Tome of Battle preview

[MerricB]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20060706a

Chapter 2: Skills and Feats

New Feats

DESERT WIND DODGE

Your training in the Desert Wind discipline allows you to dance across the battlefield like a blistering sirocco.

Prerequisite: Dex 13, one Desert Wind maneuver

Benefit: If you move at least 10 feet from your original position, you gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC and deal an extra 1 point of fire damage with any attack you make with a scimitar, light mace, light pick, spear, or falchion. This benefit lasts until the start of your next turn.

Special: Desert Wind Dodge can be used in place of Dodge to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability. If you already have Dodge when you select Desert Wind Dodge, you can choose to lose the Dodge feat and gain a new feat in its place. You must meet the prerequisite for the new feat.

EVASIVE REFLEXES

When an opponent gives you an opening in combat, you know exactly what to do: slip away.

Prerequisite: Dex 13

Benefit: When an opponent gives you a chance to make an attack of opportunity, you can instead immediately take a 5-foot step.

Special: Evasive Reflexes can be used in place of Combat Reflexes to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability. You can take both this feat and Combat Reflexes.

SHADOW BLADE

In the course of your training in the Shadow Hand discipline, you learn to use your natural agility and speed to augment your attacks with certain weapons.

Prerequisite: One Shadow Hand stance

Benefit: While you are in a Shadow Hand stance and attack with one of the discipline's preferred weapons, you can add your Dexterity modifier as a bonus on melee damage for attacks made with the weapon.

Special: Shadow Blade can be used in place of Weapon Finesse to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability. If this substitution allows you to gain a benefit that normally applies to all finesse weapons (those described in the Weapon Finesse feat description), it instead applies only to the Shadow Hand discipline's preferred weapons.

TIGER BLOODED

The Tiger Claw discipline teaches students to mimic the rampant, feral qualities of a wild animal. When you assume an animal form, or at least descend into a wild, bestial state, you strike with superior strength and accuracy.

Prerequisite: Ability to rage, shift (such as the shifter ability from the Eberron campaign setting or the bloodclaw master prestige class feature; see page 96), or wild shape; one Tiger Claw maneuver.

Benefit: While you are in a rage, shifted, or wild shaped into an animal form, you can attempt to knock back 5 feet a creature of your size category or smaller that you hit with a Tiger Claw strike unless it succeeds on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Str modifier). This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

MANEUVERS AND STANCES

Each of the nine disciplines of the Sublime Way is composed of a number of specific stances and maneuvers -- namely, strikes, boosts, and counters. Much like a sorcerer's spells, each stance or maneuver is a specific ability that a character might know. But while a sorcerer's spells rely on arcane power that is depleted by continuous use, a martial adept's abilities are always available to him as long as he has a few minutes to prepare the maneuvers he wishes to use.

1ST LEVEL

DESERT WIND MANEUVERS

Blistering Flourish: Strike -- Dazzle creatures around you
Burning Blade: Boost -- Deal 1d6 fire + 1/initiator level
Distracting Ember: Boost -- Fire elemental appears, flanks enemy
Flame's Blessing: Stance -- Gain fire resistance based on Tumble ranks
Wind Stride: Boost -- +10-ft. bonus to speed

DEVOTED SPIRIT MANEUVERS

Crusader's Strike: Strike -- Successful attack allows you to heal 1d6 + 1/initiator level
Iron Guard's Glare: Stance -- Enemies take -4 penalty on attacks against your allies
Martial Spirit: Stance -- Heal 2 hit points with each successful attack
Vanguard Strike: Strike -- Allies gain +4 bonus on attacks against target

DIAMOND MIND MANEUVERS

Moment of Perfect Mind: Counter -- Use Concentration check in place of Will save
Sapphire Nightmare Blade: Strike -- Opponent flat-footed, +1d6 damage with Concentration check
Stance of Clarity: Stance -- Gain +2 AC against one foe, -2 against all others

IRON HEART MANEUVERS

Punishing Stance: Stance -- Attacks deal +1d6 damage, but you have -2 to AC
Steel Wind: Strike -- Attack two opponents
Steely Strike: Strike -- +4 bonus on one attack, enemies gain +4 bonus on attacks against you

SETTING SUN MANEUVERS

Counter Charge: Counter -- Ruin charge attack, force charging foe to move away from you
Mighty Throw: Strike -- Grab foe, throw him up to 10 ft.
Step of the Wind: Stance -- Ignore difficult terrain, gain bonus against foes in such terrain

