Complete Martial: Feats for the Martial (Dabbler) Character!

[T.G. Oskar]

Alright, so I neglected this a little bit, and apparently the retoolings are taking more time from me than expected, as well as I wanted to try something particularly different this time. In fact, as you probably noticed, I didn't began with the usual intro, the now pretty-much trademarked...


LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!! CHILDREN OF ALL AGES!! OUTSIDERS AND ELDRITCH ABOMINATIONS TOO!!

...oh wait, I did made the introduction, didn't I? Disregard that, then.

The term "Complete Martial" was meant to be a pretty much self-constructed supplement (in the widest term) for the Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords books. The tentative first chapter would have had what people love: mechanical options, including a brand new base class (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120539) and some alternative class features for the core classes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121939). The third section was meant to have a bunch of new feats, going with the oddest of ideas: feat chains!

...What, that you don't love feat chains!? Erm...too bad, but hey, maybe you can convince me otherwise after seeing them!

In any case, these feats were meant not for the actual classes (though some are meant for the crusader, warblade and swordsage), but also for those who decided to dabble by multiclassing or otherwise got Martial Study and Martial Stance to get feats. They were meant to use several feat types that were rarely used (Combat feats!! Weapon Style feats!!) and some more support for beloved system (Psionics!! Incarnum!!). And, whaddya know? I had finished them a long time ago. However...they hadn't seen the light of day.

Up until now. Today, I shall unleash to the world feats to amaze and astonish! Feats for the characters that thought that Combat Vigor was awesome and delved into getting Wis 13 and other feats, only to realize that while Combat Vigor is indeed awesome, you need other feats that might not make them as awesome as before; feats for the classes whom many people believe that the ToB classes were stealth substitutions. Feats, feats and more feats!

Now, since I need probably over 100,000 words to describe each, I will place them in sections. All feats will be presented, with the first page detailing all of the feats and each new post will have their subsection of feats instead of having them all on the same place. At the end, there will be an explanation of most of the feats in spoilers, for the ease of observation of everyone (unlike what I do with retooled classes). I will also introduce a new "method" of feat, which I have worked recently on the lab as a retooling of some feats you may already know and enjoy (if Swift Hunter comes to mind, you WILL get the idea of which feats I'm talking about).

Thus, without further ado, I present to you...FEATS!!

FEATS
The nine disciplines of the Sublime Way allow players to manifest abilities based on a set of specific concepts, which were dealt once as class abilities or a string of feats. Most of the strike maneuvers and stances were designed to allow martial characters to experiment and use the effects of feats and class abilities without expending a valuable set of feats and without extreme bouts of multiclassing, but limiting their access and use to a specific amount of moments per encounter. With the introduction of these maneuvers, most players were given the chance of working with the creation of characters with a much wider amount of choices. In order to cover not just the martial adept classes, but all martial characters and all characters in general, these feats allow for a taste of how a martial adept class functions, most of the time adapting the trademark abilities of these classes. As well, the options presented in this section allow for aids in multiclassing, new options for martial adepts, extensions of feat chains, and variants to classical feats.

NEW FEAT: MULTICLASS FEAT
Feats with the [Multiclass] descriptor are meant to scale the bonuses of two specific classes, as intended in the feat’s description. Usually, the feat will provide various benefits: one, a set of benefits of each class will scale by gaining levels in the other class; second, a new ability may be acquired with the combination of both classes; third, some of the class skills from both classes are treated as class skills in both classes, even if normally it would be otherwise; fourth, some restrictions from each class may be waived.

To gain the benefit of this feat, a character must have multiclassed directly into both intended classes. Thus, the character must have actual levels in the class, which are indicated in the prerequisites section. Having levels in a prestige class that grants abilities similar to one of the two classes, or that increases the class abilities of one of the two classes, do not count for purposes of stacking any of the classes which may benefit from the feat. At the Dungeon Master’s discretion, this benefit may apply to specific classes and prestige classes, if the spirit of the multiclass permits it.

This part will require a bit of explanation.

Feats like Ascetic Hunter, Swift Hunter, Devoted Performer, Daring Outlaw and similar are classes that are meant to aid people that multiclass to get some of the benefits of both classes while dabbling between both classes. However, they don't have a distinctive tag, and they were used sparingly. This is an attempt to make them unique and different kinds of feats, but also to structure them into a similar feat system.

To everyone: these feats are the feats you pretty much love and hate, but with new goodies. First, you get some of the classes' benefits to stack between classes, so that the actual reason why you decided to multiclass isn't ruined (perhaps the Rogue's sneak attack, or the Monk's...unarmed strike damage and Wis to AC... The second is a unique benefit, which is meant to synergize with both classes: such as having two abilities activate at the same time, for example. The third new ability is basically allowing some skills to count as class skills for both multiclass options, meaning you get more bang for your skill points. The fourth is one that exists because of the unusual multiclass system of D&D, and specifically because of restrictions such as the Bard and the Barbarian being forcefully chaotic or lose their powers, Monks must be lawful or lose their abilities as well as the other multiclass restriction, and also the Paladin's code of conduct. This is meant to alleviate those troubles, to an extent.

To DMs: perhaps you are fine with the feats being general feats and not having a special tag, and you might not want to accept this standardization. That's fine, the idea is to take what you like from the 'brew and disregard what you don't. However, if the idea is good, then you might want to experiment with other feats in that way.

