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View Full Version : (3.5) [Discipline] Falling Anvil v.2 (P.E.A.C.H.)



DracoDei
2009-08-26, 08:58 AM
This discipline is going to be included in The Age of Warriors (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134088).

For anyone interested in reading the previous critiques, the old thread may be found HERE (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/printthread.php?t=118729). ((Please don't post in it though!)

Table of Contents
1. Fluff and Table of Contents
2. Maneuver Summaries
3. Maneuvers A thought Paper-Thin Disguise (Listing of all maneuvers by level can be found HERE (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165779))
4. Maneuvers Piano Drop through Z (See above note)
5. Feats
6. Legacy Weapons
7. Maneuver Granting Items
8. Example Character
9. Creatures that inherently can use Falling Anvil
This is obviously for VERY silly campaigns, but I am also aiming for balance.

(This paragraph edited August 17th 2010) All the maneuvers and stances posted should be complete, although Vorpal Tribble made some suggestions that I might work in at a later date.

Falling Anvil
It was said that the grand master of this discipline first came upon it when he missed a turn at Albuquerque.* Some suggest that rather than a discipline that the way of the Falling Anvil is actually a mental disorder. This is quite plausible, but if so it is a mental disorder that those whose minds are attuned to the sublime way are especially prone to. The concept that the sublime way has anything to do with this opening of the way directly is firmly rejected by proponents of this theory. Rather they claim that those who still have a small part of them self that wishes they weren't training so hard, or, indeed that they had never taken up the sublime way at all. This part of them feels that the power granted by such study really isn't worth the effort, and would rather simply listen to a good tale they have heard 50 times before than to actually do anything particularly productive. The opponents of this point of view claim that students of the Falling Anvil find power in simplicity and ridiculousness. That appreciating that the universe is, in some sense, one big joke, allows them to direct the tragedy of misfortune befalling others that is at the core of that cosmic comedy at others while avoiding harm themselves. Whatever the case, both sides agree that those who have set foot on this path are extremely vexing foes and that they literally have the universe working in their favor. and they KNOW it. Martial adepts who have not gone down this road may not be sure EXACTLY what those who have know, but even such outsiders will acknowledge that initiates of the Falling Anvil DO know it.**
.

* Credit for this line goes to Elliot20.
**Edited from suggestion by one Witty Dodo.

Reshar never studied this discipline, considering it utterly beneath not only himself, but anyone worthy of the least respect. He did, however, say that his mastery of the Diamond Mind discipline reached new heights when he accidentally offended a master of the Falling Anvil and managed to NOT attack him for the entirety of their 22 minute (30 minutes with interruptions) confrontation.

The associated skill for the Falling Anvil discipline is Bluff. Upon taking any maneuvers or stances from this discipline you add Bluff to the class skill list for all martial initiating classes and lose the ability to take maneuvers or stances of the Devoted Defender, Diamond Mind, Tiger Claw, and White Raven disciplines (even via Martial Study, Martial Stance, or multiclassing), and any maneuvers and stances you already have in those disciplines are replaced by selections from this discipline of equivalent level and type (Maneuver vs Stance only, Boost vs Strike vs Counter is irrelevant).

Because the Falling Anvil discipline was never officially taught at the Temple of the Nine Swords or any similar center of training (although a few adepts even at the temple "contracted" it, and rumors persist of it having been taught in secret so as to preserve the temple's public image), most martial adepts do not know any maneuvers from it, or even know it exists. Any martial adept can learn maneuvers from the Falling Anvil discipline. Mechanically, there are two ways to master the discipline. The first is to have been trained in it intentionally, via the inclusion of prank-wars and seeking the services of bards or experts with ranks in Perform(Comedy) (often on the stages at various taverns), or to have "contracted" it from the stress of your training regime as a novice. If you choose to make a martial adept that has already been trained in or contracted the Falling Anvil discipline, you simply replace one discipline that adept could normally learn with maneuvers from with the Falling Anvil discipline. He loses the associated skill of the replaced discipline as a class skill, but gains Bluff as a class skill.

The other way is to seek out a master of the Falling Anvil discipline–a martial adept capable of using at least 5th-level maneuvers from the discipline–and training under him. You must train for a month under the master, and spend 1,000 xp at the end of your training. Alternatively you must suffer a psychotic episode, and spend at least a month confined to a sanitarium, or other mental institution, being unsuccessfully treated. This costs the same 1,000 xp. In either case, you gain the ability to learn maneuvers from the Falling Anvil discipline, and add Bluff to your martial adept class’s list of class skills. In addition, you may exchange your maneuvers known for maneuvers of the Falling Anvil discipline. You may exchange one maneuver of each level, and the new maneuvers you learn must be of the same level as the exchanged maneuvers, unlike normal.

The associated weapons for the Falling Anvil Discipline are as follows: All improvised weapons*, bundle of dynamite, club, cannon (American Civil War era), catapult, cosh (one-handed version of the sap), great club, Maul (AKA Giant Mallet), spherical bomb, stick of dynamite, trebuchet (maybe?), sap, , and unarmed Strike. If the practitioner is wearing a magical helmet (magical armor that includes a helmet counts) then all types of spears also count as associated weapons (thanks to Ninetail for suggesting this).
* particular favorites include: anvil, broom, cricket bat, 2x4, banana-creme pie, frying pan, lightning-rail (AKA locomotive), Rolling Pin, Rubber Chicken, safe, seltzer bottle, and tree-branch.

It should be noted that many Falling Anvil maneuvers refer to things appearing over the target's head (usually falling on them). In no case does it matter what is above the target's head before hand. The object appears as low as necessary if it is going to fall on them, or the effect is created regardless of if the generating object actually comes into existence if it isn't.

Also note that the ranged touch attacks generated by falling anvil maneuvers do not provoke attacks of opportunity unless the maneuver specifically states that it does.

Tactical Analysis for players and GMs: The Falling Anvil Discipline provides a mix of ranged, melee, and very strong defensive measures. The defensive measures are somewhat limited in that almost all of them place you at some sort of disadvantage in exchange for the protection they provide.

DracoDei
2009-08-26, 09:01 AM
Maneuver and Stance List
1st Level
Banana Peel Drop -- Strike -- Dropped banana peel trips opponents moving into square.1
Brick Drop -- Strike -- Brick falls out of the sky, dealing 2d6 damage on a successful ranged touch attack.
Everyday Arsenal -- Boost -- Attacks with improvised weapon counts as chaotic aligned silver magic weapons for purposed of DR, Regeneration, etc.
Pie to the Face -- Strike -- Blind opponent for 1 round
Seltzer Spray -- Strike -- 10' range, dazes opponent on failed save.
Stance of the Loony -- Stance -- Convert hit-point damage you take to Wisdom burn at a rate dependent on initiator level.
Zany Mind (AKA Moment of Imperfect Mind) -- Counter -- Replace failed will save with Bluff check, but if you succeed you become Confused for one round.

2nd Level
Eye Poke -- Strike -- Opponent Blinded for 1 round and takes 2 wisdom damage.
Extending Boxing Glove -- Strike -- Ranged attack that deals damage as per your unarmed strike plus half your initiator level and by-passes damage/regeneration as if you were a monk of IL+4 level, but Chaotic replaces Lawful.
Unlucky Raincloud -- Strike -- Small cloud appears over opponent, lightning-bolt does 3d6 electricity damage (Reflex half).
Zany Dodge (AKA Action without Thought) -- Counter -- Replace failed reflex save with Bluff check, but if you succeed you become Confused(Replace with "Fall Prone"?) for one round.


3rd Level
Anvil Drop -- Strike -- Anvil falls out of sky, dealing 5d6 damage on a successful ranged touch attack. ((Equivalent to Fan the Flames maneuver.))
Banana Bunch Peel Throw -- Strike -- Thrown banana peels trip opponents moving into squares.1
Dust Cloud Melee -- Stance -- any melee you are involved in is enveloped in a dust cloud and prevents flanking, but not sneak attacks (at half dice, rounded down).
Stretchy Dodge -- Stance -- All attacks on you count as touch attacks and can't make harmful attacks normally, but increase your AC to and every 3rd miss allows you to immediately make an effective attack.
Unwelcome Kiss --Strike-- Touch attack stuns opponent for one round.
Zany Anatomy -- Counter -- Replace failed fortitude save with Bluff check, but if you succeed you are Nauseated for one round.

4th Level
Giant Slingshot -- (other) -- Launch yourself and companions great distances, but take damage.
Give Bomb -- Strike -- Opposed Bluff checks with opponent, loser takes 10d6 fire damage.
Rubber Chicken Wack -- Strike -- reduce your opponent's sanity.
Safe Drop -- Strike -- Magical, Chaotic, Silvered, Adimintine Chest falls out of sky, dealing 6d6 Bludgeoning damage on successful ranged touch attack. (Deflected as per splash weapon on miss?)
Storm-cloud of Misfortune -- Strike -- Small cloud appears over opponent, lightning-bolt does 6d6 electricity damage (Reflex half).

5th Level
Be Wary Wary Quwiet -- Stance -- Replace Hide and Move Silently checks with Bluff checks.
Piano Drop -- Strike -- Piano Falls out of the sky, dealing 11d6 Bludgeoning damage in 10'x10' area. Creates difficult terrain.
Pull Yourself Together -- Counter -- Each Slashing attack that hits you deals no damage or secondary effects, but cuts off one limb or head, or cuts you in half at waist. May re-attach one part as a move action if physically possible, or as a full round action if not physically possible.
Wacky Attacky -- Stance -- Your blows do sanity damage as well as physical.

6th Level
Bouncing Escape -- Counter -- Negate attack, gain effects of Jump spell and 50% bonus to all movement rates for 1d4 rounds, but must only take movement actions for those rounds, and must end each round further away from opponent that the previous round.
Fine China Drop -- Strike -- Opponent takes 15d6(half bludgeoning, half slashing) Chaotic and Magical on failed save, on successful save, becomes flat-footed for next round.
Give Bundle of Dynamite -- Strike -- Opposed Bluff checks with opponent, loser takes 15d6 fire damage.
Misfire -- Counter -- Opponent attacks self with trap, crossbow, magic item held in hand, or ranged touch spell.
Paper Thin Disguise -- Stance -- Use bluff skill for disguise checks, no penalties for cross dressing, if cross dressed, gain +5 bonus on seduction checks against individuals who ordinary wouldn't be attracted to you.

7th Level
Accursed Thunderhead -- Strike -- Huge Cloud appears over opponent, lightning bolt strikes for 10d6 electricity damage(Reflex Half) and 2d6 sonic damage(No Save).
Rain of Banana Peels -- Strike -- Banana peels rain from the sky around you, tripping opponents who enter each square.1
Paint Tunnel -- Strike -- Full round action to paint tunnel on vertical surface. One round later train deals 20d6 damage in 10' wide path perpendicular as viewed from above to the vertical surface, length is 20' per initiator level. If surface is non-magical you may use tunnel as Phase Door before train exits.
Rubber Chicken Wack, Greater -- Strike -- Devastating blow to sanity.


8th Level
Give Box of Dynamite -- Strike -- Opposed Bluff checks with opponent, loser takes 22d6 fire damage.
Not Looking Down -- Stance -- gain horizontal-only Air Walk effect as long as you remain flat-footed to attacks coming from the sides or below.
Viking Longboat Drop -- Strike -- Longboat falls out of sky, dealing 10d6 bludgeoning damage in a 10'x50' rectangle (but may be rotated at odd angles in horizontal plane). Area struck becomes difficult terrain. (Reflex half???)
Worthless Weapon! -- Counter -- On a miss, opponent must make Will save, or spend next round attempting to sunder that weapon/magic device. If there is an explosion/retributive strike, you take no damage.

9th Level
Unnecessary Burial -- Strike -- Attack entombs opponent alive(complete with tomb-stone and a single lily). Depth below surface equals your Bluff check in inches.

1Thanks to zerombr for the basic idea of including banana slips.



Stashing something here to remind me to turn it into a stance that I have had in mind for a while.

Yoinked (with permission) from Orzel's post at http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144231
If you enter an empty room with a door or climbs into a container with a lid, the subject can teleport himself of another similar empty object within 50ft. When you teleport into a room or container, you expose your head and provoke an attack of opportunity. You must know the location of the room or container you wish to teleport into. Normally, each teleport is a move action but as an immediate action, you may transport yourself into a room or container if another creature opens the door or lid. You may transport yourself into a room or container up to one time per caster level.

