gives a minor boost to fighters and monks. The trouble is finding mechanics that make the feats worthwhile for non-fighters/monks but doesn't break them for those characters. Also, I'm worried that the Sunset abilities are a bit too verbose, but I don't think they're all that complicated in practice.
This system is inspired partially by the Psionic Focus mechanic, and partially by the PHB 2 Combat Form feats (Which were such a disappointment, although a great idea.). The abilities, obviously, are lifted from martial maneuvers and stances. There are a few blank spots, which I'd like suggestions for.
Without further ado, Martial Arts feats:
Martial Focus:
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1, wis 13.
You can enter a state of heightened awareness in combat.
Benefit: Concentration is a class skill for you. With a DC 20 concentration check, you can gain martial focus. Focusing is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. While you have martial focus, you gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks. (If you lose your focus in combat, your initiative score drops by 2) You can expend your focus to take 10 on any single attack roll. Once you have martial focus, you remain focused until you expend your focus, become unconscious, or go to sleep.
Martial Style:
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6, combat focus
You learn the special combat techniques of a martial style.
Benefit: Select one of the styles below. While you have martial focus, you gain the benefits of that style. As a standard action, you can expend your martial focus to make a special strike.
Shadow Style: You gain +2d6 sneak attack.
Strike: Make a melee attack against a flat-footed foe (?). If the attack hits, in addition to taking normal damage, the victim must make a Fortitude save (DC 10+1/2 your character level+wis modifier) or take 1d4 negative levels. This strike is a supernatural ability.
Sunset Style: When you attempt to trip an opponent, you can use the higher of your Strength or Dexterity modifier. The opponent does not get a chance to trip you if you fail. If you succeed in tripping your foe, you can also throw it into an open space of your choice up to 10 feet away from you. An enemy you throw with this maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity for passing through enemies’ threatened areas as part of the throw, and you can throw an enemy through occupied squares.
Strike: Make a trip attempt with all the benefits of the sunset style. You also gain a bonus on the opposed ability check equal to ½ your initiator level. For every 5 points by which you beat the opponent, you can throw them an additional 5 feet. For every 10 feet you throw the opponent, they take 1d6 damage. You can throw the opponent into a square occupied by another character. If you do, that character must also make a check to resist a trip (all size, circumstance etc. bonuses for tripping apply) against the result of your trip attempt, or also take this damage and fall prone.
Tiger Style: As a standard action you can make a melee attack with a +2 bonus to hit that deals an extra 2d6 damage. If you do, you take a -4 penalty to AC until the start of your next turn.
Strike:
Dragon Style:
Strike: Make a Concentration check using the target creature’s AC as the DC of the check. Then make a single melee attack against the target. If your Concentration check succeeded, the attack deals quadruple damage. If your Concentration check failed, the attack takes a -2 penalty and deals normal damage if it hits.
Mountain Style: As a standard action you can make a melee attack that deals 1 Con damage in addition to the weapon damage.
Strike:
Wind Style: When you make a melee full attack, you can make an additional attack at your highest attack bonus, but if you do, all attacks you make this turn suffer a -2 penalty.
Strike: Make two attacks at your highest attack bonus against each opponent you threaten.
Special: If you know multiple martial styles, you can only gain the benefit of one at a time, but you can switch to a different style as a swift action at any time during your turn.
Martial Stance:
Prerequisites: Martial Focus, base attack +6
You learn the stance used by masters of a particular combat style.
Benefit: Select one of the stances below. While you have martial focus, you gain the benefits of that stance. As an immediate action, you can expend your martial focus to use that stance's counter.
Shadow Stance: You have concealment. You can take a full-round action to entirely obscure your exact position. Until your next action, you have total concealment.
Counter: You disappear in a burst of darkness and teleport up to 5 ft/initiator level away. You must have line of sight and line of effect to your destination. If you attempt to use this maneuver to move into an occupied space, you do not move. Your martial focus is expended, but has no effect. Unlike other styles, the shadow style abilities are supernatural.
Sunset Stance: You can make an immediate 5-foot step each time an opponent attacks you in melee and misses. Moving in this manner consumes one of your attacks of opportunity in the currrent round. You cannot move in this manner if you have no attacks of opportunity remaining. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and is resolved after the attack.
Counter: You can attempt to redirect a target who tries to charge, bull rush or overrun you. Make an opposed strength or dexterity check (your choice) with the opponent when they move adjacent to you. A larger character gains a +4 bonus on a strength check, while a smaller character gains a +4 bonus if a dexterity check is used. If you win the opposed check, the target does not get to attack you or finish its move, and you can instead move it up to 10 feet. If you lose the check, you take a -2 penalty on your AC and any rolls to oppose the opponent's charge, overrun or bull rush.
Tiger Stance: You move faster, gaining a +10ft. Bonus to your speed. If you move 10 feet or more during your turn, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC until the beginning of your next turn.
Counter: When an opponent you threaten attempts a melee attack, you can make an attack against him with a -2 penalty. If your attack hits, your target’s next attack automatically misses. You must decide whether to use this counter before you know if the opponent's attack will hit .
Dragon Stance: you can take a second 5-foot step immediately after you take one for the round. This second movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You can make a single 5-foot step into difficult terrain, but if you do, you cannot make the second 5-foot step.
Counter: Add your initiator level to your next saving throw, if it occurs before the beginning of your next turn.
Mountain Stance: You gain a +8 bonus to resist bull rush, overrun and trip attacks, as well as grapple checks to avoid being grappled or to break out of a grapple. Add your initiator level to the DC to tumble through your threatened area or your square.
Counter: You gain DR x/- or resistance x to one type of energy, where x is your initiator level. This damage reduction or energy resistance applies only against the next attack to hit you, and only if that attack occurs before the beginning of your next turn.
Wind Stance: Each time you make a successful melee attack, you can move 5 feet. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the creature you struck. You cannot use this stance to move more than your current speed in a single round.
Counter: You gain a bonus to AC equal to your initiator level against a single attack. You can choose to use this counter after you know whether the attack will hit.
Special: If you know multiple martial stances, you can only gain the benefit of one at a time, but you can switch to a different stance as a swift action at any time during your turn.
Special: A character's initiator level is equal to their levels in fighter and/or monk plus half their levels in other classes.
I'm a bit worried that the mechanics are inconsistent, or that the Initiator Level concept is redundant, but I'd prefer to make IL more important rather than excise it completely, since I like how it gives a minor boost to fighters and monks. The trouble is finding mechanics that make the feats worthwhile for non-fighters/monks but doesn't break them for those characters. Also, I'm worried that the Sunset abilities are a bit too verbose, but I don't think they're all that complicated in practice.
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