To homebrewers: I know there's a few people in the GitP forums that decided to standardize the multiclass feat system into a cohesive whole. This is an attempt to remain to the spirit of the feat while standardizing it even further (hence, the addition of class skills in-between multiclassing). This is in no way a disrespectful jab to your work or something along those lines, but rather a different way of dealing with these feats in a way that they work as they are meant to, making them standard and appropriate. If other homebrewers wish to use this standardized system for their own 'brew, welcome and thanks for your support. If not, then no hard feelings, and make sure you observe these other feat systems to see if they best fit your ideal.

{TABLE=head]General Feats|Prerequisites|Benefit
Cleave Initiation|Str 13, Dex 13, Cleave, Great Cleave, Power Attack, base attack bonus +8, initiator level 11+|May expend one strike maneuver after dropping target.
Counter Reflexes|Combat Reflexes, Dex 17, initiator level 11th, three counter maneuvers|Use strikes in exchange of attacks of opportunity, may use counter maneuvers as free action.
Inspired Smiting|Smite class ability, three Devoted Spirit maneuvers, one Devoted Spirit stance|Can smite per encounter instead of per day.
Meditative Resilience|Concentration 5 ranks|Use Concentration checks instead of checks or saves to resist nonlethal damage
Mounted Initiation|Ride 13 ranks, Mounted Combat, initiator level 10+, special mount class feature, share spells|Can initiate certain maneuvers while mounted
Share Stance|Ride 13 ranks, Mounted Combat, Mounted Initiation, initiator level 10+, special mount class feature, share spells, one stance|Share effects of active stance while mounted
Shadow Death Fist|Quivering palm class ability, one 5th level Shadow Hand maneuver, one Shadow Hand stance, base attack bonus +11|Increase the DC of quivering palm by +4, can execute a quivering palm attempt per day instead of per week by permanently expending one maneuver of 7th level or higher.[/TABLE]

{TABLE=head]Combat Form Feats|Prerequisites|Benefit
Combat Formation|Wis 13, Combat Focus, initiator level 11+, two stances|Change stance as a free action instead of a swift action
Combat Inspiration|Wis 13, Blade Meditation, Combat Focus, initiator level 6+|Gain bonuses to DC of initiated maneuvers, damage rolls with preferred weapons, and skill checks with key skill
Combat Recovery|Wis 13, Combat Focus, one maneuver|Expend combat focus to recover expended maneuvers
Combat Initiation|Wis 13, Combat Focus, Combat Recovery, initiator level 11+, two maneuvers|Expend combat focus to expend one extra maneuver
Combat Positioning|Wis 13, Combat Focus, Combat Formation, Combat Initiation, Combat Recovery, initiator level 11+, two maneuvers, two stances|Expend combat focus to initiate one extra stance[/TABLE]

{TABLE=head]Incarnum Feats|Prerequisites|Benefit
Azure Strike|Con 13, Blade Meditation, initiator level 1+|Add invested essentia to the DC of initiated maneuvers, damage rolls with preferred weapons, and skill checks with key skill
Midnight Preparation|Con 13, ability to bind soulmelds to the crown chakra, ability to ready maneuvers|Invest one point of essentia to ready an extra maneuver.
Sapphire Meditation|Con 13, Concentration 13 ranks, two Diamond Mind maneuvers|Add invested essentia to Concentration checks
Sapphire Leap|Con 13, Jump 13 ranks, two Tiger Claw maneuvers|Add invested essentia to Jump checks[/table]

{TABLE=head]Psionic Feats|Prerequisites|Benefit
Discipline Mind Blade|Blade Meditation, ability to form a mind blade, initiator level 6+|Allows to shape mind blade into a discipline’s preferred weapons
Mental Insight|Constitution 5 ranks, power point reserve, one Diamond Mind maneuver|Expend your psionic focus to gain a bonus on Concentration checks when using a Diamond Mind maneuver
Psicrystal Preparation|Psicrystal Affinity, Psicrystal Containment, initiator level +6, two maneuvers|Ready a maneuver on psicrystal[/TABLE]

{TABLE=head]Weapon Style Feats|Prerequisites|Benefit
Hammer of Faith|Avenging Strike, Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Weapon Focus (greatclub or maul)|Ignore damage reduction of evil creatures when attacking with a greatclub or maul.
Panther’s Leap|Dex 13, Acrobatic, Two-Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Rend, Weapon Focus (handaxe, kama or kukri)|Rending damage lingers for extra turns
Rising Sun Strike|Falling Sun Strike, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (nunchaku or quarterstaff)|Free bull rush attempt when attacking with two nunchakus or a quarterstaff, causes stunning.
Seismic Fury|Str 13, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greataxe or heavy mace), Balance 13 ranks|Successful sunder attempt with greataxe or heavy mace causes target to fall prone, deal damage to adjacent targets.
Shadow Stab|Improved Feint, Shadow Blade, Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (dagger, siangham or shortsword), Weapon Focus (sai)|Off-hand attacks are considered touch attacks when striking with a sai and either a dagger, a siangham or a shortsword.
Swallow’s Daze|Rapid Assault, Stunning Fist, Weapon Focus (bastard sword)|Gain extra attack when making full attack with bastard sword, causes stunning
Sweeping Sirocco|Dex 13, Desert Fire, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (scimitar or falchion)|Attack with scimitar or falchion deals extra fire damage, causes fatigue or exhaustion[/table]

{TABLE=head]Multiclass feats|Prerequisites|Description
Ascetic Swordsage|Flurry of blows, quick to act|Monk and swordsage levels stack for purposes of unarmed attack damage, AC bonus, fast movement, initiative bonus and initiator level; can use some abilities in light armor.
Devoted Crusader|Aura of good (or evil), smite, steely resolve, turn undead|Crusader levels stack with either blackguard, holy liberator, cleric or paladin levels for purposes of caster level, initiator level, smite, and turn undead; can consume a smite attempt to initiate an expended maneuver.
Glorious Warrior|Weapon Aptitude, fighter level 1st|+2 on fighter levels for purposes of qualifying for feats, warblade bonus feats are considered fighter bonus feats
Psionic Swordsage|Ability to form a mind blade, quick to act +1|Soulknife and swordsage levels stack for purposes of initiative bonus, mind blade class feature, and initiator levels.
Psionic Warblade|Ability to manifest 1st level psychic warrior powers, weapon aptitude|Psychic warrior levels and warblade levels stack for purposes of qualifying for feats, manifester level and initiator level[/table]

GENERAL FEATS

CLEAVE INITIATION [GENERAL]
You find the impulse of initiating a maneuver at the moment you take advantage of the combat rhythm between the felling of an opponent and the opportunistic strike towards other.
Prerequisites: Str 13, Dex 13, Cleave, Great Cleave, Power Attack, base attack bonus +8, initiator level 11+
Benefit: If you gain an extra attack as a result of the Cleave or Great Cleave feats, you may expend one strike maneuver instead of following with the attack. The strike maneuver must be of a duration no longer than a standard action, and it must have no more range than the range of the weapon. The strike maneuver must target only a single opponent. The level of the maneuver you can execute cannot be higher than half the highest level of maneuvers you can execute, rounded down. Once you execute this strike, you are no longer entitled to further attacks this round, even if the strike maneuver fells the opponent.
Normal: You can only use a melee attack as part of the feat.

COUNTER REFLEXES [GENERAL]
You refine your knowledge of the countering maneuvers of the Sublime Way, allowing to punish with uncanny speed both those who wish to harm you, and those who wish to avoid your wrath.
Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, Dex 17, initiator level 11th, any three counter maneuvers
Benefit: You can initiate counter maneuvers as a free action instead of an immediate action. This allows you to reserve your swift action for other abilities, as well as allowing you further counters in the same round.
As well, whenever an enemy provokes an attack of opportunity, you may instead choose to initiate a strike maneuver. The duration of the strike maneuver must be no longer than a standard action, and it must cause damage or effect to the opponent. The level of the maneuver you can execute cannot be higher than half the highest level of maneuvers you can execute, rounded down. For example, if the highest level of maneuvers you can execute is 5th level maneuvers, you may only execute up to 2nd level maneuvers.

INSPIRED SMITE [GENERAL]
Your ability to smite your opponents is enhanced. You are capable of using your smites as if they were maneuvers, drawing from the same source from which you draw the inspiration for maneuvers from the Devoted Spirit discipline
Prerequisites: Smite class ability, three Devoted Spirit maneuvers, one Devoted Spirit stance
Benefit: If you have the ability to smite an opponent with a melee attack (such as the smite good/evil class abilities, or the smite ability granted by the Destruction domain), you may now use the ability a number of times per encounter equal to the number of amounts you would have used it per day. If the smite ability affects only a particular group of opponents, you still affect those creatures only. The extra damage dealt by your smite ability is equal to your class level or your initiator level, whichever is higher. This ability applies to any smite ability the character acquires.
For example, if a 5th level paladin/1st level crusader/1st level cleric of St. Cuthbert with the Destruction domain chooses this feat, she may use her smite evil ability from the paladin class two times per encounter, and her smite ability from the destruction domain once per encounter. The extra damage she deals with her smite evil is 5, but the damage she deals with her smite ability is 4 (because her initiator level is four).
Normal: you can only use your smite ability a number of times per day determined by your class. The amount of damage dealt by the smite ability is based on your class level.
Special: if you also have the Aligned Strike feat, you may use one of your daily Aligned Strike uses with the smite attempt. The smite attack may only affect evil creatures; if successful, the smite deals damage equal to your character level, as well as the benefits of both the smite and the Aligned Strike feat.

MEDITATIVE RESILIENCE [GENERAL]
You are capable of amazing acts of stamina through sheer meditation. Your concentration allows you to ignore several effects that may affect you.
Prerequisites: Concentration 5 ranks
Benefit: Whenever you need to make a skill check or a save for the following effects, you may make a Concentration check instead: Swim checks to resist nonlethal damage, Constitution checks to continue running, to avoid non-lethal damage from a forced march, starvation or thirst or to hold your breath, Fortitude saves to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments, or to resist damage from suffocation.
Special: Meditative Resilience can be used in place of Endurance to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability. You can take this feat and Endurance.
If you have both this feat and Endurance, you gain a +4 bonus on your Concentration checks with this feat, as well as gain the ability to sleep in medium or heavy armor without fatigue (as per the Endurance feat description)

MOUNTED INITIATION [GENERAL]
Your skill in mounted combat and your bound with your special mount allows you to use certain maneuvers with special prerequisites while mounted.
Prerequisites: Ride 13 ranks, Mounted Combat, initiator level 10+, special mount class feature, share spells
Benefit: When riding your special mount and the mount is touching the ground, you may initiate maneuvers of the Stone Dragon discipline as if you were touching the ground yourself. Maneuvers that require you to move can be initiated using your mount, and use your mounts move speed. Maneuvers that require a Jump check are done with your Jump check or the mount’s jump check, whichever is higher, and you are considered as a Large creature for purposes of determining the size for specific maneuvers. Any maneuver that requires a bull rush or charge can be done while mounted, and may receive the benefits of feats that enhance a mounted charge. If you know and can initiate the Dancing Mongoose or Raging Mongoose boosts or the Mithral or Adamantine Tornado strikes, you treat your mount’s primary natural attack as an extra weapon and thus gain an extra attack with it; if you know and can initiate the Girallon Windmill Flesh Rip, your mount’s attacks count for the required number of hits. You may not share the effects of the stance with your mount, however.
Normal: you cannot initiate Stone Dragon maneuvers while mounted (as you are not in contact with the ground) unless you touch a wall. You must dismount to use maneuvers that require you to move, charge, or bull rush an opponent. Only your weapons are considered for certain maneuvers.

SHARE STANCE [GENERAL]
You train your bounded mount in the specifics of stances through the link shared by both. Your mount gains all the benefits of the stance as if it were you.
Prerequisites: Ride 13 ranks, Mounted Combat, Mounted Initiation, initiator level 10+, special mount class feature, share spells, one stance
Benefit: When riding your special mount, you can initiate a stance or remain on a stance previously initiated. The effects of the stance work on your mount exactly as if it were you.
Normal: you cannot initiate certain stances, nor you can bestow the benefits of a stance to your mount.
Special: when you use the Leading the Charge stance, the extra damage is added to the mount’s overrun ability (if any), unless it has a pounce maneuver. If you initiate the Pouncing Charge stance, your mount can attack as well when you charge with all of its attacks. If you initiate the Martial Spirit maneuver, the healed amount is the sum of hits from both yours and your mount’s attacks.

SHADOW DEATH FIST [GENERAL]
You blend your knowledge of the Shadow Hand discipline with your own death strikes. Your deadly vibrations become even deadlier, and you can enter the proper stance to execute the move several times in a day.
Prerequisites: Quivering palm class ability, one 5th level Shadow Hand maneuver, one Shadow Hand stance, base attack bonus +11
Benefit: Your quivering palm class ability is enhanced. The save DC for your quivering palm is increased by 4.
Furthermore, you may execute the quivering palm immediately by expending one readied strike maneuver. This allows you to use the quivering palm class ability one more time per day. However, regardless of whether it succeeds or not, you can ready one less maneuver for the rest of the day. You may expend all your readied maneuvers to gain daily uses of quivering palm in this manner. You may still ready the expended maneuver during your meditation. On your next day, you regain the ability to ready all your maneuvers.
Normal: you can only use your quivering palm class ability once per week.

The general feats have one thing in common: most, if not all of them, require initiator levels of at least 11 or more. This means that you must, almost by definition, multiclass into martial adept classes in order to take their full benefit, and quite an amount of levels to make a difference. This isn't so bad, since these feats are mostly meant to help the actual martial adepts to work better, but it can be bothersome for those that get special mounts (though, as if a level of Cavalier would ruin your build somewhat...)

In any case, I must make a slight disclaimer: these feats (specifically these feats) have been left untouched since 2009. The only one with a difference is Shadow Death Fist, whose Shadow Hand requirement was lowered (from 7th to 5th), because otherwise it would be nearly impossible to get as Quivering Palm is acquired at 15th level, extremely late for what it does. I'll explain on detail on its particular pocket, but this is in general what you should have in mind while revising the feats: being largely untouched and almost a year old, this means they may not be at a proper level of "balance" (in quotation marks because balance is relative in D&D) as expected.

Cleave Initiation
This feat is meant to be the one step above what you can do with a Cleave attack. Basically, you can execute a maneuver as part of the cleave attack, so you can make a full attack, down an enemy, and unleash a low-level maneuver as part of the cleave while sacrificing all other attacks. The chances of doing this, specially for the level, are pretty slim but that doesn't mean they're impossible.

Now, you may notice that it has an awful amount of prereqs. Half of those are basically the entire set of requirements to get Great Cleave, the actual feat that's the basis for this feat. Hence, you mostly only need Great Cleave, Dex 13 or more, a BAB of 8 or more, and an initiator level over 11 (so at most, you might get this at 12th level). The other features are so that you don't suddenly claim to get the feat by getting Great Cleave in a different way.

The other thing you will probably notice is the maneuver limit. Basically, by the time you get the feat, you get up to 5th level maneuvers; you can thus use up to 3rd level maneuvers when using Cleave Initiation. This might be a bit unorthodox, given that you may have already replaced one of your 1st level or 2nd level maneuvers by that time (if not all of them), leaving you with counters or boosts and no strike maneuvers. A much more appropriate way would be maximum maneuver level -1, or perhaps even rounded up so that you can get up to 5th level maneuvers, which you can work with nicely. Now, remember that this is my perception after observing them one year later, so don't be saying "why you didn't fix that already?"; if the feat isn't foiled enough, I can leave it as-is, but if you think it needs to be improved, feel free to suggest and I'll debate whether that's reasonable or not.

Counter Reflexes
Here's a fun feat. It basically allows you to use counters as free actions (!) and use strike maneuvers as attacks of opportunity (!!!!) If you read "Heavy Blade Opportunity" or one of those 4th Edition feats that allow you to use your at-wills as opportunity attacks, yes, this is a sort of backward-compatibility feat. It really makes for having Combat Reflexes (or Evasive Reflexes!) do something more than just give a melee attack.

However, the single biggest thing that provides ALL martial adepts and virtually all martial characters that dabble in these are...ways for action economy! Yes, you no longer have to debate on whether to use a boost or a counter; you just use counters to your leisure and boost away afterwards! This is one heck of a balancing feat for those who say that martial characters have poor to no action economy, in a way so to speak. It also causes spellcasters faced with a Mage Slayer feat to suffer brutal consequences (because nothing is sicker than going Five-Shadow Creeping Ice Enervation Strike or Mountain Tombstone Strike on a spellcaster as it's about to cast, say, Time Stop or something). It's, as I said, a fun feat for martial characters, albeit one that has a pretty hefty requirement list.

Inspired Smite
Remember what is one of the usual ways to fix the smite ability? Uses per encounter allow you to smite with reckless abandon, and this feat basically enables you to do so. It also provides another bonus: if you have more initiator levels than your effective levels in the class, you use the better of the two: thus, at 20th level you can basically deal up to 10 points of damage in case you multiclassed out of cleric or paladin pretty early on. This one is also good for crusaders, if they remain taking their smite attacks since that means they are capable of using a strong attack per encounter when they're out of strike maneuvers, and the benefit will remain strong given that they'll probably have a high initiator level anyways.

There is a synergy benefit with Aligned Strike, a feat that I consider awesome but that isn't suggested as much as I'd want to. Aligned Strike adds your Cha to attack and damage when using this feat against evil outsiders, and since it's a swift action you can essentially add double your Charisma and deal damage equal to weapon damage + Strength mod + Charisma mod + smite damage if you were to combine the two. This feat allows both attacks to blend into a seamless whole, allowing you to use your smite only against evil creatures, and you gain the benefit of both with the same attack: this means that if the creature is evil (not necessarily an outsider) and the attack hits (adding twice your Charisma mod to your attack roll), you deal damage equal to weapon damage + Str modifier + Charisma modifier + smite damage, but your smite damage is now based on your character level, so you can deal quite an amount of damage with the attack (assuming a good Crusader using both attacks, Str 16 and Cha 16, you can expect an attack roll bonus of +6 and a bonus damage of around 12 with that attack, getting better as you improve all parameters and work your way to improve your damage).

Meditative Resilience
This is basically Endurance for those who don't want to get it, but that need it for some strange and odd reason. It's also yet another way in which you can use Concentration skill checks, something that may get Monks and Paladins (who usually get both but have virtually no need for them) to use Concentration for something, and allows Diamond Mind specialists to further their use of Concentration even more...if only for nearly inconsequential benefits. However, between this and Endurance to get Diehard, what would you get?

...Yeah, yeah, we also know that you can sleep in heavy armor without getting fatigued next day with Endurance, but not even that can save Endurance. You can have both if you desire, but I feel this feat is pretty simple to get, and it provides bigger returns for the cost of one feat.

Mounted Initiation
This is a feat meant for Paladins and Cavaliers that are also meant to be uberchargers. This allows you to remain on your trusty mount and still use maneuvers. This also provides a benefit for those who use Stone Dragon maneuvers: you can use them from your mount. Even if you're not exactly IN contact with the ground. Another is that you may make charge attacks with your mount, and use your better move and movement-based skills when mounted. It is meant to be a feat for mount users, but only those who have a special bond with their mount.

However, I might be willing to open this to all mount users. The idea of having special mount and share spells is already too much of a requirement (5 levels in Paladin, 3 levels in Prestige Paladin or 1 level in a PrC that grants a special mount, which means less initiator levels for you and also practically no way to get this by Paladin levels alone unless you MC), so I might be willing to recede those prereqs. On the other hand, having special mounts means this is limited ONLY to Paladins, Cavaliers and probably Halfling Outriders amongst other PrCs (since it says special mount, not animal companion), so...

Shadow Death Fist
Barring the ridiculous fanfic name, this is meant to be a fix to quivering palm...gained horribly late. It's very difficult to deal with quivering palm, which is meant to be a special ability except: you need to succeed on a strike, then on a Fortitude save, and once you got both, you can only use this once per week!! However, if you're willing to sacrifice your maneuvers (and spend about 5 levels in Swordsage), you might be capable of expending those maneuvers for the rest of the day to get more uses of Quivering Palm, with a +4 on the DC...

Thing is, it may still require more fixing. Inspired Smite was a great way to fix the smite ability (not as the guys from Pathfinder did, but I find that not to be a smite and more of a "mark" or "Divine Challenge'), and Shadow Death Fist should do the same for the Monk, whom is already suffering from the fact that you have to survive as a Monk for 15 levels, and specifically for Quivering Palm. Suggestions are hastily welcome, but for the moment this is as good as I can do for Quivering Palm while showing some restraing.

Share Stance
So you'd wish that you could share your stance with your mount? That your mount could, say, fly with you while having a superheated column of fire flowing from downside? If so, this feat is for you! Basically, you share the benefit of your stance with your mount, and if you gain the benefit of the stance, so does your mount (as in, if you hit with Martial Stance and gain 2 HP, your mount also gets the same amount of HP and if the mount attacks, both the mount and you get HP; something like that). That should be enough to explain it; you basically can use all of your nice tricks with your mount.

Of course, the biggest problem you face is that you still must have a special mount of some sort, and the reason is because share spells is the way in which you share your stance. It's...much harder to explain your stance benefit otherwise; by having that mystical bond between mount and rider manifest, you can share the benefits of probably one of the best ideas WotC figured out for the end of D&D's 3.5 run. I might be capable of allowing that to all riders, but you WILL need a good way to explain that method otherwise; I can make amends with Mounted Initiation, but Share Stance is a tad too good when all of a sudden your mount can pull off some interesting stuff along with you.

[T.G. Oskar]

COMBAT FORM FEATS
These feats were introduced in the Player’s Handbook II, and granted martial combatants a set of abilities they could activate while on a state of intense focus. The feats introduced here combine this state with the ideal of the Sublime Way in order to maximize their potential.

COMBAT FORMATION [COMBAT FORM]
While under your combat focus, you can change your combat stance with merely a thought.
Prerequisites: Wis 13, Combat Focus, initiator level 11+, two stances from any discipline.
Benefit: While you are in the state of combat focus, you can change your stance as a free action once per round. Changing your stance does not consume your swift action, thus you can use a boost or a counter after changing your stance, or any other ability that requires a swift action to execute. Once you change your stance, you cannot use your swift action to change your stance.

COMBAT INITIATION [COMBAT FORM]
When you expend your combat focus, you expend that surge of mental insight to execute a martial maneuver in a mere instance, even if you already had initiated anothers.
Prerequisites: Wis 13, Combat Focus, Combat Recovery, initiator level 11+, two maneuvers from any discipline.
Benefit: As a swift action, you can expend your combat focus. You can initiate a maneuver that has an initiation time no longer than a standard action, regardless of your other actions in the round. For example, you can make a move action and initiate two maneuvers, or make a standard action and initiate a maneuver, or initiate a full-round action maneuver and a standard action maneuver. You can even initiate a move-action maneuver and two standard-action maneuvers. You cannot use two standard actions using this feat, however.

COMBAT INSPIRATION [COMBAT FORM]
While under your combat focus, your talent in a discipline improves further.
Prerequisites: Wis 13, Blade Meditation, Combat Focus, initiator level 6+
Benefit: When you enter the state of combat focus, you gain a set of benefits. You gain a +1 bonus on damage rolls from your discipline’s preferred weapons when you initiate a strike maneuver, a +2 bonus involving your discipline’s key skill, and the save DC of all maneuvers you initiate from the discipline increases by 1 (if they have one).
If you have three or more combat form feats, these benefits, and the benefits of the Blade Meditation feat, double.

COMBAT POSITIONING [COMBAT FORM]
When you expend your combat focus, you expend that surge of mental insight to combine the effects of two stances.
Prerequisites: Wis 13, Combat Focus, Combat Formation, Combat Initiation, Combat Recovery, initiator level 11+, two maneuvers from any discipline, two stances from any discipline.
Benefit: As a swift action, you can expend your combat focus. You can then initiate a second stance while keeping the effects of the first, and you can change your first stance as well if you so desire. Both stances remain active until the end of the encounter. You lose this benefit if you change any of your stances during the remainder of the encounter.

COMBAT RECOVERY [COMBAT FORM]
When you expend your combat focus, your mind and body recover their former state of preparation before entering combat. The lapse of mental insight while under the combat focus refreshes your capacity of executing martial maneuvers.
Prerequisites: Wis 13, Combat Focus, one maneuver from any discipline.
Benefit: As a swift action, you can expend your combat focus. You recover expended maneuvers equal to the amount of turns remaining in your combat focus. If you are a crusader, these maneuvers are also granted.
If you have three or more combat focus feats, you instead recover all expended maneuvers. Crusaders instead act as if they have been granted all of their maneuvers, and acquire a new set of granted maneuvers as normal.

If you've ever gotten your hands on the Player's Handbook II and found the Combat Form feats section, you probably might have noticed it was a great, useful ability for fighters who could spend most of their slots and getting good Wis to get special abilities such as...fast healing! And blindsense! And more Will! However...apparently the devs, those who think that Wizards are the end-all be-all of gaming and must get new spells on every single book they made (hence, why they're Wizards of the Coast), thought this was just too good for Fighters, and decided...not to expand on the feats ever again.

The system is unique for more than one way: first, it introduced a system that activated right at the moment the character dealt first blood (well, more like the first hit, but "first blood" is more shocking), and that lasted for about a minute; right around the sweet spot for combat. Then, the feats allowed the character to gain new abilities while within the combat focus state, which also lasted one round longer per feat. Finally, if you had at least three combat form feats, the feats you already had now gained even further benefits. Stuff like fast healing in combat, or blindsense, truly allowed the Fighter to gain some new benefits, but the concept behind Combat Form feats was to remove some of the rigid linearity of the feats: when you gained a new feat, you were enhancing one or many of the feats you already had. Thus, it was revolutionary for its moment, and a shame it wasn't expanded.

Well, that is...until now. Or well, until before from now, but you can figure that they now have more benefit if you decide to use them. Each of the feats in here respond to the needs of martial adepts, who may not have wanted to choose these feats even though a few of the classes did have some reason for getting them (Swordsages, for example, since they add their Wis to AC so you can expect them to have at least 13 Wis). They combine the state of combat focus with the strict mindset of maneuvers, and specifically work well with stances.

Combat Formation
Arguably one of the best synergy feats there is, it allows people with Combat Focus to change their stances and reserve their swift actions for boosts, counters, or swift-action activation items. That's about a minute of uninterrupted changes, which can be done either in or out of battle, in response to an action (had Martial Spirit and suddenly someone attacks? Get Child of Shadow and use the concealment to your benefit!). The benefit provided is effectively both big and small: from a swift action to an immediate action there is only one step, and from a swift action to a free action one-and-a-half steps. However, these steps are, like, done in seven league boots or something, since a free action is essentially the single most useful action type ever.

Combat Initiation
Much like Combat Formation does to stances, Combat Initiation does to maneuvers. Combat Initiation is essentially the "Quicken Spell" of maneuvers, allowing you to do pretty much two maneuvers in a row. Perhaps you can do that Shadow-Pouncing you wanted with Shadow Teleport and Time Stands Still, or immobilize someone so that Avalanche of Blades essentially never fails (or actually fails less), or heal and buff at the same action with a Devoted Spirit/White Raven maneuver combination... It consumes your maneuvers faster than usual, but the benefit is that you can expend more of them in the same action. And, as we know well, one of the (many) things that full spellcasters do well is having insanely good action economy. This helps martial adepts in that regard somewhat.