DracoDei
2009-08-26, 09:02 AM
Maneuvers and Stances

Accursed Thunderhead (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PersonalRaincloud)
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 7
Prerequisite: 3 Falling Anvil maneuvers, Non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 90 feet
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Half/Partial

"Interesting weather we are having!"

A great mass of roiling cloud, black as pitch, forms above your designated foe (or doesn't if their isn't enough room for its 50 foot diameter and 200 foot height). In either case a lightning bolt strikes down from above to deal 10d6 electrical damage. A Reflex save DC (17 + your wisdom modifier) is permitted for half the electricity damage. No save is permitted against the 2d6 sonic damage the thunder deals to the target. The cloud (if it exists in the first place) vanishes immediately afterward.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Anvil Drop (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AnvilOnHead)
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 3
Prerequisite: 1 Falling Anvil maneuver, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 45 feet
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous

Klang!

You gaze coolly at a selected creature and an anvil(or other GM approved object) falls towards them (no matter how low the ceiling may be). It strikes as a ranged touch attack, and deals 5d6 bludgeoning damage if successful. The anvil(or other object) disappears at the end of combat. The object is magical and chaotic for the purposes of bypassing damage reduction, stopping regeneration, and other such things. If your initiator level is at least 16th then the anvil is made out of adamintine. If your initiator level is at least 21st then the anvil counts as an Epic weapon for purposes of bypassing damage reduction, stopping regeneration, and other such things.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
(EDIT: Updated Oct. 2011 to reduce level that Adamintine is accessed and add in Epic.)



Banana Peel Drop
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 1
Prerequisite: non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Your Unarmed/Natural Attack Reach
Target: One Square
Duration: Until Successful Trip or End of Battle

WHOOPS!

You drop a banana peel into any square you could target with a natural melee or unarmed melee attack (you may move away from it without it vanishing or becoming inactive). The banana peel has an AC of 9 and 2 hitpoints, but is not CONSIDERED damaged by anything other than Acid, Cold (which it takes half damage from), Electricity, or Fire. If anyone other than you enters that square they are subject to a trip attempt (this is specifically NOT an attack of opportunity). They do not get an attack of opportunity either on you or the banana peel. In lew of a touch attack by the banana peel (which can't move under its own power), the target is required to make a Will Save with a DC of 11 + your Wisdom modifier. If they fail, they step on the peel. In the case of someone trying to jump over the square with the peel in it if they fail the Will save they jump onto the peel instead of their intended destination (this consumes movement only for the amount of distance actually traveled, not the distance originally intended). Flying creatures are not effected. For purposes of this Trip attempt the peel counts as a medium sized creature with a strength modifier equal to your Charisma or Wisdom modifier (whichever is higher), and the defender ALSO counts as medium sized for this purpose (regardless of actual size) and MUST oppose the trip attempt with Dexterity, NOT Strength. Stability bonuses apply as usual. If the defender is tripped the peel vanishes, otherwise the defender is immune to further trip attempts by that particular banana peel for one round. The peel can not itself be tripped. A character who succeeds on their will save to avoid a trip attempt may pick up that particular banana peel and put in a safe place (such as shoving it through their belt) as a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity provided they don't leave the square before they do so. The peel loses all special properties as soon as it is picked up (except that it still vanishes at the end of combat).

If two or more "active" banana peels end up laying in the same square, then the last ones to enter the square disappear.

If you do not have a banana with you to use for the peel, then activating this maneuver is a supernatural ability, however even something that would suppress a supernatural ability can not make the banana peel disappear or stop functioning prematurely once it has been brought into existence.
(Thanks to zerombr for the basic idea of including banana slips.)



Banana Bunch Peel Throw
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 3
Prerequisite: 1 Falling Anvil Maneuver, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard OR full round action
Range: 30 feet
Target: One Square per 2 initiator levels
Duration: Until Successful Trip or End of Battle

WHOOPS! WHOOPS! WHOOPS!

As per Banana Peel Drop except as above, the will save DC is 13 + your wisdom modifier, and that if you do it as a full round action, then your allies are immune to trip attempts by the peels. Each Banana Peel vanishes separately. More than one can attempt a trip attempt on a given opponent in a turn.

If you are not holding a number of banana peels (already off their respective bananas) equal to the number of squares to be targeted, then activating this maneuver is a supernatural ability, however even something that would suppress a supernatural ability can not make the banana peel disappear or stop functioning prematurely once it has been brought into existence.



Be Wary Wary Quwiet
Falling Anvil (Stance) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 5
Prerequisite: 2 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

We're hunting Twolls... heh heh heh.

You find it much easier to use body language to convince people they don't see or hear you than to actually attempt to remain undetectable... in fact you are so good at it, it even works on creatures such as vermin, undead, and constructs. As long as you are in this stance you may substitute bluff checks for hide and move silently checks. If you do this with a hide check then you do not require cover or concealment to be allowed the check. If your initiator level is at least 18 then you can make such bluff checks even while being observed.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Bouncing Escape
Falling Anvil (Counter) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 6
Prerequisite: 2 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 Immediate Action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: 1d4 rounds

"Woohoo! Woohoo! Woohoo!"

Immediately after a successful attack roll against you, you may cause that attack to instead miss. You gain the effects of Jump spell with caster level equal to your initiator level and 50% bonus to all movement rates for 1d4 rounds, but must only take movement actions for those rounds, and must end each round further away from that opponent than you started.


Brick Drop
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 1
Prerequisite: Non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 20 feet
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous

Crack!

You smile crookedly at a selected creature and a brick or a moderately sized flowerpot complete with moist soil and a blossoming daisy (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FlowerPotDrop) falls towards them (no matter how low the ceiling may be, or even if there is no ceiling). It strikes as a ranged touch attack, and deals 2d6 bludgeoning damage if successful. The brick or flowerpot (including flower and soil) disappears at the end of combat.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Duck Season (((Extremely powerful, but extremely narrow utility)))
Falling Anvil (Counter) [Chaos, Mind-Effecting, Language Dependent]
Level: Swordsage 1
Prerequisite: Non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: Free Action (Once per round, but not expended when used)
Target: 1 attacking opponent plus 1 non-attacking opponent
Duration: 1 round

Rabbit Season! Duck Season! Rabbit Season! Duck Season! Rabbit Season! Duck Season! Rabbit Season!(((However the transition is supposed to go))! Duck Season! Fire!!!

Whenever you are the target of a attack by an enemy that could have also targeted a MUTUAL foe, the attack is immediately redirected to that foe, provided it has fewer hitdice than your Bluff modifier. If it has more hitdice than your bluff modifier than it may attempt an opposed bluff check against you to negate the effect of this maneuver. If no check is required, or if you win the opposed check then the attack is redirected to that foe, and gains +5 to hit and +5 to the DC of any applicable saving throws, and it automatically threatens a critical hit if capable of such. All subsequent attacks that the original attacker or any of his allies make that would target you in are similarly redirected for one full round afterward (with the same bonuses).


Dust Cloud Melee (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BigBallOfViolence)
Falling Anvil (Stance) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 3
Prerequisite: 1 Falling Anvil maneuver, Non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Chain of Melee
Target: You and any group of meleeing creatures you are a part of.
Duration: Stance

Select any enemy who is within your threatened area and whose reach (not necessarily threatened area...) you are within. Then select one enemy or ally who is within the reach of you or that enemy, and repeat this process until you are satisfied or you have selected a number of individuals equal to your initiator level (not including yourself). The GM should then select a spot that he judges to be roughly in the middle of the group of all selected creatures (GMs who have the requisite knowledge-base should guesstimate the center of mass of the group). Each individual then takes a 5' step towards that spot unless blocked using whatever modes of movement it is capable of. Repeat the 5' steps until no more such steps can be taken. In no case does such movement count against the distance a creature may move or provoke attacks of opportunity. All individuals in the group cease to threaten any area. Remove all such creatures from the map-board and replace them with a Dust Cloud Melee that takes up all squares that were part of any member creatures space, and any square/cube surrounded by such spaces in at least one plane. For two-D maps this simply means that any set of squares completely surrounded by the spaces of such creatures is also part of the Dust Cloud Melee.
You may not end this stance voluntarily, including by switching to another stance, as long as you are a member of the group.
Creatures in the group may not be attacked by creatures outside the group with melee attacks, and all such ranged attacks target a random member of the group if single target, or every member of the group if it is an AoE whose area contains at least one full square/cube of the Dust Cloud Melee. Members of the group may not use ranged attacks except if they are multi-target or AoE, and may only specify "a random enemy in the group" or "a random ally in the group" when using a melee or touch range effect or attack. Area of effect effects used by members of the group are considered to have all members of the group in their area, and may be centered at any point within the Dust Cloud Melee for purposes of determining if creatures that are NOT a member of the group are effected.
Even though flanking is not possible within the cloud, any person involved in it may add half of any sneak attack dice they get to all damage they deal to others in the group. This does NOT apply to sudden strike or skirmish.
A creature may attempt to exit the Dust Cloud as if it were a grapple. If successful the GM removes a number of squares of the dust cloud equal to the exiting creature's space, and then the person controlling that character places them anywhere adjacent to the remaining dust cloud. If there are no animate creatures still in the cloud, then the stance ends and all corpses/remnants are removed by the above procedure.
A creature that is adjacent to at least 2 squares of the melee may enter it. Remove their piece from the board, and add the squares of their space to the dust cloud.



Everyday Arsenal
Falling Anvil (Boost) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 1
Prerequisite: Non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 2 rounds (?)

"Clang! Clang! Clang!" goes the frying pan! "Ring! Ring! Ring!" goes your skull!

For the duration of this boost you take no penalties for wielding improvised weapons, and any improvised weapons you wield count as Silver, Magical and Chaotic for purposed of DR, Regeneration, etc. If your initiator level is 21 or higher they also count as Epic for such purposes.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Eye Poke
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 2
Prerequisite: 1 Falling Anvil maneuver, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will Partial

N'yuk, N'yuk, N'yuk!

They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul... you use this connection to strike at both sight and sanity. As part of this maneuver make a touch attack at -4 to hit (because of the precision of the target). If you hit the target is blinded until the beginning of your next turn, and must make a will save DC 12 + your wisdom modifier, or take 2 points of wisdom damage. This attack deals no hit-point damage.


Extending Boxing Glove
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 2
Prerequisite: 1 Falling Anvil maneuver, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: 60 feet
Target: 1 opponent or object
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates Stun
You produce a boxing glove on the end of a one handed device build around a set of lazy tongs and send the glove forth to strike an opponent. This deals damage exactly as if it were an unarmed strike performed by you, employing the Stunning Fist and Improved Unarmed Strike feats. Use your strength modifier for the damage bonus, and your dexterity modifier for the to-hit modifier. The DC to resist the stunning effect is 10+1/2 your initiator level+your wisdom modifier, and this does not count against your limit of number of times per day you can use the Stunning Fist feat (assuming you have it, which is utterly irrelevant to the execution of this maneuver). You also gain bonus damage equal to 1/2 your initiator level. Depending on your initiator level the glove may gain various properties for the purposes of bypassing damage reduction, regeneration, etc. These are summarized on the following table.
IL|Types
3-6|Magic
7-11|Magic and Chaotic
12-20|Magic, Chaotic, and Adamintine
21+|Magic, Chaotic, Adamintine, and Epic




Fine China Drop
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 6
Prerequisite: 3? Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 60 feet
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous/One Round
Saving Throw: Reflex Alters

Crash! Shatter! Break!

You gaze coolly at a selected creature and an several shelves worth of masterwork serving ceramic-ware falls on and around them them (no matter how low the ceiling may be). If strikes the ground it the target takes 15d6(half bludgeoning, half slashing) ((change to 10d6 to balance with Accursed Thunderhead? Or power that one up...)), for purposes of overcoming damage reduction, regeneration, etc the china counts as Chaotic and Magically aligned. This damage may be negated with a reflex save to catch the falling china, however, if the save is successful, the target is flatfooted and may not take any other actions until it it takes a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, or a full round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity to safely dispose of the china. The save has a DC of 16 + your wisdom modifier and may be voluntarily failed as normal. The target is aware of the consequences of both succeeding and failing the save. The china disappears immediately after it deals damage or is safely disposed of.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Giant Slingshot
Falling Anvil [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 4
Prerequisite: Two Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 3 full round actions
Range: 200 feet per initiator level
Target: You and up to 1 allied creature per 3 initiator levels (familiars do not count against this limit)
Duration: Instantaneous

"I recommend ACME brand giant slingslots!.... Waaahoohooey!!!!!"

A kit appears in front of you. You may select an aim point, then spend all your actions for the next 3 rounds constructing a giant slingshot on any surface solid enough to walk on. The requisite number of people may load themselves into the slingshot on the third round and you may fire yourselves to the aim point with miss rules as if you each were a catapult stone fired from a catapult (You may substitute Bluff for Profession(Siege Engineer) if you wish). Note that the range is potentially much greater than the range of even a heavy catapult. You all take 1d6 damage per 500 feet or fraction there-of traveled and fall prone on landing. Half this damage (rounded down) is non-lethal, the rest is lethal. Natural and magical flight, Featherfall and all other abilities that could alter the passengers' path of travel or reduce the damage are inactive until after they land. A few notes:

This is NOT a teleportation effect, thus you MUST have a half-plausible ballistic path to the target area.
You yourself MUST be one of the passengers or the device will not function, and the catch is designed to be released from the cup of the slingshot.
The size of the passengers is completely irrelevant. It is entirely possible to load yourself, a druid, a paladin, the paladin's warhorse, and the druid's dire elephant animal companion into the slingshot and launch all of you successfully. (And, perhaps more importantly, it is ridiculously funny to boot... for bonus points fill up any unused slots you have by having your party members summon the largest creatures they can.)

The summoning and vanishing of the materials created by this effect is a supernatural effect, but their use is not.

Give Bomb
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 4
Prerequisite: Two Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Target's reach or yours, whichever is greater
Target: One Creature
Duration: Instantaneous

"A present for you!"

A spherical bomb with a lit fuse leading out from it appears in your hand. As part of this maneuver you may attempt to give it to an opponent whose reach you are within, and/or who is within your reach. At the very least they must free up an appendage to take it if they have such an appendage, dropping an object to the ground in their space if necessary. Make an opposed bluff check against the target. The loser takes 10d6 fire damage as the bomb explodes in their grasp (or on top of their head if they have no manipulative appendages). The target of this ability must have a charisma score.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.



Give Box of Dynamite
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 8
Prerequisite: 3 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Target's reach or yours, whichever is greater
Target: One Creature
Duration: Instantaneous

"Here... hold this just a sec... I insist."

A moderately sized wooden box with many sticks of dynamite with a lit fuses sticking out of it haphazardly from it appears in two of your hands. As part of this maneuver you may attempt to give it to an opponent whose reach you are within, and/or who is within your reach. At the very least they must free up an appendage (if at least 1 size catagory larger than you) or two (if the same size class as you or smaller) to take it if they have such a(n) appendage(s), dropping one or more objects to the ground in their space if necessary. Make an opposed bluff check against the target. The loser takes 22d6 fire damage as the box explodes in their grasp (or on top of their head if they have no manipulative appendages). The target of this ability must have a charisma score.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.



Give Bundle of Dynamite
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 6
Prerequisite: 3 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Target's reach or yours, whichever is greater
Target: One Creature
Duration: Instantaneous

"Fire in the hole!"

A bundle of 7 sticks of dynamite with a lit fuse leading out from it appears in your hand. As part of this maneuver you may attempt to give it to an opponent whose reach you are within, and/or who is within your reach. At the very least they must free up an appendage to take it if they have such an appendage, dropping an object to the ground in their space if necessary. Make an opposed bluff check against the target. The loser takes 15d6 fire damage as the bomb explodes in their grasp (or on top of their head if they have no manipulative appendages). The target of this ability must have a charisma score.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.



Give Firecracker
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 2
Prerequisite: One Falling Anvil maneuver, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Target's reach or yours, whichever is greater
Target: One Creature
Duration: Instantaneous

"These are fun, you should try one!"

A moderately sized fire-cracker with a lit fuse appears in your hand. As part of this maneuver you may attempt to give it to an opponent whose reach you are within, and/or who is within your reach. At the very least they must free up an appendage to take it if they have such an appendage, dropping an object to the ground in their space if necessary. Make an opposed bluff check against the target. The loser takes 3d6 fire damage as the bomb explodes in their grasp (or on top of their head if they have no manipulative appendages). The target of this ability must have a charisma score.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.



Misfire
Falling Anvil (Counter) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 6
Prerequisite: 2 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Unlimited or 50 feet per initiator level
Target: 1 attacking creature
Duration: Until end of combat, or special.
Saving Throw: Will Negates
You may use this ability immediately after any trap, wand, staff, or attack with a physical weapon (including a natural weapon or unarmed attack) on you fails to have any effect on you. The attacker must make a will save with a DC of 16 + your wisdom modifier or suffer a disabling effect on the device or limb that was used in the attack, and the attack is also rebounded on them as if they had targeted themselves with it, or centered it on themselves. The exception to the rebounding is traps, which only target their creator(s) if they are within 50 feet per initiator level of said trap (if some are and some aren't then only those that are are targetted). This is regardless of the normal range limitations (however small or large) or the mechanisms or spells involved. The exact nature of the disabling effect varies with the type of device or weapon:

Wand, Staff, other spell trigger or spell completion device, or psionic etc equivalents of those things, which was not completely used up in the original attack: Dispelled until end of combat.
Weapon: Minor break (bowstring snaps, grip wrappings on handle come undone rendering so unpredictably slippery that attacking with it is impossible, etc), but requires Craft or Appraise check DC 15+IL to recognize not massively damaged. A DC 15 craft check(in an appropriate craft skill) that takes 1 minute to attempt may be used to repair the damage. This may be retried an unlimited number of times without penalty other than the time used up and may be performed untrained.
Limb used to make a natural or unarmed attack sprained to unusability until end of combat, or a successful Fortitude save with a DC equal to the original will save caused by this maneuver. One such fortitude save allowed at the end of each of victim's turns.
One-Time traps: No additional effect.
Manual-Reset Traps: Repairs with a DC equal to the original construction, and a cost equal to 1/4 of the original must be made before the device will function again on anyone but its original creator(s).


This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Not Looking Down
Falling Anvil (Stance) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 8
Prerequisite: 3 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

By not looking down you can willfully ignore the effects of gravity. This grants the effects of Air Walk as long as you avoid looking down, however you can only climb 5' for every 20' of horizontal motion. Unfortunately this means that all creatures that do not have at least some part of their body at least 5' above you are effectively invisible to you.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Paint Tunnel
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 7
Prerequisite: 3 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 full round action (until the beginning of next turn)
Range: 20 feet/initiator level
Target: 10 foot wide path 20 feet per initiator level long.
Duration: 2 rounds/Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Half

Chugga Chugga! Woo! Woo!!!

You whip out a bucket of black paint, and a paint-brush and paint 10 foot square area of a reasonably vertical surface (even a Wall of Force will do) within your reach in the shape of a solid arch. The bottom of the arch much touch a reasonably horizontal surface. You complete the painting just before your next turn. You can be interrupted (by being bull-rushed away from the area for instance), but concentration checks for taking damage are NOT required. Once completed, a series of conductor stones appear heading perpendicularly out from the arch along the ground (or into mid-air if the surface stops, such as if you did this on a piece of disconnected masonry floating on the elemental plane of air). A vague foreboding warns all who notice the stones (DC 0 spot check) that being too close to them is extremely hazardous. If the painted surface is non-magical then until the turn after that you (and ONLY you), may use it as a Passwall effect with a caster level equal to your initiator level. At the end of this period a lightning rail pulling many cars runs the length of the pathway so quickly it counts as an instantaneous effect. The conductor stones and lightning rail immediately vanish when the end of the pathway is reached. The lighting rail train is 10 feet wide, and the pathway has a length equal to 20 feet per your initiator level, or until it runs into a vertical surface, in which case a second false tunnel appears when the train does, and remains just long enough for the train to disappear into it. All in the path of the train take 20d6 bludgeoning damage, but may make a reflex save equal to 17 + your wisdom modifier for half damage. The train counts as a cold-iron, Chaotic aligned magic weapon for the purposes of damage reduction, regeneration, etc etc. If the initiator level is 21 or greater, the train also counts as an Epic weapon.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.



Paper Thin Disguise (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PaperThinDisguise)
Falling Anvil (Stance) [Chaos][Mind-Affecting]
Level: Swordsage 3
Prerequisite: 2 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1d3x10 minutes or 1 full round action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
While in this stance, you may substitute Bluff checks for Disguise (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/disguise.htm) checks. You still require a minimal amount of props/make-up, but anything sufficient for a children's play supported only be the minimal sewing, carpentry, etc skills of the participants will do. Better materials do not improve your disguise checks (so a masterwork disguise kit is of no particular help), but if you have at least 5 ranks in Bluff you DO get the usual +2 synergy bonus to disguise checks. The disguise MUST be extreme enough that you DO NOT get the +5 bonus for "Minor details only". For this reason you do not get any bonuses to the disguise for form-altering magic such as Alter Self, Disguise Self, Polymorph, or Shapechange You take no penalties for attempting to disguise yourself as another races, gender, or age category and there is no limit on the height/weight differences or penalty for such. Opposed Spot checks still get the bonuses for familiarity listed in the disguise skill. Attacking causes you to exit this stance. If you exit this stance, any disguise automatically fails against all observers and those particular individuals gain immunity to the effects of this stance for a number of days equal to their hit-dice. Note however that this stance is considered to continue until you change it. Not even death causes you to be considered to exit the stance, although conceivably mind-affecting magic can make you exit it (and attacking ends it).

You gain a +5 bonus on any seduction related checks against a creature fooled by this disguise that would reasonably find your disguised form attractive, PROVIDED they would NOT find your non-disguised form at all attractive in a romantic/sexual way.

You can chose to create the props in question, but they will always be of very poor quality when viewed as a disguise, may not exceed 50 GP actual value, and last only as long as you stay in this stance. In this case donning a disguise only ever takes a single full-round action. If you use any of the abilities in this paragraph, this stance counts as a supernatural ability.

Since this is a Mind-Affecting effect, certain types of creatures may see through the disguise automatically.

DracoDei
2009-08-26, 09:03 AM
Piano Drop (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PianoDrop)
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 5
Prerequisite: 2 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 90 feet
Target: 10 foot square
Duration: Instantaneous/End of Combat
Saving Throw: Reflex Half

Crash! (In C sharp, B Flat, and F minor)

A master-work grand piano (or an upright if solid walls connected by a ceiling block off part of the area) falls in the area, becoming smashed to pieces in the process (although Make Whole or similar effects may restore it), making the area difficult terrain, and dealing 11d6 damage to each creature in the area. The piano counts as a Chaotic aligned magic weapon for the purposes of damage reduction, regeneration, etc etc. If the initiator level is 21 or greater, the piano also counts as an Epic weapon. A reflex save is permitted for half damage and the DC is 15 + your wisdom modifier. The piano (usual in the form of wreckage, but even if repaired) disappears at the end of combat.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.



Pie to the Face (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PieInTheFace)
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 1
Prerequisite: Non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee
Target: One Opponent
Duration: 1 round

One of the oldest and most simple strikes in the repertoire of the demented is the simple pie to the face.

Producing a banana creme pie from some eldritch dimension, attempt to deliver it to your opponents face. The pie does no damage, but if you succeed on the touch attack then the opponent is blinded for one round, or until they spend a move action to clear their eyes.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.



Pull Yourself Together
Falling Anvil (Counter) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 5
Prerequisite: 2 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: One free action (Immediate?)
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round

Look ma! Cold-cuts!

You may activate this maneuver any time you take slashing damage. That damage, and all other slashing damage you take for the next full round is negated. Secondary effects, such as poison are unaffected. However each attack that hits painlessly severs some part of your body, if the weapon has the vorpal quality and your head (or at least one of your heads if you have more than one) is currently attached with part is always a head. This does not affect your ability to control you body from a anatomical point of view, although the GM may impose penalties for unusual perspectives. If it would be physically possible for you to do so, you may re-attach a body-part by holding it to the stump as a move action or standard action. If it would not be possible (for instance if both your arms were cut off at the shoulder and you had fallen prone) then you may cause one sever to rejoin for no attiquitely(sp) explained reason as a full-round action. If any sever persists for a number of rounds greater than 1/2 your initiator level then it becomes as if that part had been cut off with a blade. Bleeding may commence at the GMs discretion and you are probably going to want a *Regeneration*, or if was the head, a *Raise Dead* or something. The following table is used for determining where each severe happens.
Roll|Cut line
1|Wrist
2|Elbow
3|Shoulder
4|Hip
5|Knee
6|Cut in half at waist
7|Decapitated
8|Tail, ear, or major portions of hair
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Rain of Banana Peels
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 7
Prerequisite: 3 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard OR full round action
Range: 30 feet
Target: Every square within range
Duration: Until Successful Trip or End of Battle

"Ashes! Ashes! You all fall down!"

Banana peels rain from the sky or ceiling.

As per Banana Peel Drop except as above, that the Will save DC is 17 + your wisdom modifier, and that if you do it as a full round action, then your allies are immune to trip attempts by the peels. Each Banana Peel vanishes separately. More than one can attempt a trip attempt at a given opponent in a turn.

Activating this maneuver is a supernatural ability, however even something that would suppress a supernatural ability can not make the banana peel disappear or stop functioning prematurely.


Rubber Chicken Wack
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 4
Prerequisite: 2 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature

You produce a rubber chicken from thin air, and attack your foe with it, striking at his very sanity. As part of this maneuver, make a touch attack with the rubber chicken it produces. If it hits it deals no hit-point damage, but your opponent must make a Sanity check and take 1 / (Your Initiator level divided by 3) Sanity loss. This loss may not exceed your ranks in Knowledge(Forbidden Lore).
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Rubber Chicken Wack, Greater
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 7
Prerequisite: 3 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature

You produce a rubber chicken, modeled on either a celestial or fiendish chicken, whichever matches your alignment most closely, from thin air, and attack your foe with it, striking a mighty blow to his very sanity. As part of this maneuver, make a touch attack with the rubber chicken it produces. If it hits it deals no hit-point damage, but your opponent must make a Sanity check and take 1 / (Your Initiator level divided by 2) Sanity loss. This loss may not exceed your ranks in Knowledge(Forbidden Lore).
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Safe Drop
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 4
Prerequisite: 2 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 75 feet
Target: One Creature
Duration: Instantaneous/End of Combat
Saving Throw: Reflex Half

A large adamintine chest, coated in Silver-Sheen, and enchanted as a magic, chaotic weapon, falls on a opponent. The chest deals 9d6 damage, and a reflex save versus a DC of 14 + your wisdom modifier is allowed for half damage. The chest is a cube 3 feet on a side and remains until the end of combat. The integral lock is DC 35, And the lid requires a DC 30 strength check to pop. If opened, there is a 70% chance the chest proves to contain three Tiny penguins (who might have been in danger of suffocation if penguins weren't very good at holding their breaths), otherwise it contains a fine portrait in a gilded frame featuring one of the initiator's most embarrassing and/or painful memories. The chest and all it contains/-ed vanish at the end of combat.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Seltzer Spray
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 1
Prerequisite: Non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 10 feet
Target: One Creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates

You whip a seltzer bottle out of no-where and spray it at your target. They must make a fortitude save DC 11 + your wisdom modifier or be dazed for one round.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Storm-cloud of Mis-Fortune (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PersonalRaincloud)
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 4
Prerequisite: 2 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 30 feet
Target: One Creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Half

Flying in with incredible velocity a Small Raincloud pauses above the target just long enough to produce a lightning bolt that strikes them for 6d6 damage. This damage may be halved if they succeed a DC (14 + your wisdom modifier) Reflex save.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Stretchy Dodge
Falling Anvil (Stance) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 3
Prerequisite: 2 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

While in this stance replace your armor class (including flat-footed, touch, etc) with your 10 + total modifier to Bluff Checks and gain the Mettle, Slippery Mind, and Improved Evasion abilities.

For every third attack(including spells that cause you to roll a saving throw and such like) by a true foe or someone under the influence of a Dominate spell by a true foe that fails to have any effect on you you, you may make one attack at an opponent who has missed you within the last round. This count carries over from round to round for as long as you maintain this stance, but once you earn an attack you must make it immediately or it is wasted. This attack may be an attack action, or any maneuver or offensive spell that may be performed as a Swift, Immediate, Free, or Standard Action. There is no limit to the number of actions you may make in this way per round.

While in this stance you may take no actions except:

Ending this Stance (usually by switching to another one).
Making Counters that do not allow movement or anything that might be considered offensive including attacks.
Using a non-attacking action to refresh one or more of your maneuvers.
Making strikes that have an effect on your allies, and/or a non-movement effect on you. You may not move as a result of such a strike, and all effects of the strike on your enemies are negated. This is useful for such maneuvers as Stone Bones, and Crusader's Strike.
Making the attacks this stance specifically grants you

This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, actions granted by White Raven Maneuvers performed by your allies and attacks of opportunity
You may not fight defensively or use Combat Expertese, or Devoted Bulwark (or other feats that increase your AC, with the sole exception of Dodge) while making such a strike, but you may use feats such as Stone Power.

This maneuver is a supernatural ability.

Older version of Stretchy Dodge for back-up purposes, and use in the Age of Warriors Testing (Zany)

Stretchy Dodge
Falling Anvil (Stance) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 3
Prerequisite: 2 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

While in this stance you may take no actions except ending this Stance (usually by switching to another one) and making the attacks it grants you. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, actions granted by White Raven Maneuvers performed by your allies and attacks of opportunity. It does NOT include Counters that do not allow movement or anything else that might be considered offensive including attacks. You replace your armor class (including flat-footed, touch, etc) with your 10 + total modifier to Bluff Checks and gain the Mettle, Slippery Mind, and Improved Evasion abilities. For every third attack(including spells that cause you to roll a saving throw and such like) by a true foe or someone under the influence of a Dominate spell by a true foe that fails to have any effect on you you, you may make one attack at an opponent who has missed you within the last round. This count carries over from round to round for as long as you maintain this stance, but once you earn an attack you must make it immediately or it is wasted. This attack may be an attack action, or any maneuver or offensive spell that may be performed as a Swift, Immediate, Free, or Standard Action. There is no limit to the number of actions you may make in this way per round.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Stance of the Loony
Falling Anvil (Stance) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 1
Prerequisite: Non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
You can survive almost any attack... but at the cost of your sanity. You may convert incoming hitpoint damage to wisdom burn. This effect occurs after damage reduction, and you may convert some, all, or none of the damage as you take it. This does nothing to alter any other effects other than hitpoint damage, even if you reduce the damage taken to zero(you can't reduce it further than zero). The conversion rate varies based on your Initiator level as explained on the following table.
IL|hp per Wis burn|X|IL|hp per Wis burn
1 |0.75|X|16-18|5
2-3 | 1 |X|19-20|6
4-8 | 2 |X|21-22|7
9-12| 3 |X|23-24|8
13-15| 4 |X|etc..|(IL-7)/2 rounded down
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Unlucky Raincloud (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PersonalRaincloud)
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 2
Prerequisite: 1 Falling Anvil maneuver, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 30 feet
Target: One Creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Half

"Every little cloud, likes to sing <electrical sizzle> aloud!" Wareck the Pugilist werebear, while raiding a nest of giant bees for honey.

A Tiny Raincloud zooms in from parts unknown and parks itself directly over the target's head just long enough to deliver a miniature lightning bolt to them for 3d6 damage. A reflex save with a DC of 12 + your wisdom modifier is permitted for half damage.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.



Unnecessary Burial(AKA Strike of Perfect Ridiculousness)
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 9
Prerequisite: 5 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature

You kill your target automatically if you injure them even slightly... well... for certain values of "kill".

As part of this strike make a melee attack, if it deals damage, then a hole instantly digs itself directly behind the target struck, and they fall prone into it, then the fill material (fist sized rocks if the surface was originally solid stone) fills in the hole above them. A tombstone listing their name, their date of birth, and the current date rises out of the head of the tomb, and a single white lily grows in the center of the fill material (it will be short lived unless the location can support it normally, or if it is transplanted). The depth they are below the surface of the ground is equal to your bluff check in inches.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Unwelcome Kiss
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 3
Prerequisite: 1 Falling Anvil maneuver, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature
Duration: 1d3+1 rounds
Saving Throw: Will Negates

Ignoring all laws of social propriety, battle-field conduct, and disease prevention, you kiss your opponent full on the lips.

As part of this maneuver make a melee touch attack against your foe. If the attack hits they are stunned for 1d3+1 rounds with disgust (or in very rare cases, they will instead be love-struck instead of disgusted, but the mechanical effects are identical). A will save against DC 13 + your wisdom modifier negates the stunning. If they have a bite attack and you miss the touch attack or they make the will save, then they are allowed an attack of opportunity on you with +5 to-hit but it MUST be with that bite attack (in cases of monsters with multiple heads with differences between their bite attacks you choose which head makes the attack of opportunity). Note that this maneuver does NOT qualify as a mind-influencing effect, and thus (among other things) means that it works perfectly well on constructs, vermin, and undead.





Viking Longboat Drop
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 8
Prerequisite: 3 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 200 feet
Target: 10 foot by 50(or occasionally shorter) foot area (rotated in any direction (not just 4 or 8) that is on a standard compass)
Duration: Instantaneous/Until end of combat
Saving Throw: Reflex Half

THUD!!! SPLINTER!!! SNAP!!! WHAM!!!

A ship, built in the style of a longship, but slightly smaller, complete with crew, falls out of the sky onto your foes regardless of how low the ceiling might be. It deals 10d6 damage to all in the area, and counts as rough terrain if it lands on a non-liquid. A reflex save is allowed for half damage against a DC equal to 18 + your wisdom modifier. The ship is always 10' wide, and at least 20' long. If it can not assume these minimum dimensions, then it does not appear, the maneuver fails and is wasted. Unless obstacles would prevent it from existing in the orientation you place it in (such as being placed perpendicular to a narrow corridor, it is 50' long. Otherwise it extends until blocked in both directions to assume the maximum length it can (within the 50' limit). If there are merely height variations (such as a trench, rather than a corridor), then treat each square of it as a separate object to determine where it falls to. The longboat counts as a Chaotic-aligned magic weapon for the purposes of damage reduction, regeneration, etc etc. If the initiator level is 21 or greater, the longboat also counts as an Epic weapon. Regardless of where it lands, it breaks apart. It contains 1 10th level Human Barbarian at one end of it (selected by you), and 4 5th level human barbarians plus 10 1st level human barbarians randomly scattered throughout other unoccupied squares of the ship. The barbarians are completely uninjured by the impact. Each of the barbarians are equipped as per the DMG listings for their class and level, plus are wearing cold-weather gear made of the pelts of yaks (or possibly some other large animal, it is hard to tell under the rime of sea salt and ice that encrusts them) and their helmets are fitted with horns. The barbarians are considered flat-footed from total bewilderment and take no actions other than to move away from natural hazards at half speed until and unless attacked or you succeed a DC 15 diplomacy check with the leader (who speaks only Common) at which point they will be willing to gather around a keg of mead that was also undamaged in the landing and drink with you until the end of combat, or you or one of your allies attacks them. If attacked (even with an Area of Effect) they will all "wake up" and attack the apparent source of the attack that was directed against them on the next turn (roll their initiative at that time). All products of this maneuver vanish at the end of combat, including the barbarians and all their gear (ESPECIALLY the mead).
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Wacky Attacky
Falling Anvil (Stance) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 5
Prerequisite: 2 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: Stance

You blows are so wacky they increase the looniness of those they hit.

While in this stance, any attack that you hit with (anything that requires an attack roll, including but not limited to non-damaging and damaging strikes, ray attacks, and weapon attacks) also deals 1 point of Sanity damage, regardless of whether any of its other effects are successful. At 18th level this increases to 2 points of sanity damage.
This stance is a supernatural ability.


Worthless Weapon!
Falling Anvil (Counter) [Chaos, Mind-Effecting]
Level: Swordsage 8
Prerequisite: 3 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Target: One creature
Duration: One round
Saving Throw: Will Negates

You call upon the primal forces of frustration and aggravation to direct your opponent's wrath at the tool in their hands.

You magnify your foes dissatisfaction with failing to strike you a thousand fold. You may activate this maneuver any time an opponent tries to attack you or an illusion he believes to be you (in the second case you must have line of sight and effect to both the illusion and the foe in question) and fails to affect you. An attempted attack that is thwarted by Sanctuary or a similar effect does not qualify since the attack is never carried out, however miss chances, DR, and simple failures of the attack roll count. Just before their next turn the opponent must make a will save with a DC equal to 18 + your wisdom modifier. If they succeed they merely take a -2 penalty to all attack rolls made with that weapon or device until the end of their turn. If they fail they must spend that turn entirely on attempting to bring their every resource to bear in the most effective way to sunder or otherwise destroy the weapon or device they made the attack with. If they succeed in destroying it and still have any actions remaining that turn, they expend those actions attempting to further mutilate (or at least jump up and down on) the pieces. If the object was totally destroyed or the remains are out of their reach (for instance they threw it into lava), they use those actions to complain loudly against the weapon or device for failing them.
Several special cases apply here:

In the case of a bow or crossbow, those are the weapon for this purpose, not the arrows or bolts.
If the attacker carries multiple similar throwing weapons and the attack you countered used one of them and the specific weapon is destroyed (as is the case for Shuriken) or beyond their easy reach, their wrath is directed against the remaining ones on their person.
In the case of a staff of the magi or other item with a Retributive Strike, you are immune to all the effects of said strike.
If the attack was made with an ongoing, personally wielded effect(or an ongoing effect that originates from the person, such as the 2nd edition option for Melf's Minuit Meteors), such as a psi-blade, Mordenkain's Sword, the attacker must dismiss that effect, spend the rest of the time berating themselves for ever learning to create that effect, and may not recreate that effect or invoke a similar one for a number of rounds equal to your charisma modifier (minimum one).



