(3.5) (ToB) Three Devoted Spirit Maneuvers (PEACH)

[DracoDei]

These are to attempt to round out Devoted Spirit for the third axis of alignment (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/printthread.php?t=55828).

Aura of Normality
Devoted Spirit (Stance) [Square]
Level: Crusader 6
Prerequisite: Two Devoted Spirit maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
Any who come within a 10 foot radius (regardless of if you or them are just moving by at the time or if you or someone else's turn starts and/or ends with them in the radius) of you while you are in this stance are subject to a Calm Emotions effect that lasts a number of minutes equal to your initiator level unless broken or you exit this stance. The will save to resist this effect has a DC of (10 + 1/2 your Initiator Level + your Charisma modifier). In order to assume or maintain this stance you must have no weapons drawn, not move more than your speed each round, and cast no spells with visible effects, or somatic or verbal components. Breaking any of these restrictions ends the stance immediately.



Aura of Awesome
Devoted Spirit (Stance) [Funky]
Level: Crusader 6
Prerequisite: Two Devoted Spirit maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
Each enemy who comes within a 10 foot radius (regardless of if you or them are just moving by at the time or if you or someone else's turn starts and/or ends with them in the radius) of you while you are in this stance gains an action point (maximum 1 per combat for enemies). If they spend it, or end their turn with it (even if dead/defeated) you, or an ally within 10' of you gain an action point. All actions points gained in this way are lost at the end of combat.



Leisurely Power Walk
Devoted Spirit (Strike) [Square]
Level: Crusader 5
Prerequisite: One Devoted Spirit maneuver, Square Alignment
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: See below
Target: One Creature
Duration: End of your NEXT turn + 1 round
You power-walk towards an opponent in a very sedate manner. As part of this maneuver you must move, as nearly as possible, exactly half the distance to a foe you could charge. You must move directly towards them in the line you would charge them along. The next round if you perform a move action followed by a melee attack on that foe, and they are of Funky alignment, they are caught off-guard by your nonchalant approach. You catch them flat-footed, and gain all of the benefits (but none of the draw-backs) of a charge. In addition, if you hit and your traget is Funky aligned, you gain the benefits of Sanctuary with a DC of 15 + your Charisma modifier for one round and deal an extra +6d6 damage with your attack.



Moon-Walk
Devoted Spirit (Strike) [Funky]
Level: Crusader 5
Prerequisite: One Devoted Spirit maneuver, Funky Alignment
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One Creature
As part of this maneuver, move up to your speed and make a single attack. You automatically catch your target flat-footed. Also, when moving as part of this maneuverDue to your seemingly vulnerable nature, all creatures that could make attacks of opportunity against you during this movement must do so, but you actually gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against such attacks.
In addition, if you hit a Square target with this attack, you gain DR 15/Square for one round and deal an extra +6d6 damage with your attack.


What do people think of the balance?
I think Leasurely Power Walk may need some bonus damage... maybe about 4d6? EDIT: Did 6d6.

EDIT: Added first draft of Moon-Walk.

[Siosilvar]

It's very difficult to walk half the distance to your target if you're within melee range... especially so if you have no reach weapon.

[DracoDei]

You can't charge a foe you start at melee range with anyway (barring fairly unusual circumstances). The initial conditions specify "a foe you could charge".

[Siosilvar]

You can't charge a foe you start at melee range with anyway (barring fairly unusual circumstances). The initial conditions specify "a foe you could charge".

They also specify Range: Melee Attack.

[DracoDei]

Ah, right. Fixed (albeit in a somewhat clumsy manner... tell me if you have a better idea).

[Galileo]

I don't really get Aura of Awesome. Your enemies get an action point for coming nearby, then no matter what they do with it, you get one?

[katans]

Hi there,

Aura of Square is basically a heightened Calm Emotions with a shorter range. It seems a bit weak for a 6th level stance.

Aura of Awesome has strange mechanics, as Insanealien pointed out.

Leisurely Power Walk shouldn't be 5th level; charge with extra damage vs. FF is nice, Sanctuary is the (mostly useless) cherry on the top, but on the whole it's not much compared to, say, Doom Charge / Radiant Charge / Law Bearer etc. If you're going for similar mechanics, I'd suggest +8 to hit, +4d6 dmg, target can't attack you directly in any way (spells or weapon) for 1 full round.

BR
K

[DracoDei]

I don't really get Aura of Awesome. Your enemies get an action point for coming nearby, then no matter what they do with it, you get one?
Yes, that is exactly what it does.

By a certain logic action points are a character's chance to be more Awesome so giving them out like candy should make EVERY fight Awesome, right? And I wanted to avoid hewing too close to Aura of Chaos.

[DracoDei]

Leisurely Power Walk shouldn't be 5th level; charge with extra damage vs. FF is nice, Sanctuary is the (mostly useless) cherry on the top,
What is "FF"?
Half the point is that, especially from a fluff perspective, you AREN'T charging them.

I can a to-hit bonus and more damage... and why is Sanctuary useless? If it is because it ends if you take offensive action, then that doesn't apply much in this case since the duration starts at the END of your turn, so until and unless you AoO, or if someone delays or readies an action, it just ends somewhere in your next turn usually, only very very slightly ahead of when it would end otherwise.

[katans]

What is "FF"?

Flat-footed. Sorry, I'm being lazy...


I can a to-hit bonus and more damage...

Which unfortunately aren't really in the range expected of a 5th level maneuver. Heck, get a look at Divine Surge.


and why is Sanctuary useless? If it is because it ends if you take offensive action, then that doesn't apply much in this case since the duration starts at the END of your turn

Missed that part, gotta admit the wording is confusing. Anyway, you're losing your offensive options for 1 full round (while you're supposed to be the frontline fighter and don't have that many "nonagressive" options to choose from), are still not safe against an AoE spell, and a Will save can still negate the effect. Granted, the fighter's unlikely to succeed, but the the enemy CoDzilla or Wizard (your main problems) may very well come through.

[DracoDei]

Anyway, you're losing your offensive options for 1 full round (while you're supposed to be the frontline fighter and don't have that many "nonagressive" options to choose from)
The only "aggressive actions" you are likely to lose are your AoO's:
1.) You wander in a vague manner toward an opponent and end your turn (this is pretty nasty for you actually, I probably need to pump things up a bit).
2.) Turn 2, You move up to the foe.
3.) You attack the foe and hit (a requirement for all the 5th level strikes of this sort).
3.) Your turn is now OVER and you gain a Sanctuary effect.
4.) Turns 2 and/or 3,Everyone else takes their turns. Since adventures fight plenty of things that DON'T have class levels, and some of them are melee focused, the will save may actually come up.
5.) Turn 3, Your turn starts. Lacking in non-aggressive actions, you charge someone (let us say). Any AoO's you provoke are subject to the Sanctuary effect, because you haven't actually struck a blow (ok, that part could be open to GM interpretation... but say you single move and attack because you don't have a direct line to charge...) you attack... the Sanctuary effect ends, but it doesn't matter because it was going to end a split second later anyway.


So you have one turn by every enemy when you are protected by the Sanctuary effect. Unless you chose to make an AoO (which, as a crusader is a lot weaker than your normal attacks, since you can't use a maneuver) it is only during one of YOUR turns that you might end the effect early and if you manage to avoid provoking AoOs (often a good idea) then you have received the full benefit of the effect.

This biggest problem with the Sanctuary effect may be that as a Crusader you often WANT to take a little damage to fuel your Furious Counterstrike class feature

[Sereg]

I was thinking that this had to be done sometime. Same for soulmelds and certain non-core spells, but anyway. For the fourth maneuver, maybe something like "Moonwalk".

[DracoDei]

That could work... and even walking backwards in a super-cool way gives me an idea, although it initially seemed like a problem to work with.

[DracoDei]

First draft of Moon-Walk now added and edited Leasurely Power-Walk to bump up the damage and restrict its usefulness (mostly) to targets of Funky alignment.