Combat Inspiration
This feat is a bit closer in spirit to the original concept of a combat feat, and it makes a bit more justice to Blade Meditation, a feat that's pretty, pretty good but not always a pristine choice. With more difficult DCs (think of it as Spell Focus, but better!), slightly more damage, and a bonus on the skills you favor. It's essentially Blade Meditation taken once again...

...except that if you have three or more combat form feats, it's like if you had taken the feat four times (or something along those lines)! Thus, with a single discipline you get a +8 to the skill, a +4 to damage, and a +4 to the saving throw DC and that last one is juicy!

One clarification, since it's not actually available and I believe you guys may be capable of answering it better: do you want this to apply to only one discipline, or to all disciplines, or to all disciplines in which the character has Blade Meditation?

Combat Positioning
Combat Positioning is an odd feat. It basically grants several levels earlier what Master of Nine and Warblade grant, but with various limitations. It's also the most complex of all Combat Form feats, and one that requires almost faithful devotion to the chain in order to pull it off.

So, what you get from that is the ability to gain the benefit of two specific stances, for a long time (basically until the encounter is over, since in theory combat focus ends when the battle is over). However, the bizarre stance the character must adopt to gain the benefit of both stances requires keeping the new stance unspoiled; one stance change, and the delicate balance ruins.

Now: what do having two feats on, say, 12th level or so brings to play? While you won't have many feats to brag upon (unless you dip Fighter or are a Warblade), you will be capable of mixing and matching two stances in such a way that you may get synergies out of it. For example: Martial Spirit and Aura of Triumph means that you heal about 6 HP for every evil creature you trample, so with a full attack that means about 30 HP per hit: note that you only get that with, say, a Rallying Strike of a 15th level Crusader or the Cure Critical wounds of, say, a 12th level Cleric, and you still do damage nonetheless (granted, with a boost from Haste and probably at 16th level). Child of Shadow and Pearl of Black Doubt are easier to handle: you get concealment, enemy fails concealment, your AC is now harder to hit. Or Hearing the Air and Hunter's Sense. Or...well, you get the idea...wait, I have to say this! Punishing Stance and Assassin's Stance! ...Alright, now you get the point: you can get two stances that could work together impressively well, and you make them much, much better. Now, this calls for some planning, for otherwise you might end up having zero feats and that's bad for some builds...

Combat Recovery
This feat is a boon for most martial adept classes (Swordsage! Crusader!) but specifically for non-martial adept characters. You see, the ability to recover an expended maneuver even when you aren't part of a martial adept class is an ability that only a few feats can grant: Adaptive Style, Psychic Recovery, etc. This allows you to expend one strong ability to recover a myriad of abilities that you might want to use again. So, let's say you already used your three Martial Stance-granted maneuvers, and you still have your combat focus but you could do well with the maneuver you have. Let's say...you somehow got Mountain Tombstone Strike (and yes, by RAW that can be acquired). Expend your combat focus, and you recover it once again! That means another standard action where you deal a solid 2d6 points of Constitution damage; if a monster doesn't die of that, you're pretty much screwed, son.

The benefit of having three or more combat form feats, however, is palpable. Recovering ALL expended maneuvers (especially for Swordsages who have about 12-13 readied maneuvers at any time) is a double boon, one that allows you to use your combat focus tactically to unleash mayhem in the right moment. That would be the rough equivalent of Vaarsuvius in the Azure City battle suddenly blinking an eye and getting his entire list of spells back, ready to unleash once again. That would have made a serious change, but of course, that would be the end of D&D as we know it: why have 5-minute workdays when we can simply declare world peace after one battle? More battles? Don't worry, I have my full list of spells in a swift-action jiffy! But on martial adepts? They are already Energizer bunnies; now they got a spare in case they run out of juice!

...no, what are you claiming with "Arcane" Swordsage? That thing doesn't exist, sir; otherwise, Unarmed Swordsage would exist, and that's just a recommendation for the DM! And I'm not your DM, so hush!

[T.G. Oskar]

INCARNUM FEATS
Introduced in Magic of Incarnum, these feats allow a character to dabble into the art of incarnum, essentia and meldshaping without taking levels in a meldshaper class. The feats introduced here are augmentations towards certain features of the Sublime Way, including discipline favored skills and readiness of maneuvers.

AZURE STRIKE
You can channel incarnum to enhance your comprehension upon one of the disciplines of the Sublime Way.
Prerequisites: Con 13, Blade Meditation, initiator level 1+
Benefit: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. Add the invested essentia to the DC (if any) of the maneuvers you execute from the discipline chosen for the Blade Meditation feat, to the damage dealt with your discipline’s preferred weapons when using a strike of that discipline, and to skill checks dealt with your discipline’s preferred skill. The bonuses to damage and skill checks stack with the bonuses provided with the Blade Meditation feat. Once the amount of invested essentia is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours.
You gain 1 point of essentia.

MIDNIGHT PREPARATION
You can channel incarnum to ready further maneuvers per day, but only as a last effort.
Prerequisites: Con 13, ability to bind soulmelds to the crown chakra, ability to ready maneuvers
Benefit: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. Per each point of essentia you invest, you can ready one extra maneuver, so as long as you still have unreadied maneuvers. Once you choose the maneuvers, you cannot change them nor ready them with your regular maneuver slots (if any) until expended. You can expend your maneuvers in this way once per day. Once the maneuver is expended, you regain a point of essentia into your essentia pool.
You gain one point of essentia.

SAPPHIRE LEAP [INCARNUM]
You can channel incarnum to enhance your leaping ability, by imbuing soul energy to the precise points where your leaping ability resides, as taught by the Tiger Claw discipline.
Prerequisites: Con 13, Jump 13 ranks, two Tiger Claw maneuvers
Benefit: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain an insight bonus of +3 to your Jump skill checks per point of invested essentia. Once the amount of invested essentia is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours.
You gain 1 point of essentia.

