D&D 3E/3.5 ToB: Bo9S - Nifft's Compendium

[hong]

I think the martial ranger should refresh as a standard action, not move. The other initiator classes all make it a choice between using a strike and refreshing, this should do the same. Yes, the move action means not using a full attack at range, but ideally strikes should be competitive with full attacks; if you end up just doing the same ol' full-attack routine each round, that indicates the strikes aren't good enough.

Yes, finding something that's competitive with a ranged full attack but also not broken is tricky.

I'm working on splitting the archery school into 2 parts, a one-shot-kill school and a machine-gun-archer school. Will post these when done.

 

[Nifft]

I think the martial ranger should refresh as a standard action, not move. The other initiator classes all make it a choice between using a strike and refreshing, this should do the same.

Crusader does not, but I take your point as to the others.

My thinking was that, unlike a Crusader or a Warblade, the Ranger does not have the ability to mix it up in melee for long. He's going to need his move actions to hit & fade. (And before someone suggests that he multi-class, he can't recover maneuvers in medium or heavy armor. )

The idea with ranged attacks would be to make the stronger Strikes into full-round actions (so they'd preclude a refresh also). I don't think that part is complete -- if you agree that this is a sane balancing scheme, I'd be very interested in hearing your opinion on which strikes are strong enough to merit full-round action.

I'm working on splitting the archery school into 2 parts, a one-shot-kill school and a machine-gun-archer school. Will post these when done.

My current idea is to make Heaven's Arc even bigger, but have some "sub-trees" with feat pre-reqs for each maneuver. Like making Greater Manyshot into a maneuver.

But I also look forward to seeing your re-work. Competition is good for quality after all.

Cheers, -- N

 

[hong]

My current idea is to make Heaven's Arc even bigger, but have some "sub-trees" with feat pre-reqs for each maneuver. Like making Greater Manyshot into a maneuver.

But I also look forward to seeing your re-work. Competition is good for quality after all.

Cheers, -- N

Well, it's up:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=193578

 

[Nifft]

Dancing Fox writeups are up. Please take a look! This was a very hard school to "price", since it's got a lot of very spell-like maneuvers. Comparisons with Tome of Magic Binders and Complete Arcane Warlocks was helpful.

Thanks, -- N

 

[jasin]

I haven't had time to read them through in detail, but at a glance, very nice! A Diamond Mind/Shadow Hand/Dancing Fox swordsage would make a very interesting trickster type.

 

[Nifft]

I haven't had time to read them through in detail, but at a glance, very nice! A Diamond Mind/Shadow Hand/Dancing Fox swordsage would make a very interesting trickster type.

Thanks!

I'm thinking that the Gnome Swordsage sub levels would give these schools: Crescent Moon, Dancing Fox, Desert Wind, Diamond Mind, Shadow Hand, Stone Dragon (losing Tiger Claw and Setting Sun), since Gnomes are flashy, yet stony, and are allegedly tricksters.

-- N

 

[periscope69]

Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!

Seriously I love the idea of an army of one character, or the "oops missed me" type.

Would there be a way a warblade or crusader could get access to this school?

Have any more ideas for new schools? The martial compendium has a couple (some mentioned by yours truly :shameless plug.

 

[Yue Ryong]

Ok, I've just spent a few hours reading through here, and I love it all. I have only one quibble.

Heart Animation Technique -- Sanguine Lotus (Su) [Evil]
Level: 6
Prereqs: 4
Action: Standard
Duration: Concentration
Range: 30 ft.
Target: One corpse of your own size and type

You can animate one corpse that fights as you. It is considered to be a zombie of the appropriate size & type, but with your movement speed and 1/4 of your hit points.

The corpse can talk as you direct, attack using your BAB and feats, and can even use your strike maneuvers (expending them), but it cannot use your stances or other maneuvers. If the corpse goes out of range, the maneuver is ended.

Each round, you may choose to use the corpse's senses or your own. If you choose the corpse, you are considered helpless for that round.

This is very cool, and I can see it being very useful, but I'm seeing it primarily as an infiltration technique. Limiting it to 30ft range seems like a total waste. It also wrecks the image of the puppetmaster within the forest outside the city, delving past the guards and assassinating the noble without anyone ever tracing their actions. I don't suppose you're willing to reconsider? Maybe make a higher level version that you can extend to long range?

 

[Nifft]

Ok, I've just spent a few hours reading through here, and I love it all. I have only one quibble.

Wow! Thanks!

Limiting it to 30ft range seems like a total waste. It also wrecks the image of the puppetmaster within the forest outside the city, delving past the guards and assassinating the noble without anyone ever tracing their actions.

My main consideration in limiting the range -- and I agree that the range is a HUGE limit -- was the cheapness of corpses. Basically, once you have this technique, you're immortal until your body is found. Presumably you're going to have some Shadow Hand teleportation available if your puppet dies, but I really want the puppetmaster to take ranks in Hide and Move Silently -- infiltration should be done by the dude himself. When the PCs kill a corpse puppet, they should feel urgency -- "I know he's around here somewhere!"

That said, a range of 60 ft. would still probably do the trick, and would mean that the corpse puppet could take part in more tactically interesting battles.

I don't want this one technique to make you a remote puppetmaster outside the city, though. That's the job of a dedicated Necromancer or Conjurer -- a guy who can't kick your butt with his secret ninja style.

Do you see where I'm coming from? This maneuver should be cool and useful as a utility (trapsmith!), but I'm also trying hard not to usurp a "real" spellcaster's role. Basically, I never want a ninja technique to obviate the use of basic ninja skills (like hiding).

Thanks, -- N

 

[Yue Ryong]

Wow! Thanks!




My main consideration in limiting the range -- and I agree that the range is a HUGE limit -- was the cheapness of corpses. Basically, once you have this technique, you're immortal until your body is found. Presumably you're going to have some Shadow Hand teleportation available if your puppet dies, but I really want the puppetmaster to take ranks in Hide and Move Silently -- infiltration should be done by the dude himself. When the PCs kill a corpse puppet, they should feel urgency -- "I know he's around here somewhere!"

That said, a range of 60 ft. would still probably do the trick, and would mean that the corpse puppet could take part in more tactically interesting battles.

I don't want this one technique to make you a remote puppetmaster outside the city, though. That's the job of a dedicated Necromancer or Conjurer -- a guy who can't kick your butt with his secret ninja style.

Do you see where I'm coming from? This maneuver should be cool and useful as a utility (trapsmith!), but I'm also trying hard not to usurp a "real" spellcaster's role. Basically, I never want a ninja technique to obviate the use of basic ninja skills (like hiding).

Thanks, -- N

I understand. Oh well.