Zany Anatomy (Also known as "Mania over Matter")
Falling Anvil (Counter) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 3
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You

You are so disorganized even your organs are misplaced, and your immune system makes the combined tax codes for every year, for every civilization that ever existed, put together, look like Zen simplicity by comparison.

You can use this maneuver any time immediately after you fail a fortitude save, before any of the effects of that failed save are resolved. You may make a Bluff check and retroactively use the results of that check in place of the failed fortitude save. A result of a natural 1 on your Bluff check is not an automatic failure, but if you succeed you are Nauseated for the next round. Immunity to nauseation functions normally against this and does NOT prevent any of the positive effects of this maneuver.



Zany Dodge (Also known as "Action without Thought")
Falling Anvil (Counter) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 2
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You

You have raised doing the exact right thing a the exact right time, for completely the wrong reasons to a high art.

You can use this maneuver any time immediately after you fail a reflex save, before any of the effects of that failed save are resolved. You may make a Bluff check and retroactively use the results of that check in place of the failed reflex save. A result of a natural 1 on your Bluff check is not an automatic failure, but if you succeed you are Confused for the next round, with the caster of the effect that you replaced the reflex save against counting as the caster of the Confusion effect. If you are immune to Confusion, you instead fall prone.


Zany Mind (Also known as "Moment of Imperfect Mind")
Falling Anvil (Counter) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 1
Prerequisite: Non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You

Your totally mental nature has rendered you as unassailable as the rubbery wall of a padded cell is to its occupant. When someone targets you with a spell that seeks to erode you willpower you preempt them by already having eroded it.

Between your dedication to comedy, short attention span, and supreme inanity, you have discovered, completely by accident, how to resist attempts to subvert your willpower. When you feel such an effect successfully cloud your mind, the seething silliness inside your soul sometimes surges.
You can use this maneuver any time immediately after you fail a will save, before any of the effects of that failed save are resolved. You may make a Bluff check and retroactively use the results of that check in place of the failed will save. A result of a natural 1 on your Bluff check is not an automatic failure, but if you succeed you are Confused for the next round, with the caster of the effect that you replaced the will save against counting as the caster of the Confusion effect. ((Make it so immunity to confusion disallows ability to use this maneuver?))

DracoDei
2009-08-26, 09:05 AM
Feats:

Tragedy Leads to Comedy
You know how to turn your pain into your team-mate's laughter.
Prerequisites: One Falling Anvil Stance
Benefits: Whenever you take damage from an enemy while in a Falling Anvil stance, if you laugh it off, or scream in an amusing manner or otherwise ham it up both visually and auditorially (a free action that can be taken immediately as soon as you take the damage). If you do so, then all allies (but NOT you yourself) who can both see and hear you gain a +1 morale bonus to all saves until the end of your next turn. Alternatively you may elect to roll a d6 for a morale bonus equal to your charisma modifier for said team-mates on the following chart for the same duration. Note that if you are damaged multiple times in a round it is possible to be providing this bonus to more than one save at a time, although it depends on how the dice come up.
Roll|Applies to
1-2|Fortitude
3-4|Reflex
5-6|Will

In either case, bonuses provided by this ability CAN protect your team-mates against the same attack that damaged you (such as the reflex save associated with a Fireball), as long as you resolve your save before theirs.

Lethal Joke[Tactical]
Eeeeeh, what's up roc? (Note: I PROBABLY should come up with something better than this for the quote...)
Prerequisites: Tragedy Leads to Comedy, base attack bonus +6, two Falling Anvil maneuvers.
Benefits: The Lethal Joke feat enables the use of three tactical options.
Of course, your realize this means war?!: To use this ability you must spend at least a full round action attempting to use diplomatic means (including Animal Empathy) to resolve a conflict after that individual has attacked you. Your intentions must be genuine, they must understand your attempt (so talking to an orc in celestial is unlikely to work), and your terms must be at least as generous as allowing the individual to leave with all their possessions if they cease hostilities. If they attack you on the following round you gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls against that individual, +1 to AC versus their attacks, +2 to all Bluff checks against them, and they take a -1 to saving throws against your Falling Anvil maneuvers. These bonuses do not stack with themselves, and last 1 hour per initiator level.
Duck Season!: Whenever you are the target of a attack by an enemy that could have also targeted a MUTUAL foe, the attack is immediately redirected to that foe, provided it has fewer hitdice than your Bluff modifier. If it has more hitdice than your bluff modifier than it may attempt an opposed bluff check against you to negate the effect of this maneuver. If no check is required, or if you win the opposed check then the attack is redirected to that foe, and gains +5 to hit and +5 to the DC of any applicable saving throws, and it automatically threatens a critical hit if capable of such. All subsequent attacks that the original attacker or any of his allies make that would target you in are similarly redirected for one full round afterward (with the same bonuses). ((Yeeeeaah... too weak to be a maneuver, so I am going to make it part of this... MIGHT even give this feat FOUR options to make up for it... In any case, thanks to Woodsman for pointing out that I needed to do something for this schtick.))
Make them lose their cool: To use this ability you must hit an opponent with a Falling Anvil strike that does no hit-point damage. If they do not affect you with an attack between then and your next turn then they take a -1 morale penalty to AC and to all saves against your Falling Anvil maneuvers for 1 minute.

Divine Comedy
"Alas poor gall-bladder! I knew him, Heartratio; A fellow of infinite digestive juices, of most excellent storage capacity; I hath borne him within my body a thousand months; and now how abhorred in my imagination it is!" - Gibbles the Giggler, hero of the realm, upon being shot in the chest with an arrow.

Prerequisites: Tragedy Leads to Comedy, Good Alignment, Character level 10, four Falling Anvil maneuvers.
Benefits: Good aligned beneficiaries of your use of "Tragedy Leads to Comedy" feat may chose to count the bonus it provides as Divine, rather than Morale and if you use the option for that feat that requires a d6 roll, gain a +1 morale or divine bonus (again, at their individual options) to the two saves that do not get the variable bonus.

And by Imp_Fireball we have this one: (EDIT: Not so sure about this one)
Flappy Flappy!
Prerequisite: At least one 2nd level maneuver from the Falling Anvil Discipline, STR 17, Lighter than 150 pounds

If your total weight (encumbrance included) is lighter than 150 pounds, you may flap your arms and hover 5ft. above ground for the duration. With a DC 15 STR check, you can elevate 5ft. By descending at half falling speed, you may completely negate falling damage. If you are damaged, you must make a FORT save DC equal to 10 + half the damage you were dealt or drop to the ground prone - alternatively you can ready an action to land properly and not fall prone.

You may hover for as long as you decide to occupy your arms - that is, your legs or other limbs are still free to perform actions, but your arms are incapable of doing anything but flapping for however many rounds you wish to continue hovering. At least two arms are required to perform this feat.


Eye for Comedy (After some time to consider this should be good to go, at least until some comments on it come in.)
Having keen eyes to find humor even at long ranges, you can inflict hilarious injury and insult from a greater distance.
Prerequisites:
-Two Falling Anvil Strikes that each meet one of the following requirements: deal bludgeoning damage from a falling object or electricity damage or create banana peels.
-Spot 7 ranks
Benefits: The range on all your Falling Anvil strikes that deal bludgeoning damage from a falling object or electricity damage or create banana peels doubles.




Hot Potato (Should be good for initial playtest unless someone comments, here or via PM)
"Hey! Catch!"
Prerequisites:
-Maneuvers known: At least one of the following: (?Give Firecracker?), Give Bomb, Give Bundle of Dynamite, OR Give Box of Dynamite
-Dexterity 13 OR Strength 13
-BAB +5
Benefits: For purposes of the (?Give Firecracker?), Give Bomb, Give Bundle of Dynamite, and Give Box of Dynamite strikes treat your reach, and the reach of your target as being tripled and you add the higher of your dexterity or strength modifier to your bluff checks involved in such maneuvers.

DracoDei
2009-08-26, 09:08 AM
LEGACY WEAPONS


Vlax's Rubber Chicken (Source is the online sequential art work of Oren Otter, used with permision.)
Non-Legacy game statistics: +1 Holy Rubber Chicken
Wielder Level|Attack Penalty|Reflex Save Penalty|Hit Point Loss|Legacy Abilities
5th| -| -| -|Wacky Attacky
6th| -| -| -|-
7th| -| -| -|-
8th| -| -| -|-
9th| -| -| -|-
10th| -| -| -|-
11th| -| -| -| -
12th| -| -| -| -
13th| -| -| -| -
14th| -| -| -| -
15th| -| -| -| -
16th| -| -| -| -
17th| -| -| -| -
18th| -| -| -| -
19th| -| -| -| -
20th| -| -| -| -


The Frying Pan of Doom
Non-legacy Game statistics: +1 Frying-pan
Wielder Level|Attack Penalty|Fort Save Penalty|Hit Point Loss|Legacy Abilities
5th| -| -| -|In His/Her Majesties Service
6th| -| -| -|-
7th| -| -| -|-
8th| -| -| -|Ovid Transformation 1/week
9th| -| -| -|-
10th| -| -| -|-
11th| -| -| -| -
12th| -| -| -| -
13th| -| -| -| -
14th| -| -| -| -
15th| -| -| -| -
16th| -| -| -| -
17th| -| -| -| -
18th| -| -| -| -
19th| -| -| -| -
20th| -| -| -|Ovid Transformation At-Will

DracoDei
2009-08-26, 09:09 AM
(see p.149-150 of the Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords)
Cap of the Falling Anvil
These jester caps are designed to be worn either normally or over a sturdy helmet. They grant the use of maneuvers. Scholar level caps feature an arrow, with the middle of it cut out, cunningly arranged so as to appear to be peircing the head of the wearer. Master level Caps often have a large stuffed cloth anvil attached to the top.




Club of the Moron

This ordinary looking(it doesn't even look like a masterwork weapon) club is actually a club +1. It also causes 1 point of wisdom damage with each successful hit that inflicts even 1 point of damage (even non-lethal damage). The true power of this mighty tool of comedy is that the wielder may beat themselves over the head with it, inflicting no hit-point damage, but still dealing 1 point of wisdom damage to themselves per hit, to a cumulative maximum equal to their BAB. As long as the club remains continiously in their posession they increase their initiator level for determining the effects of falling anvil (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122824) maneuvers(including stances) they initiate by one for each such point of wisdom damage they are currently incurring to a maximum initiator level of 20. They also gain a competence bonus of equal magnitude(but without a maximum) to all bluff checks made as part of a falling anvil maneuver or stance. Finally, any self-inflicted wisdom damage from this weapon never counts against anyone's wisdom score for the purposes of calculating the DCs of falling anvil maneuvers, in fact, anyone bearing this club while having at least 10 points of self-inflicted wisdom damage from it increases the DC of all falling anvil maneuvers by 1 point.

Sidenote: The GM is STRONGLY encouraged to deny all benefits of the self-inflicted wisdom damage from this weapon to the character of any player who does not appropriately roleplay the reduced wisdom score.

Moderate Enchantment; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#craftMagicArmsAndArmor), touch of idiocy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/touchOfIdiocy.htm), creator must know at least 3 maneuvers from the falling anvil (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122824) discipline, at least one of which must be of at least 2nd level; Price 20,300 gp; Cost 10,300 gp + 800 XP.

DracoDei
2009-08-26, 09:11 AM
((Reserved For Example Character))

DracoDei
2009-08-26, 09:14 AM
Creature(s)

Tittering Brick Squirrel
Diminutive Magical Beast
HD 1/4d10 (1 hp)
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares); Climb 40 ft
Init: +5 (+5 Dex)
AC 19; touch 19; flat-footed 14
(+5 Dex, + 4 size)
BAB +0; Grp -16
Attack Bite +0 Melee (1d1-4 damage)
OR Nut +9 Ranged Touch (No damage (refreshes maneuver), No critical)
OR Brick Drop +9 Ranged Touch (2d6 bludgeoning, x2)
Full-Attack Bite +0 Melee (1d1-4 damage)
OR Nut +9 Ranged Touch (No damage (refreshes maneuver), No critical)
OR Brick Drop +9 Ranged Touch (2d6 bludgeoning, x2)
Space 1 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks Brick Drop, Thrown Nut
Special Qualities Low-Light Vision, NO Dark-vision
Saves Fort +1 Ref +7 Will +1
Abilities Str 2, Dex 20, Con 8, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills Balance +11, Climb +11, Jump +13
Feats Dodge
Environment Temperate Forest
Organization Solitary, Pair, Hod (4-8), or Pallet (10-40)
Challenge Rating 1/3
Treasure Nuts
Alignment Neutral Neutral Funky

Throw Nut (or piece of tree bark) (Ex): Thrown nuts (or bits of tree bark) have a range increment of 20 feet, and a maximum range of 60 feet. They deal no damage, but for Tittering Brick Squirrels allow them to refresh their maneuver (if they hit). The maneuver becomes expended without effect if not used within 5 minutes.

Squirrels are very territorial, especially during the mating season, throwing nuts and bits of tree bark at intruders. Tittering Brick Squirrels will follow up with bricks or flower-pots falling out of thin air against creatures larger than Diminutive size class (or predators going after them regardless of size) if the bark pieces and their chittering (which sounds like a high-pitched giggle) proves ineffective.

Maneuver: Tittering Brick Squirrels may use the Brick Drop maneuver, and may refresh it by striking a foe with an acorn or bit of bark or what-not. They may substitute a mechanically identical bombardment of nuts and bits of bark for the brick or flower-pot. The maneuver becomes expended without effect if not used within 5 minutes of being readied.

Skills: Tittering Brick Squirrels use their dexterity modifier in place of their strength modifier for climb and jump checks. They receive a +4 racial bonus to balance, climb, and jump.

Summoning Tittering Brick Squirrels: Chaotic aligned druids and rangers who (at the GMs sole discretion) are sufficiently zany, and whose number of levels of martial initiating classes are high enough to cast the SPECIFIC spell in question if it was their caster level may add Tittering Brick Squirrels to the creature list for Summon Nature's Ally I. This means that if they have a single level of a martial initiating class they can summon 1 with S.N.A. I, if they have at least 3 levels of martial initiating classes they can summon 1d3 with S.N.A. II, and if they have at least 5 levels of martial initiating classes then they can summon 1d4+1 with S.N.A. III or higher. Summoned Tittering Brick Squirrels arrive with their maneuver readied, and it is considered polite to allow them to throw a final nut or bit of bark at a fallen foe's corpse to recover it before dismissing them if time allows.

Kuma
2009-09-05, 09:07 PM
you sir, have just won.

zerombr
2009-09-07, 07:52 PM
It's a funny form, I'm not certain if I could ever see it in any game cept all but the most lighthearted ones.

There has got to be a maneuver that spins someone around to attack one of their other foes though. Maybe even a simple banana slip.

how about something with the title 'Which way did he go?" lol!

Sereg
2009-09-08, 10:06 AM
I'm just going to say that I'm very glad that you are continuing with this.

DracoDei
2009-09-08, 03:45 PM
It's a funny form, I'm not certain if I could ever see it in any game cept all but the most lighthearted ones.
:smallconfused: Yeah... Ok... but I doubt that is news to anyone reading this thread.


There has got to be a maneuver that spins someone around to attack one of their other foes though. Maybe even a simple banana slip.
HOW did we miss banana peels up until now? That probably needs to go in there...



how about something with the title 'Which way did he go?" lol!
What sort of scenes are you thinking of, or what effects would it have? "Paper Thin Disguise" might cover it...




EDITS below:

you sir, have just won.

I'm just going to say that I'm very glad that you are continuing with this.
Thank you both.

Leeham
2009-09-09, 05:14 AM
This is awesome. A little tweak here and there and you know what you've got? The Joker.

DracoDei
2009-09-09, 07:16 AM
The Joker has to actually have the objects with him to begin with, but sure, why not.

DracoDei
2009-09-09, 05:07 PM
Does anyone have any thoughts on if the numbers in the chart for "Stance of the Loonie" are balanced? I am considering making it 0.75 instead of 0.5 at first level.

deuxhero
2009-09-09, 06:19 PM
Format wise, I would have listed each manuver/stance by level instead of alphabetical.

DracoDei
2009-09-09, 07:05 PM
You aren't the first to say that, so I might get the energy to reorganize things that way at some point. The reason I did it this way was that is how the book does it.

Thugorp
2009-11-01, 02:08 PM
bumppidy bump bump

DracoDei
2009-11-01, 02:53 PM
I have been editing this without bumping it for a bit... since someone cared enough to risk necroing it (or possibly doesn't know that rule yet), would anyone PLEASE like to comment on ANY aspects of the balance of any part of this in its current form?

The Vorpal Tribble
2009-11-03, 09:16 AM
Oh man, when I have time I gotta give some ideas. Haven't laughed so hard in a long time. I don't see any glaring balance issues, but then again, I'm wiping away tears :smallbiggrin:

Be Wary Wary Quwiet is genius.

Mulletmanalive
2009-11-03, 12:13 PM
Misfire:

Plunk, Boom!

When Initiated, the character makes a Melee Touch Attack to plug the end of the opponent's weapon/put his finger on the arrow. If successful, the effect is resolved against the attacking character, though they gain evasion against spell effects from fouled wands and the like.

Sereg
2009-11-04, 10:23 AM
Misfire:

Plunk, Boom!

When Initiated, the character makes a Melee Touch Attack to plug the end of the opponent's weapon/put his finger on the arrow. If successful, the effect is resolved against the attacking character, though they gain evasion against spell effects from fouled wands and the like.

I like this idea.

Also, it's great that you are doing everything rather than just the maneuvers. Combining the sillyness of this discipline with the seriousness of legacy items is hilarious. I'm imagining entries that sound something like "...but he was no ordinary jester! He was trained in the ancient art of Falling Anvil and so he picked up his ancestral rubber chicken and smote Him with No Sense of Humour.(DC??, Trial by Heckler)"

DracoDei
2009-11-04, 10:50 AM
Trial by Heckler could be good...

I am also thinking "Must genuinely laugh (not forced by self or induced by spell) for 2 hours without pause except to inhale.", would be a good ritual.

EDIT: Bit the bullet and typed up "Misfire" and about 50-75% of "Dust Cloud Melee".

DracoDei
2009-11-06, 06:38 PM
So, what DO people think of "Misfire"?

Also: Bump...

DracoDei
2009-11-09, 02:29 PM
Ok, tactical feat roughed out... I realize "Duck Season!" doesn't have the standard tactical mechanic to it, but I figure arranging for that situation to happen in the first place makes it qualify... and it really IS too situational to be worth preparing as a maneuver and thus worth taking in the first place. Still lacking fluff text and the name is sorta lack-luster...

Duplicated below for your convenience:
Lethal Joke[Tactical]
Flavor text.
Prerequisites: Tragedy Leads to Comedy, base attack bonus +6, two Falling Anvil maneuvers.
Benefits: The Lethal Joke feat enables the use of three tactical options.
Normal:
Of course, your realize this means war?!: To use this ability you must spend at least a full round action attempting to use diplomatic means to resolve a conflict after that individual has attacked you. Your intentions must be genuine, and your terms must be at least as generous as allowing the individual to leave with all their possessions if they cease hostilities. If they attack you on the following round you gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls against that individual, +1 to AC versus their attacks, +2 to all Bluff checks against them, and they take a -1 to saving throws against your Falling Anvil maneuvers. These bonuses do not stack with themselves, and last 1 hour per initiator level.
Duck Season!: Whenever you are the target of a attack by an enemy that could have also targeted a MUTUAL foe, the attack is immediately and automatically redirected to that foe, provided it has fewer hitdice than your Bluff modifier. If it has more hitdice than your bluff modifier than it may attempt an opposed bluff check against you to negate the redirection effect. If no check is required, or if you win the opposed check then the attack is redirected to that foe, and gains +5 to hit and +5 to the DC of any applicable saving throws, and it automatically threatens a critical hit if capable of such. All subsequent attacks that the original attacker or any of his allies make that would target you in are similarly redirected for one full round afterward (with the same bonuses). ((Yeeeeaah... too weak to be a maneuver, so I am going to make it part of this... MIGHT even give this feat FOUR options to make up for it...))
Make them lose their cool: To use this ability you must hit an opponent with a Falling Anvil strike that does no hit-point damage. If they do not affect you with an attack between then and your next turn then they take a -1 morale penalty to AC and to all saves against your Falling Anvil maneuvers for 1 minute.

DracoDei
2009-11-15, 04:41 AM
Pre-oblivion bump...

DracoDei
2009-11-22, 05:36 PM
I like this idea.

Also, it's great that you are doing everything rather than just the maneuvers.

Well, TRYING to... Not entirely sure about how to turn either of the items into legacy weapons. Both of them actually have a rather Lawful aspect to them in the source material.

Also, BUMP... (could I get some more feedback on SPECIFIC maneuvers?)

Athaniar
2009-12-08, 09:07 AM
Sure, I don't have, and is not familiar with, the Tome of Battle/Book of Nine Swords (and therefore cannot comment on the actual game mechanics), but this is hilarious. I could easily see a gnome using this.

DracoDei
2009-12-14, 11:50 AM
Either I did a RIDICULOUSLY good job designing this discipline, or people aren't critiquing the individual maneuvers.

industrious
2009-12-14, 11:57 AM
You still don't have Paper Thin Disguise up. Moving Duck Season/Rabbit Season to the tactical maneuver was a really good idea.

DracoDei
2009-12-14, 02:20 PM
Thank you very much for your time. I know I don't have "Paper-Thin Disguise" up, and "Dust Cloud Melee" still isn't finished. Also, I am probably going to add some banana-peel based maneuvers at SOME point...

But IF you were implying that that is keeping people from PEACHing, I don't think it should.

Debihuman
2009-12-14, 02:30 PM
Well, I can't tell whether or not it is balanced. I can say that it probably doesn't matter because it's too darn funny to matter.

Are you planning on finishing this? I hope you are because I'd love to see it completed.

Debby

DracoDei
2009-12-14, 02:59 PM
Sorry if this comes off as snappish... I am not actually angry, just in a WEIRD mood.


Well, I can't tell whether or not it is balanced. I can say that it probably doesn't matter because it's too darn funny to matter.
Well, I care about balance issues, even with humorous stuff (well except for my Acid Classes, but that is an entirely different kettle of fish). If other people don't care so much, then I GUESS I could proceed, but I really would like to get it balance-checked.

Are you planning on finishing this? I hope you are because I'd love to see it completed.

Well, I consider it to be in playable shape now given the number of maneuvers it has... but yes, I am planning on continuing work on it at some point... probably going to put a higher priority on it now that the thread is out of the "necro zone" again, and interest has been shown in it by the "Age of the Warriors" project.

It was the lack of PEACH that was a large part of getting me discouraged about continuing it quite frankly... hopeful people will second your opinion, or will PEACH it since I am specifically saying I DO care about balance...

Debihuman
2009-12-14, 03:50 PM
I'm really sorry that you are getting discouraged by the lack of feedback. It could just be that Tome of Battle wasn't a popular supplement. That's one of the drawbacks of homebrewing with supplemental material.

The bigger question about balance is what should this be balanced against? There really isn't anything to compare it to. Humor campaigns fill a different niche from serious campaign. Also, what may be overpowered in a serious campaign might be appropriate to a humorous one. Think Paranoia or Toon.

Debby

DracoDei
2009-12-14, 04:19 PM
I don't think that I was consciously thinking about what it should be balanced against. But since you ask, I think I am wanting to balance this against the existing Sword-Sage Disciplines.

DracoDei
2009-12-14, 05:12 PM
If people don't care about balance, then I guess I can live with that. It DOES make the job easier since I don't have to worry about evaluating people's critiques in that area (whereas before I thought that I first had to GET said critiques and THEN take them into account).

Ok, Paper Thin Disguise is now complete (although it is still a "first draft").

I am considering dropping it down a few levels (to what-ever the previous level that it makes sense to have a Sword-Sage getting a new stance), and/or making it so you can chose for Sense Motive to be the opposed skill, rather than Spot (or even have them have to roll whichever they have the lower total modifier to?).

How muddy/clear is what I have so far for Dust Cloud Melee to people? Note that it is lacking the rules for how individuals exit the melee and MAYBE some stuff about targeting/sneak attack.

Banana Peel based maneuvers may be coming soon (then again they may not).

elliott20
2009-12-14, 09:28 PM
Looking at this, I feel that trying to theory-craft the balance might difficult as of this time. I won't worry too much about the balance, since so far it doesn't seem like any of these are game breaking by themselves.

I say we put this out as is, and just let people play test it.

DracoDei
2009-12-14, 10:30 PM
Interesting... I would think that since MOST of them have FAIRLY standard effects from a mechanical point of view(electricity damage or blinding for instance) , and thus that it wouldn't be that hard to figure the balance... then again some of the combinations are a bit odd... AoE damage that coverts squares to rough terrain for example (although Deep-Stone sentinel may have something that does that...). Stuff like Zany Dodge, Giant Slingshot, or Fine China Drop are oddball enough that I could see them being noticeably harder. "Dust Cloud Melee" is probably among the hardest ones to balance without play-testing...

Anyway, if we can get some play-test that would be best of course. We can probably leave out the ones that do Sanity damage from that process at least at first BTW...

Saintheart
2009-12-14, 10:34 PM
Ohmygod this was funny.

I call dibs on building a homebrewed monster for this discipline. Coming soon, Dathy Duck, the Drake of Doom.

DracoDei
2009-12-14, 10:38 PM
Go for it, but I might also do something myself... eventually... (and for all I care other people can too).

alchemyprime
2009-12-15, 12:27 AM
Hey, Draco: Mind if I make this work with the Prime20 bard? They can get a little bit of martial maneuvers. I'm also thinking Ranger should get it.

elliott20
2009-12-15, 12:39 AM
Interesting... I would think that since MOST of them have FAIRLY standard effects from a mechanical point of view(electricity damage or blinding for instance) , and thus that it wouldn't be that hard to figure the balance... then again some of the combinations are a bit odd... AoE damage that coverts squares to rough terrain for example (although Deep-Stone sentinel may have something that does that...). Stuff like Zany Dodge, Giant Slingshot, or Fine China Drop are oddball enough that I could see them being noticeably harder. "Dust Cloud Melee" is probably among the hardest ones to balance without play-testing...

Anyway, if we can get some play-test that would be best of course. We can probably leave out the ones that do Sanity damage from that process at least at first BTW...
The simple stuff won't require too much thought, it's really the effects and boosts that tends to break things. That's why I say we should just get the material together, and just do an alpha in the fashion of d20r that Fax is doing right now.

DracoDei
2009-12-15, 12:58 AM
Hey, Draco: Mind if I make this work with the Prime20 bard? They can get a little bit of martial maneuvers. I'm also thinking Ranger should get it.
1.) I am honored, and you may.
2.) You are going to be type-casting your variant if you include this as anything other than an optional rule. EDIT: And now that I have looked at your thread,

bards being less spoony, more "Freddie Mercury meets the Music Meister".
and looked up "The Music Meister (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_Meister)" on Wikipedia, I guess it DOES fit pretty strongly into your vision... nothing like Freddie Mercury (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Mercury) though... and I think this qualifies as pretty "spoony"... but maybe I have a different definition than you do.
3.) Why would a RANGER get it? Fudd is the closest thing I can think of off hand that Looney Tunes has to a ranger, and he is a target dummy for these sorts of things, not their practitioner.


That's why I say we should just get the material together, and just do an alpha in the fashion of d20r that Fax is doing right now.

I don't know what Fax is doing... I don't tend to keep up with system re-writes very closely. That having been said... sure if it is working for him it should work for this.

elliott20
2009-12-15, 02:47 AM
his approach was pretty simple. Basically, just set the material out for everyone, and ask for people to do theoretical optimization, practical optimization, casual optimization, and such, just to show case what the system can do.

Basically, he's inviting everyone to break his system.

DracoDei
2009-12-15, 09:00 PM
The three Banana Peel based maneuvers are now up :thog: : Banana Peel Drop, Banana Bunch Peel Toss, and Rain of Banana Peels. They are currently levels 1, 3, and 7 respectively, although I might consider bumping the last one up to level 8 (and prehaps increasing the radius). I do note that since they are simple trip attempts, rather than rough terrain or AoOs, that that last one actually makes a half-way decent defense against War Master's Charge. I need to go edit in some clarifying language about it not counting as an AoO, and also the increasing DCs for the later two. EDIT: That SHOULD be done now.

This pushed the character count too high, so I had to split the maneuvers over two posts now (which are right next to eachother since I reserved the first when I made the thread).

Also, for anyone who missed it, Paper Thin Disguise was finished a few days ago.

DracoDei
2009-12-15, 10:49 PM
It has just occured to me that there is an entire source that might be perfect for this discipline, and which I am imperfectly acquanted with... then again it might just fall under rediculous skill levels in Craft (Trapmaking) and such things...

SPY VS SPY!

Having not read those hardly at all, I don't know if I could do it justice, but if anyone has suggestions about whether to include it, and how to do it if so, I would be glad to hear them...

Then again, I wonder if that should be an entire other discipline, given the number of maneuvers this is getting up to... although that MIGHT just argue in favor of increasing the pre-requisites for a lot of them.

EDIT: Also, I have been wondering for a long time about a "hallway of many doors"/"Wack A Mole" stance.

zerombr
2009-12-17, 06:36 AM
Misfire:

Plunk, Boom!

When Initiated, the character makes a Melee Touch Attack to plug the end of the opponent's weapon/put his finger on the arrow. If successful, the effect is resolved against the attacking character, though they gain evasion against spell effects from fouled wands and the like.

I think it should work on certain spells too, but the thing is, no good ranger or mage'll fall for this, but Elmer Fudd is hardly a good ranger.

here's how I think it could be worded.

Reaction: when a cast spell, or ranged attack provokes the character, the character may make a touch attack against the offender. if successful, the damage that would've been inflicted to the character is reflected back towards the caster/attacker.

this'd be much akin to someone firing a bow at you, putting your finger in front of the arrow, and having the bow spring backwards.

DracoDei
2009-12-17, 10:24 AM
Actually I already wrote up my version of that Counter, which works a bit differently. If people would like to see this version in there AS WELL (or for some reason think my version should be removed) then just tell me...

DracoDei
2009-12-21, 05:16 PM
Very small tweak to "Banana Peel Drop", and added some more to "Dust Cloud Melee".

Also, this discipline is now part of The Age of Warriors (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134088) project. It isn't posted over their, just going to be integrated into the PDF...

DracoDei
2009-12-22, 06:13 PM
Note to self: Move Paper Thin Disguise to a lower level, and consider abusability of combining Be Wary Wary Quwiet with Shadow hand maneuvers to save on skill points when creating higher level characters.

DracoDei
2010-01-13, 03:32 PM
Made a tweak to the Banana Peel Drop (and by extension the rest of that series) to handle people trying to jump over the square. Still haven't added rules for disposing of them with a long-spear or whatever.

Fable Wright
2010-01-13, 11:15 PM
ever seen 'animaniacs'? that's a great show for comedy ideas. One being the stance "I'm baaaaack.", basically dimension door back to the spot you were before you were bull rushed/thrown off a cliff/shot of against will in giant slingshot? maybe as part of tactical feat "Where are you?" along with maybe the skill slomo-speed; everyone else moves in slow motion, a standard and a move action each taking a turn, but the time can only be used for the third skill, 'provoke', in which your character draws a funny mustach/whatever on target, and target is treated as ragin aginst characers, who gain a dodge bonus to AC. provoked target is prone to picking up and throwing characters. Also, class does seem a little broken. Maybe for things like anvil strike, it would be an opposed reflex save, loser takes the damage.

DracoDei
2010-01-14, 09:26 AM
Thanks for the ideas. I don't have a TV at the moment so it may be hard to do that research, but I can certainly try to work with what you give me.

The damage values may need some tweaking, but I think that that specific strike is the ONE strike I KNOW is balanced. To see the reason for this look at the summary section for the Desert Wind strike it imitates. The only mechanical difference is that it does bludgeoning rather than fire damage. Fire resistance/immunity is pretty common, but not as common as DR (EDIT: Or at least I didn't THINK it was... someone in the PrC contest chat thread just said the opposite, if so, dropping it down to 5d6 might be appropriate...), and fire stops a lot of Regen..,. so I have to say that that SPECIFIC maneuver is balanced. The ones before and after it in the sequence might or might not be.

As one example of one that I am less sure about: Brick drop does less damage than a longbow in the hands of an archery focused character, has shorter range, but it IS a touch attack. You can't Rapid Shot or Full Attack with it, and ranged focused characters have a lot easier time getting off full attacks.

The Vorpal Tribble
2010-03-16, 10:56 AM
Still trying to get used to how to make stances and maneuvers, but here are suggestions if you want to get to them before me.

Knocked Loopy
I'm thwee years old!
Whenever you take bludgeoning, force or damage from something falling upon you, you can instead choose to take 1 point of wisdom damage. Energy attacks, explosions, or any of the above that would deal enough damage to kill you, instead leave you Dazed.

Where'd He Go?
Something screwy going on here...
You can use a full-round action to always stay directly behind your opponent. You make a bluff check against his spot and add your base speed to the check. If successful are effectively invisible, and move as he moves, always flanking him. If you take any other action the stance ends, but your target is flat-footed when you act it.

Flat As A Pancake
If you hit by a bludgeoning object or by a falling item, such as an anvil, you can choose to take no damage but are squashed flat. Your size is effectively reduced to Tiny, and you can fit through horizontal spaces 4 inches wide or wider. While in this condition your speed is quartered, to a minimum speed of 10 ft. This condition lasts for a number of rounds equal to the HD of damage dealt.

Pancake Blow
As Flat As A Pancake except you may cause this condition on another.

DracoDei
2010-03-16, 11:40 AM
Knocked Loopy
I'm thwee years old!
Whenever you take bludgeoning, force or damage from something falling upon you, you can instead choose to take 1 point of wisdom damage. Energy attacks, explosions, or any of the above that would deal enough damage to kill you, instead leave you Dazed.
Sounds like an improved version of Stance of the Looney. Might make it a feat with that stance as a pre-requisite. Maybe Improved Toughness and/or Great Fortitude too since the wisdom damage doesn't scale with level... making the damage into burn (like stance of the Looney is) would be a potentially serious nerf to keep it under control at higher levels.

Where'd He Go?
Something screwy going on here...
You can use a full-round action to always stay directly behind your opponent. You make a bluff check against his spot and add your base speed to the check. If successful are effectively invisible, and move as he moves, always flanking him. If you take any other action the stance ends, but your target is flat-footed when you act it.
Probably not adding your full speed in feet... maybe +1 for each square in your full speed? Sounds like a weird stance that you can only initiate when adjacent to a foe and has the full-round action maintenance cost as well as a full-round initiation... either that or a similar Boost... the Boost would be the more powerful option of course, since stances are usually more important than boosts I think (if you can't use a boost in a given round that is no big deal, but losing your stance can often be critical and is usually annoying).

Flat As A Pancake
If you hit by a bludgeoning object or by a falling item, such as an anvil, you can choose to take no damage but are squashed flat. Your size is effectively reduced to Tiny, and you can fit through horizontal spaces 4 inches wide or wider. While in this condition your speed is quartered, to a minimum speed of 10 ft. This condition lasts for a number of rounds equal to the HD of damage dealt.
Needs a few more penalties spelled out, like "can not attack physically or use spells or abilities with somatic components", but otherwise it is great for getting into places, and if the fighter can turn you on edge and roll you like a quarter, it works for vertical cracks too. Just keep Anvil Drop on your maneuver's known list and you are good to go...

Pancake Blow
As Flat As A Pancake except you may cause this condition on another.
Needs to allow a Fort save probably, since otherwise "Anvil Drop" just became a low level, touch attack fight-ender against anything that relies on most things other than psionics to get the job done. 6 rounds to "surround and pound" with them at quarter speed? Almost anything would rather be slowed... in fact, maybe the repeated saves of Hold Person, but Fort, rather than Will are in order here. I could turn it into a Boost that only works with this discipline's "________ Drop" maneuvers... it does make "Viking Longboat Drop" absolutely devastating... maybe say that since they share the load-bearing, each creature gets +1 to its fort save(s) against the effect for each other creature struck by that same effect?

The Vorpal Tribble
2010-03-16, 04:25 PM
Ah... well, here's the thing. I like, really, really suck at combat rules. If you notice almost everything of mine is caster/manifesting/etc based.

I'm just throwing those ideas out.

Working on my own maneuvers/stances for a PrC in my campaign. Trying to get the hang of it.