SHADOW HAND MANEUVERS

Child of Shadow: Stance -- You gain concealment as long as you move
Clinging Shadow Strike: Strike -- Foe suffers 20% miss chance on attacks
Island of Blades: Stance -- You and allies flank all adjacent foes
Shadow Blade Technique: Strike -- Roll two attacks, use lower result to deal bonus cold damage

STONE DRAGON MANEUVERS

Charging Minotaur: Strike -- Charging bull rush deals damage, ignores attacks of opportunity
Stone Bones: Strike -- Gain DR 5/adamantine
Stonefoot Stance: Stance -- +2 bonus on Strength checks, +2 bonus to AC against larger foes

TIGER CLAW MANEUVERS

Blood in the Water: Stance -- Gain +1 bonus on attacks and damage for each critical hit
Hunter's Sense: Stance -- Gain scent
Sudden Leap: Boost -- Jump as a swift action
Wolf Fang Strike: Strike -- Attack with two weapons

WHITE RAVEN MANEUVERS

Bolstering Voice: Stance -- Allies gain +2 bonus on Will saves, +4 against fear
Douse the Flames: Strike -- Target cannot make attacks of opportunity for 1 round
Leading the Attack: Strike -- Allies gain +4 bonus on attacks against foe you strike
Leading the Charge: Stance -- Allies deal +1 damage/initiator level on charge attacks

Rightio... these look fun.

Cheers!

 

[Odhanan]

The stances look comparable to the rites of AE's Ritual Warrior. Sort of.

The Shadow Blade feat seems nice. I can see some cool uses of Evasive Reflexes with multiple opponents, too.

 

[A'koss]

The feats seems okay (nothing lept out as amazing to my eyes). Maneuvers seem awfully spell-y, but they are interesting...

 

[MerricB]

Bits and pieces that stand out:

* Desert Wind Dodge counts as Dodge, and allows you to swap out Dodge if you already have it. I like this sort of design, as it's a lot kinder to players integrating books into existing campaigns - or getting feats early, etc.

* Shadow Blade likewise - if slightly differently arranged - for Weapon Finesse. Good design, especially as you can get a lot of dependent feats for things like Dodge and Weapon Finesse.

* From what I can gather, stances are primarily available to those who have the new class(es?) in Tome of Battle - I rather hope they're available (through a feat, perhaps?) to other PCs.

* Having disciplines with related stances/manuevers is great for creating theme. I note that what we've been given is all 1st level... that gives interesting implications to what is available at higher levels!

Cheers!

 

[Jdvn1]

... Though it's different from what I expected, it looks neat.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Not bad, not bad so far. Could be totally sweet.

 

[caudor]

I like what I see so far. It's not what I expected either, but it's good to see a refreshing twist in the works for martial characters.

 

[Mortis]

SHADOW BLADE

In the course of your training in the Shadow Hand discipline, you learn to use your natural agility and speed to augment your attacks with certain weapons.

Prerequisite: One Shadow Hand stance

Benefit: While you are in a Shadow Hand stance and attack with one of the discipline's preferred weapons, you can add your Dexterity modifier as a bonus on melee damage for attacks made with the weapon.

Special: Shadow Blade can be used in place of Weapon Finesse to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability. If this substitution allows you to gain a benefit that normally applies to all finesse weapons (those described in the Weapon Finesse feat description), it instead applies only to the Shadow Hand discipline's preferred weapons.

Well, Wizards have finally done it - released a feat that allows your Dex modifier to damage. Why have a good Str now? Carrying Capacity/Encumbrance? Then again the feat adds the Dex modifier, it doesn't replace the Str modifier.

A general point, I hope that the feats/manoeuvres can be used by all classes and not just new classes introduced in Tome of Magic.

[edit]
Never mind, I've just found the answer on the WotC boards. I've emboldened the relevant text.

Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords is most like our Expanded Psionics Handbook or Magic of Incarnum -- it presents a new "cap system" of martial magic. Scores of martial maneuvers make up a "spell" chapter; some of these maneuvers are fairly mundane, while others are overtly supernatural. Around this framework we've built three new character classes, a number of supporting feats and prestige classes, and even a handful of monsters and legacy items. You can splash some Nine Swords abilities into any character by means of a "learn a martial maneuver" feat, but the system really shines when you build a warblade, crusader, or swordsage from the ground up.

Regards
Mortis

 

[Sammael]

Much better than what I expected.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

I think I'll wait to see the whole package before I give true comment. From looking at the above, I'm really not too sure if I like this or not yet.

* From what I can gather, stances are primarily available to those who have the new class(es?) in Tome of Battle - I rather hope they're available (through a feat, perhaps?) to other PCs.

Perhaps this would make a good alternative class feature too?

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise