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DaTedinator
2010-06-07, 11:12 PM
THUNDER BOLT

When studying and gathering the various martial styles that would eventually be known as the Sublime Way, Reshar apparently and inexplicably ignored an entire category of weapons: ranged ones. While there were a number of martial experts who disagreed with Reshar’s blanket disapproval, few were angered more than the dwarves of the Thunderhead clan.

The Thunderheads were masters of the crossbow, with the lesser members of the clan able to shoot a pebble at 50 yards. They trained with stone crossbows and bolts until ones of wood were as light and easy to manipulate as a feather, and any clan member who ever missed was struck once by every clan member for every bolt they wasted. Their concentration was incredible, and they were able to remain as steady as stone in every situation, with focus that rivaled the most dedicated of monks. Needless to say, they felt insulted when Reshar considered swordplay more “sublime” than their crossbow shooting, and they made it their personal mission to spread their teachings to as wide an audience as possible, even if that meant watering it down a bit.

The way of the Thunder Bolt is unfortunately not available to all; a potential practitioner must be proficient with at least a single associated weapon. Of the usual followers of the Sublime Way, only Warblades aren’t naturally proficient with at least simple crossbows, though it’s not difficult to gain proficiency.

However, the cost of studying such a foreign style is indeed great; the potential practitioner must devote such a large amount of training to the style that most must exclude another style from their learning entirely. Upon gaining their first level of a martial class, a character may choose to lose all access to one discipline usually known (other than Stone Dragon) in order to gain access to Thunder Bolt. Additionally, if Concentration wasn’t a class skill for the initiate, it becomes one, and the removed discipline's associated skill is no longer a class skill.

The Crunch:Key Skill: Concentration

Associated Weapons: All crossbows. If your campaign uses them, firearms and/or ray weapons (”http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5867363#post5867363”) could also be considered associated. It's up to the DM.

As usual, any weapon – including a thrown melee one – can be used with this discipline, even if it’s not an associated weapon.

The ranges “ranged attack” and “first range increment” are exactly what they sound like. A strike with the range of “ranged attack” has the same range as whatever weapon is being used - and obviously can't be a melee attack - and range penalties are calculated as normal. A strike with a range of “first range increment” is limited to a single range increment of whatever weapon is being used.

Saves for Thunder Bolt are based on Wisdom.


THUNDER BOLT MANEUVERS


1ST LEVEL

• Bowslinging: Stance- Reduced penalties to shooting one-handed, and reload even if both hands are full.
• Careful Shooting: Boost- Make ranged attacks in melee without provoking attacks of opportunity
• Forceful Shot: Strike- Damage and knock down a target.
• Hands and Feet: Boost- Move and reload as a single action

2ND LEVEL

• Called Shot: Strike- Make an especially damaging attack
• Ogre’s Reach: Counter- Attack an adjacent foe foolish enough to let their guard down
• Shatter the Stone: Strike- Make an attack that ignores DR and hardness
• Split the Arrow: Counter- Shoot down an incoming arrow

3RD LEVEL

• Cleaving Shots: Stance- Damage multiple enemies in a line
• Find the Gap: Boost- Gain bonuses against armored foes
• The Bigger They Are: Strike- Deal more damage to larger foes

4TH LEVEL

• Ogreslayer: Strike- Deal extra damage, stun target
• Thread the Needle: Strike- Make an attack regardless of intervening barriers
• Trollbane Shots: Stance- Your bolts remain embedded in a foe

5TH LEVEL

• Giant’s Reach: Counter- Attack a nearby foe foolish enough to let his guard down
• Shatter the Boulder: Strike- Make an attack that ignores DR and hardness and damages Constitution
• Split the Boulder: Counter- Shoot down an incoming projectile, regardless of size

6TH LEVEL

• Fell the Ettin: Stance- Attack twice for every attack
• Pierce the Gap: Boost- Make ranged attacks as touch attacks

7TH LEVEL

• Titan’s Reach: Counter- Attack a distant foe foolish enough to let his guard down
• Darting Hare: Strike- Move and attack, dealing extra damage to foes you move through

8TH LEVEL

• Giantslayer: Strike- Deal massive damage, stun target
• I Can Smell Your Fear: Stance- Unerringly hit anyone you can detect

9TH LEVEL

• Shatter the Mountain: Strike- Utterly destroy your target


Maneuver Descriptions

1ST LEVELBowslinging
Thunder Bolt (Stance)
Level: Crusader 1, Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

You hold a crossbow in each hand, proficiently firing and reloading despite the apparent difficulties.

You reduce the penalties for shooting a crossbow one-handed by -2. Additionally, you may reload a crossbow even if you don’t have a free hand, though the time it takes is increased a single step (free action to move action to standard action to full-round action); if it would already take a full-round action, you cannot reload without having a hand free. This does not increase the reload time specified by any maneuver (such as Fell the Ettin) or the Instant Reload feat.

Careful Shooting
Thunder Bolt (Boost)
Level: Crusader 1, Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: One round

Taking your shots carefully, you manage to keep yourself protected while shooting.

You don’t provoke attacks of opportunity for firing a ranged weapon in melee, or for reloading a ranged weapon.

Forceful Shot
Thunder Bolt (Strike)
Level: Crusader 1, Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: 30 feet
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous

You shoot a target squarely in his center of gravity, bowling him over.

You make a single ranged attack as a part of this maneuver. If it hits, the target must immediately make a Fortitude save (DC 11 + your Wisdom modifier) or be knocked prone.

Hands and Feet
Thunder Bolt (Boost)
Level: Crusader 1, Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: 1 move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

You adeptly reload your weapon while positioning yourself to better shoot it.

You move up to your base land speed as a standard move action, and reload your crossbow as a part of the same action, even if would normally take longer.

2ND LEVELCalled Shot
Thunder Bolt (Strike)
Level: Crusader 2, Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Prerequisite: One Thunder Bolt maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: First range increment
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous

You pause amidst the chaos to carefully aim your shot, looking to cause as much pain as possible.

As a part of this maneuver, you make a single ranged attack. If you hit, you deal extra damage equal to your ranks in the Concentration skill.

Ogre’s Reach
Thunder Bolt (Counter)
Level: Crusader 2, Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: 10 feet
Target: One opponent who provokes an attack of opportunity
Duration: Instantaneous

Though they may have thought themselves safe, you manage take advantage of an opponent’s momentary lapse in guard.

You make a single ranged attack against an opponent who performs an action that would provoke an attack of opportunity if you threatened them in melee. You must expend an attack of opportunity to use this maneuver.

Shatter the Stone
Thunder Bolt (Strike)
Level: Crusader 2, Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: First range increment
Target: One creature or object
Duration: Instantaneous

Your bolt flies to the weakest point of your opponent, piercing through an otherwise impenetrable defense.

As a part of this maneuver, you make a single ranged attack. If you hit, you deal standard damage for a ranged attack, ignoring any DR other than DR/epic, or hardness the target has.

Split the Arrow
Thunder Bolt (Counter)
Level: Crusader 2, Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: 30 feet
Target: One projectile
Duration: Instantaneous

As the enemy archer’s arrow hurtles through the air, you deftly pick it off with a shot of your own before it can hit its target.

When you or an ally within range is targeted by a ranged attack, you may oppose the attack with an attack of your own. If your attack roll is higher than your or your ally’s AC, the enemy’s arrow must overcome your attack roll instead of its target’s AC. This maneuver cannot stop anything that Deflect Arrows couldn’t deflect.

3RD LEVELCleaving Shots
Thunder Bolt (Stance)
Level: Crusader 3, Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisite: One Thunder Bolt maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

Your bolts fly true even after slaying an opponent.

While in this stance, whenever you drop an opponent with a ranged attack, you may make an additional attack at the same bonus against an opponent in a straight, 5-foot wide line behind the opponent you dropped. Range penalties are calculated from your location, rather than the opponent’s location. This attack is made with the same piece of ammunition as the original attack; you don’t lose another bolt or need to reload.

This stance can never allow you to attack the same creature twice with the same bolt (such as with the Penetrating Shot feat).

Find the Gap
Thunder Bolt (Boost)
Level: Crusader 3, Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: One round

Your firm concentration and keen eye allows you to spot the best places to fit an arrow through your opponent’s armor.

You gain a bonus to attacks against armored opponents equal to the opponent’s armor check penalty.

The Bigger They Are
Thunder Bolt (Boost)
Level: Crusader 3, Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Ranged attack
Target: One opponent within range
Duration: Instantaneous

Your keen eyes are able to spot weak points in larger enemies easier.

As a part of this maneuver, make a single ranged attack. If it hits, this attack deals extra damage based on the target’s size:
{table=”head”]Target’s Size|Extra Damage
Small or Smaller|+1d6
Medium|+2d4
Large| +3d6
Huge|+4d6
Gargantuan|+4d8
Colossal|+6d8
Colossal+|+8d8[/table]

4TH LEVELOgreslayer
Thunder Bolt (Strike)
Level: Crusader 4, Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Ranged attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude Partial

You shoot a bolt capable of felling an ogre in a single shot.

As a part of this maneuver, you make a Concentration check, with a DC equal to the target’s AC. If you succeed, you may make a single ranged attack. If you hit, the attack deals +4d8 damage, and the target must make a Fortitude save (DC 14 + your Wisdom modifier) or be stunned until the beginning of your next turn.

If you fail the Concentration check, you lose the action spent on this attack.

Thread the Needle
Thunder Bolt (Strike)
Level: Crusader 4, Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Ranged attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous

Your focus is such that you can accurately shot a bolt across a battlefield, or even through walls.

As a part of this maneuver, you make a single ranged attack. This attack is made with complete disregard for any physical concealment (incorporeal miss chance or something similar still applies), cover, or any martial maneuver of 3rd level or lower that would prevent your attack from hitting. You also take no penalty for firing into melee.

Trollbane Shots
Thunder Bolt (Stance)
Level: Crusader 4, Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Prerequisite: Two Thunder Bolt maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

You carefully aim your shots to remain embedded in your opponent’s flesh, hindering the wounds from being healed.

Any physical damage from your ranged attacks cannot be healed by fast healing or regeneration (though regeneration still turns the damage to nonlethal). This stance has no effect if you’re attacking an opponent without a discernable anatomy.

5TH LEVELGiant’s Reach
Thunder Bolt (Counter)
Level: Crusader 5, Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: 20 feet
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous

While a normal archer would be unable to take advantage of your foes lapse in guard, you are no normal archer.

You make a single ranged attack against an opponent who performs an action that would provoke an attack of opportunity if you threatened them in melee. You must expend an attack of opportunity to use this maneuver.

Shatter the Boulder
Thunder Bolt (Strike)
Level: Crusader 5, Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: First range increment
Target: One creature or object
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude Partial

Your bolt penetrates the weakest point of your opponent, piercing through their defenses and wounding them deeply.

As a part of this maneuver, you make a single ranged attack. If you hit, you deal standard damage for a ranged attack, ignoring any DR other than DR/epic, or hardness the target has. Additionally, if the target is a living creature, it must make a Fortitude save (DC 15 + your Wisdom modifier) or take 4 Constitution damage. If the target is a construct, undead, object, or otherwise lacks a Constitution score, it takes an extra 1d6 points of damage per initiator level.

Split the Boulder
Thunder Bolt (Counter)
Level: Crusader 5, Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: 30 feet
Target: One projectile
Duration: Instantaneous

As the enemy giant confidently throws a boulder at you, you calmly take aim and shoot the boulder, splitting it in half and laughing as it lands harmlessly on either side of you.

When you or an ally within range is targeted by a massive ranged attack, you may oppose the attack with an attack of your own. If your attack roll is higher than your or your ally’s AC, the enemy’s projectile must overcome your attack roll instead of its target’s AC.

Alternatively, this maneuver may be used to automatically counter a ranged attack made by a small projectile (anything Deflect Arrows could defend against).

6TH LEVEL Fell The Ettin
Thunder Bolt (Stance)
Level: Crusader 6, Swordsage 6, Warblade 6
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

With techniques originally studied to slay the two-headed ettins, you quickly fire two shots for every one a lesser bowman could fire.

Whenever you make a ranged attack within the first range increment of your weapon, you may instead make two attacks against the same creature, each at a -4. If you use this ability with a martial maneuver, only the first attack has the effects of the martial maneuver; the second is just a standard ranged attack. You reload as a free action in between the two attacks.

Pierce The Gap
Thunder Bolt (Boost)
Level: Crusader 6, Swordsage 6, Warblade 6
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round

Your trained eye can see the vulnerable locations in your opponent’s armor, completely ignoring it.

Your ranged attacks are resolved as touch attacks.

7TH LEVELDarting Hare
Thunder Bolt (Strike)
Level: Crusader 7, Swordsage 7, Warblade 7
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: First range increment
Target: One or more creatures
Duration: Instantaneous

You quickly and ably dart around and between your opponents, leaving them open to your attacks.

As a part of this maneuver, take a double move action. You provoke no attacks of opportunity for any movement taken from this maneuver. You also make a full attack, with each attack coming at any point of the double move; you need not use all attacks from the same location. Any opponent whose space you move through before attacking them is considered flat-footed for these attacks, and your attacks deal +2d10 damage to them.

Note that while this maneuver does allow you to avoid attacks of opportunity, it doesn’t give you any special manner of moving through your opponent’s spaces. They must either be two sizes larger or smaller than you, or you must make Tumble checks, as normal.

Titan’s Reach
Thunder Bolt (Strike)
Level: Crusader 7, Swordsage 7, Warblade 7
Prerequisite: One Thunder Bolt maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Ranged attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous

Your foes aren’t even safe across the battlefield.

You make a single ranged attack against an opponent who performs an action that would provoke an attack of opportunity if you threatened them in melee. You must expend an attack of opportunity to use this maneuver.

8TH LEVEL Giantslayer
Thunder Bolt (Strike)
Level: Crusader 8, Swordsage 8, Warblade 8
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Ranged attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude Partial

You shoot a bolt capable of felling a giant in a single shot.

As a part of this maneuver, you make a Concentration check, with a DC equal to the target’s AC. If you succeed, you may make a single ranged attack. If you hit, the attack deals +12d8 damage, and the target must make a Fortitude save (DC 18 + your Wisdom modifier) or be stunned until the beginning of your next turn.

If you fail the Concentration check, you lose the action spent on this attack.

I Can Smell Your Fear
Thunder Bolt (Stance)
Level: Crusader 8, Swordsage 8, Warblade 8
Prerequisite: Two Thunder Bolt maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

Your hunter’s instincts are so finely honed, you can shoot an opponent you can’t even see. Nobody is safe from you anymore.

You ignore all miss chances, supernatural or otherwise, against any target whose square you can pinpoint (you still must have line of effect, however). All range penalties are halved, and you may fire twice as many range increments as usual (20 for a standard ranged weapon, 10 for a thrown one). For every ranged attack you make, you roll 2d20 and take the higher result.

9TH LEVELShatter the Mountain
Thunder Bolt (Strike)
Level: Crusader 9, Swordsage 9, Warblade 9
Prerequisite: Three Thunder Bolt maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: First range increment
Target: One creature or object
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude Partial (object)

Your carefully placed shot ignores every defense your target has, and is capable of completely destroying anything in its path.

As a part of this maneuver, you automatically hit a single opponent with a ranged attack that ignores all DR and hardness. The target of your attack must make a Fortitude save (DC 19 + your Wisdom modifier) or take 20d6 damage in addition to the normal damage from the attack.

If the target is a construct, undead, object, or otherwise lacks a Constitution score, and it fails the Fortitude save, it is instead utterly destroyed, as though reduced to 0 hit points by a disintegrate (” http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/disintegrate.htm”) spell. Even if it makes the save, it still takes 10d6 extra damage.


THUNDER BOLT FEATS


INSTANT RELOAD
You're capable of reloading in the same amount of time it takes you to blink.
Prerequisite: One Thunder Bolt stance, one Thunder Bolt strike.
Benefit: Whenever in a Thunder Bolt stance, you may reload any Thunder Bolt associated weapon as a free action, as long as you immediately fire the weapon as a part of a maneuver.
Special: Instant Reload can be used in place of Rapid Reload to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability.

CHILD OF THUNDER [Tactical]
The legacy of the Thunderhead clan lives on through your impressive ability to shoot better than anyone else, and in situations where a lesser bowman would falter.
Prerequisite: Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, three Thunder Bolt maneuvers (at least one of which must be a stance), BAB +6
Benefit: This feat enables the use of two new combat options.
• Dead-Eye: The first successful attack you make with a Thunder Bolt associated weapon each round deals extra damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
• Ever Vigilant: You may make a Concentration check to initiate a Thunder Bolt maneuver defensively as though it were a spell. If successful, you provoke no attacks of opportunity; if you fail, you lose the maneuver.


THUNDER BOLT ITEM

Thunder Bolt Glove
A Thunder Bolt Glove is a simple leather gauntlet, made of mountain goat skin, that leaves the wearer’s trigger finger uncovered. The glove functions as a Crown of White Ravens, except that it features maneuvers from the Thunder Bolt discipline. It comes in Novice, Scholar, or Master varieties.
Weight: --
Price: 3,000 gp (novice), 15,000 gp (scholar), or 45,000 gp (master)

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If you find this interesting, be sure to check out the Archery Resource Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=152550) for all your ranged homebrew needs!

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PEACH! I'm a bit iffy about the name, any other suggestions?

zenanarchist
2010-06-07, 11:23 PM
I love archery, however I'm not so good at balance.

So I shall say that this class made me wee a little in my pants.

But....I know you only applied this to Crossbows...however do you feel you might be REALLY restricting them with only allowing them crossbows? Could the feats be made to include bows?

Though a dwarf with a bow would be a funny sight indeed, especially a great bow. Consider my question answered.

All in all though the fluff was super sexy, it seems a very playable class!

DaTedinator
2010-06-08, 12:03 AM
I'm glad you like it! :smallbiggrin: But, I'm sorry about your pants?

It's not restricted to crossbows. There are a few maneuvers - reloading-related ones - that other ranged weapon users won't get much benefit from, but I note in the crunch:
As usual, any weapon – including a thrown melee one – can be used with this discipline, even if it’s not an associated weapon.

Just like you can use a greatsword with Setting Sun maneuvers, or a spiked chain with White Raven maneuvers, the associated weapons only really show the types of weapons users with tend towards, and sometimes determine the benefit of feats (or in this case, a feat).

And for what it's worth, I've wanted to play a bow-using dwarf for a long time. There was a WotC article about a dwarf who had never heard of the elven archer stereotype, and kept wondering why people thought elves were better archers than dwarves. Seemed pretty awesome.

DracoDei
2010-06-08, 08:16 AM
Link for cross-referencing purposes. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/printthread.php?t=152550)
(I am on a one-dragon crusade to make the Homebrew forum just a LITTLE more like Wikipedia).

DaTedinator
2010-06-08, 06:34 PM
Link for cross-referencing purposes. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/printthread.php?t=152550)
(I am on a one-dragon crusade to make the Homebrew forum just a LITTLE more like Wikipedia).

It's a good crusade! I'll throw that link up top. Consider me a part-time member. :smalltongue:

EDIT: Don't get too excited, I might put it somewhere lower later. I just don't have time at the moment to figure out where it should go to help things flow. :smallwink:

DracoDei
2010-06-08, 11:09 PM
It's a good crusade! I'll throw that link up top. Consider me a part-time member. :smalltongue:

EDIT: Don't get too excited, I might put it somewhere lower later. I just don't have time at the moment to figure out where it should go to help things flow. :smallwink:
"Prominant" is not necessarily the goal... "appropriate" is the goal. Glad to have inspired you, but I wasn't thinking that far ahead (although I have been posting crosslinks to various things, mostly my own for a while now.).

LunarWolfPrime
2010-06-12, 08:23 PM
I love it.