DracoDei
2010-03-16, 11:21 PM
Well, the core concepts are worth-while, usually just the numbers and such need changing (and usually in pretty simple ways)... and some gaps got filled in of course, but you knew THAT.

You learn something (not much necessarily... I don't feel very certain myself...), and I get to say I actually managed to teach the great VT something.

DracoDei
2010-11-08, 09:28 PM
Bumping these two threads (this one, and the maneuvers-by-level one) because:
Created two new feats, which each enhance a specific set of Falling Anvil maneuvers in some way.
I split "Give Bundle of Dynamite" (which did 20d6 damage) and was at 7th level, into two different maneuvers. A 6th level one that kept the old one's name but now does 15d6 damage, and the new one "Give Box of Dynamite" which does 22d6 damage and is 8th level.

I shall reproduce all of these below, since I am informed by someone in authority is the polite way of doing things (When bumping one's own thread when it is past the necro-zone, which I am further informed is not something it is necessary to ask permision before doing):

Eye for Comedy (A rough draft before I forget the idea)
Having keen eyes to find humor even at long ranges, you can inflict hilarious injury and insult from a greater distance.
Prerequisites:
-Two Falling Anvil Strikes that each meet one of the following requirements: deal bludgeoning damage from a falling object or electricity damage or create banana peels.
-Spot 7 ranks
Benefits: The range on all your Falling Anvil strikes that deal bludgeoning damage from a falling object or electricity damage or create banana peels doubles.




Hot Potato (A rough draft before I forget the idea)
"Hey! Catch!"
Prerequisites:
-Dexterity 13 OR Strength 13
-BAB +5
Benefits: For purposes of the Give Bomb, Give Bundle of Dynamite, and Give Box of Dynamite strikes treat your reach, and the reach of your target as being tripled and you add the higher of your dexterity or strength modifier to your bluff checks involved in such maneuvers.



Give Bundle of Dynamite
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 6
Prerequisite: 3 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Target's reach or yours, whichever is greater
Target: One Creature
Duration: Instantaneous

"Fire in the hole!"

A bundle of 7 sticks of dynamite with a lit fuse leading out from it appears in your hand. As part of this maneuver you may attempt to give it to an opponent whose reach you are within, and/or who is within your reach. At the very least they must free up an appendage to take it if they have such an appendage, dropping an object to the ground in their space if necessary. Make an opposed bluff check against the target. The loser takes 15d6 fire damage as the bomb explodes in their grasp (or on top of their head if they have no manipulative appendages). The target of this ability must have a charisma score.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.


Give Box of Dynamite
Falling Anvil (Strike) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 8
Prerequisite: 3 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Target's reach or yours, whichever is greater
Target: One Creature
Duration: Instantaneous

"Here... hold this just a sec... I insist."

A moderately sized wooden box with many sticks of dynamite with lit fuses sticking out of it haphazardly from it appears in two of your hands. As part of this maneuver you may attempt to give it to an opponent whose reach you are within, and/or who is within your reach. At the very least they must free up an appendage (if at least 1 size catagory larger than you) or two (if the same size class as you or smaller) to take it if they have such a(n) appendage(s), dropping one or more objects to the ground in their space if necessary. Make an opposed bluff check against the target. The loser takes 22d6 fire damage as the box explodes in their grasp (or on top of their head if they have no manipulative appendages). The target of this ability must have a charisma score.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.




Note that the damage increment on the second one still probably leaves it behind the curve since more and more things will be immune, but it is also much more useful for disarming since it requires two hands.




So... P.E.A.C.H. away!

ryleah
2010-11-12, 07:29 AM
It seems like the character using these abilities would wind up deader than a doornail rather quickly. Most of the other disciplines give you ways to mitigate or negate damage, whereas your seems to actively put it's user into harm's way.

Not Looking Down
Falling Anvil (Stance) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 8
Prerequisite: 3 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

By not looking down you can willfully ignore the effects of gravity. This grants the effects of Air Walk as long as you avoid looking down, however you can only climb 5' for every 20' of horizontal motion. Unfortunately this means that all creatures that do not have at least some part of their body at least 5' above you are effectively invisible to you.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Cool, Fluffy, Terribly weak for an 8th level maneuver, not to mention it would probably get you very quickly killed by "invisible" opponents.


Giant Slingshot
Falling Anvil [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 4
Prerequisite: Two Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 3 full round actions
Range: 200 feet per initiator level
Target: You and up to 1 allied creature per 3 initiator levels (familiars do not count against this limit)
Duration: Instantaneous

"I recommend ACME brand giant slingslots!.... Waaahoohooey!!!!!"

A kit appears in front of you. You may select an aim point, then spend all your actions for the next 3 rounds constructing a giant slingshot on any surface solid enough to walk on. The requisite number of people may load themselves into the slingshot on the third round and you may fire yourselves to the aim point with miss rules as if you each were a catapult stone fired from a catapult (You may substitute Bluff for Profession(Siege Engineer) if you wish). Note that the range is potentially much greater than the range of even a heavy catapult. You all take 1d6 damage per 500 feet or fraction there-of traveled and fall prone on landing. Half this damage (rounded down) is non-lethal, the rest is lethal. Natural and magical flight, Featherfall and all other abilities that could alter the passengers' path of travel or reduce the damage are inactive until after they land. A few notes:

* This is NOT a teleportation effect, thus you MUST have a half-plausible ballistic path to the target area.
* You yourself MUST be one of the passengers or the device will not function, and the catch is designed to be released from the cup of the slingshot.
* The size of the passengers is completely irrelevant. It is entirely possible to load yourself, a druid, a paladin, the paladin's warhorse, and the druid's dire elephant animal companion into the slingshot and launch all of you successfully. (And, perhaps more importantly, it is ridiculously funny to boot... for bonus points fill up any unused slots you have by having your party members summon the largest creatures they can.)

The summoning and vanishing of the materials created by this effect is a supernatural effect, but their use is not.
Hilariously Awesome, WILL eventually cause a party wipe



Stretchy Dodge
Falling Anvil (Stance) [Chaos]
Level: Swordsage 3
Prerequisite: 2 Falling Anvil maneuvers, non-lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

While in this stance you may take no actions except ending this Stance (usually by switching to another one) and making the attacks it grants you. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, actions granted by White Raven Maneuvers performed by your allies and attacks of opportunity. It does NOT include Counters that do not allow movement or anything else that might be considered offensive including attacks. You replace your armor class (including flat-footed, touch, etc) with your 10 + total modifier to Bluff Checks and gain the Mettle, Slippery Mind, and Improved Evasion abilities. For every third attack(including spells that cause you to roll a saving throw and such like) by a true foe or someone under the influence of a Dominate spell by a true foe that fails to have any effect on you you, you may make one attack at an opponent who has missed you within the last round. This count carries over from round to round for as long as you maintain this stance, but once you earn an attack you must make it immediately or it is wasted. This attack may be an attack action, or any maneuver or offensive spell that may be performed as a Swift, Immediate, Free, or Standard Action. There is no limit to the number of actions you may make in this way per round.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Making one attack per 3 attacks made against you is a very good way to get yourself killed, even with a slightly higher ac

Basically, what this school needs for balance is some better defensive options. That said, I'm playing a half troll swordsage with this school at the next opportunity I get.

DracoDei
2010-11-12, 12:27 PM
Thank you very much for taking the time to respond. You are the first person to critique individual maneuvers in quite a while.

It seems like the character using these abilities would wind up deader than a doornail rather quickly. Most of the other disciplines give you ways to mitigate or negate damage, whereas your seems to actively put it's user into harm's way.
The idea is more that in leu of your enemy doing bad things to you, you negate that... and this also causes a DIFFERENT bad thing to happen to you. Hopefully one of a much lower severity.


Cool, Fluffy, Terribly weak for an 8th level maneuver, not to mention it would probably get you very quickly killed by "invisible" opponents.
The only other stance (EDIT: I was wrong, see next post.) that grants continuous flight is also 8th level (Rising Pheonix) and while it does also do a piddlying 3d6 fire damage to any creature adjacent to you when you make a full attack, it doesn't let you get more than 10 feet above a solid or liquid surface... if you try to float over the edge of a moderately sized cliff (anything that would alter your altitude to be more than 10 feet) the stance ends and you plummet. As such, this is arguably a BETTER flight effect, especially outside of combat.


Hilariously Awesome, WILL eventually cause a party wipe
Well, you better NOT be talking about the damage all by itself:
At initiator level 7 (when you first get it) this maneuver has a maximum range of 1,400 feet, for a maximum damage per character of 3d6. At initiator level 20, this has a maximum range of 4,000 feet. At 1d6 per 500 feet, that works out to 8d6 damage... any party that is stupid enough that the healbot doesn't take the three rounds it takes to build the slingshot to top off anyone who would be in any real danger from that, pretty much deserves what they get in my book, especially since half the damage is non-lethal. Now, granted, if you happen to drop yourself in the middle of combat it could be problematic... but that sounds like a CHARACTER killer, not a PARTY killer to me, but I could be wrong.

As for missing the target on a bad Profession(Seige Engineer)/Bluff check* I would thing there are plenty of situations where you have a comfortable margin for error... still I could see this being an issue.

*Which is basically always going to be a bluff check for anyone not accessing the maneuver through a martial script or Cap of the Falling Anvil.

So... was it the possibility of the party glass cannon getting killed after getting dropped into an ambush, a miss dropping someone into a bad spot, the drain on the parties healing to keep everyone topped off, or did you mis-read and think that the damage was more than a mostly-flavor amount?

Making one attack per 3 attacks made against you is a very good way to get yourself killed, even with a slightly higher ac You make a valid point in as much as if it is only SLIGHTLY higher, then it isn't high enough. Checking one the character currently playing in my game (http://www.thetangledweb.net/forums/profiler/view_char.php?cid=30107), it doesn't increase his basic AC, although it increases his touch AC. My Age of Warriors Testing (http://www.thetangledweb.net/forums/profiler/view_char.php?cid=40845) character, OTOH, gains 10 points of general AC (17 for touch AC) when he kicks this in. Granted, that character has really pumped his Bluff checks (+2 Discipline Focus, +3 skill focus, MW Item of Bluff (shades), +3 custom magic item(Tongue-Stud of Glibness)). The MW item might not fly with some GMs, but then again, most parties won't have the guy with Falling Anvil access carrying around that many Fly potions, and I could have sunk the money into a better enhancement bonus on the tongue-stud.

The major thing you may have missed is this isn't really meant to be an offensive stance hardly ever. This is a panic button, pure and simple. It happens to be pretty darn good against touch attacks. On top of that, you also get: Slippery Mind, Improved Evasion, and Mettle.

I could MAYBE see bumping the AC up to as much as 15+Total Bluff Mod, and giving a +2 untyped bonus to all saving throws... or maybe some DR and/or SR or something. Also, I need to rewrite it to make it more obvious that you can use most defensive counters. Actually another possibility is that you can use strikes in it normally, but you never cause your opponent any harm. If that seems pointless to anyone reading this, I have a few words for you: Stone Bones, Iron Bones, Adamintine Bones, Stone Power... and in some odd cases: Crusader's Strike, Martial Spirit, Revitalizing Strike, Rallying Strike, and Strike of Righteous Vitality. EDIT: Actually, I am going to go see if I can put this benefit in right now as well as clarify the use of counters.


What do other people think? Anyone? Don't be shy!

Basically, what this school needs for balance is some better defensive options. That said, I'm playing a half troll swordsage with this school at the next opportunity I get.
The second highest type of compliment I ever expect a peice of my homebrew to receive is if someone uses it. You won't be the first, and hopefully won't be the last, but it is still high praise. The highest would be if they would actually get back to me after using it and tell me how it went (preferably in more detail rather than less). In the ranks I have given up on ever achieving we have actual publication (not necessarily for pay). It seems like all the attempts to create dead-tree editions fall through...



EDIT: Ok, Stretchy Dodge is now powered up in a large number of subtle ways, including the ability to make buffing/healing strikes (Stone Bones etc) and to recover maneuvers.

DracoDei
2010-11-18, 10:09 PM
Well, it appears I somehow over-looked Shadow Hand's "Balance on the Sky". I might move "Not Looking Down" to a lower level, especially if I can figure another 8th level stance... then again, since Rising Pheonix is ALSO 8th level, that probably means that Shadow Hand is just better than Desert Wind in that respect.

Jaerc
2012-06-12, 04:31 AM
Lol. This is terrific.

Welknair
2012-06-12, 09:53 AM
{Scrubbed}

averagejoe
2012-06-13, 09:15 PM
The Mod They Call Me: Thread necromancy.