SAPPHIRE MEDITATION [INCARNUM]
You can channel incarnum to enhance your ability to concentrate and remain concentrated, by imbuing soul energy to the mental center of the body as taught by the Diamond Mind discipline.
Prerequisites: Con 13, Concentration 13 ranks, two Diamond Mind maneuvers
Benefit: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain an insight bonus of +3 to your Concentration skill checks per point of invested essentia. Once the amount of invested essentia is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours.
You gain 1 point of essentia.

Incarnum feats are odd and nice in a very specific way. Basically, Incarnum feats are an excuse for scaling bonus feats, where you basically gain points of Essentia to power up the benefits of your feats, allowing you to make very effective dabbling in the system without dipping into the class. Incarnum also has this unique feel, which while at first it doesn't get into you (basically it seems really, really complex), later it gets you (you realize it's basically a really easy to use system where you basically "equip" magic items, and add points to enhance them while binding them to a slot to unlock new powers; hence uber-magic non-items).

Martial maneuvers work on a similar trend; they seem like "spells for Fighters" but their feel is also unique. For one, only a few of the abilities increase with Initiator Level, while others are straight damage maneuvers; the other is that they recharge faster, so you don't get the "you made a wrong choice" with maneuvers. Finally, the stances are great ways to handle the idea of granting semi-permanent abilities to a character, but also forcing them to shift the ability to best fit the concept. It really innovates combat, even though it comes really, really late and with the intention of doing some replacements.

Thus, the natural answer would be: why not blend the two? Incarnum offers a magnificent way to deal with certain things that are flavorful but also useful for martial adepts. It also has a very interesting fluff behind it: you're using the energy deployed from [I]unborn souls ready to enter this world to power up your abilities, and perhaps your very influence may create the next Reshar. So why not dabble into Incarnum to power up your maneuvers, with the knowledge that your legacy will endure?

Azure Strike
This one is very, very simple: Azure Meditation is an Incarnum version of Blade Meditation, except it's also based on it (instead of merely replacing it). By investing essentia, you make your DC-based maneuvers harder to resist, you deal slightly more damage, and you gain a benefit on your discipline favored skill. The more essentia you place, the better your maneuvers will be. Since you'll probably have just ONE Blade Meditation feat chosen, Azure Meditation makes sure that your choice is really good instead of moderately good. If you dabble in Incarnum, it'll be probably better since you'll basically have enough Essentia to pump up your damage, but also your DC (and there are several maneuvers with DC; just Death from Above, the [I]ougi from Tiger Claw, has a pretty nasty DC requirement and this ability can help a lot, not to mention help on the Jump checks to make it successful.

Midnight Preparation
I'll admit this is a really odd name, but Midnight is the prefix used by Incarnum feats when you deal with most magically-inclined abilities (Cobalt is for stuff like rage, smite and sneak attack; Azure is basically for feats like Weapon Focus; then again, Midnight Dodge exists, and Dodge is a feat so...), and readying maneuvers would have given an even weirder name (Midnight Readiness?). Thus, preparation, since you're basically preparing for the unexpected.

This feat allows you to expand your choice of maneuvers, but these are only usable 1/day instead of per encounter, so it'll mostly benefit martial adepts whom have little readying maneuver slots. Evidently, there is also another reason why it exists: sometimes, you'll have maneuvers only for one or two occasions, so you basically are expending an ability that you can later shift into something else to keep that maneuver ready while having other maneuvers that you'll definitely use right on. What the feat does is expanding your maneuver choices, and that is something any martial adept can appreciate...

...albeit, fluff-wise, the unborn souls will appreciate it even more. Basically, you're infusing the unborn soul with the knowledge of the maneuver, and that soul holds it (so to speak; you aren't actually dealing with unborn souls but something along those lines) until you need it. Eventually, in the future, you'll see (once you're old, survive, slain a dragon or two and gave the finger to Asmodeus within 5 feet of distance and keep it on your hand while keeping his finger as a souvenir) someone who's unusually skilled in the maneuver you usually held that way. Genetic experience, or collective unconsciousness? Nah, that's because you "infused" that knowledge on the kid.

So, think about it. You're doing it for the future of the Nine Swords. What's not to love about that?

Sapphire Leap
Sapphire Leap, along with Sapphire Meditation, is one of two feats which directly powers up the skill that gets most used in a discipline. Sapphire Leap boosts Jump checks, which are quite used on Tiger Claw maneuvers given that the base technique (leap into the opponent and deliver a death-blow) requires using Jump checks to succeed. Not only that, making swift-action Jump checks for long-jumps and high-jumps and generally enabling Jump is one of the key traits of Tiger Claw, and this feat is meant to enhance that by providing a sizeable boost to Jump checks.

So...why 3 points per point of Essentia? A 1:1 ratio is far too weak for the feat, even if it can scale; a 2:1 ratio is essentially a gimped version of Acrobatics, while a 3:1 ratio is basically Skill Focus, which is more acceptable. Since you'll probably have one or two points of Essentia lying around, you'll have basically around a 3-6 bonus on Jump checks, which is quite enough. Dabbling can net you a massive bonus, which is also good, but it also makes you dabble a bit further which means you're halting your progression of maneuvers to get a bit more Incarnum. Thus, basically, you're focusing, specializing in hopes of getting a better benefit. If I were to offer a 4:1 ratio, that would be too powerful. So, 3:1 ratio seems to be the better choice for skills.

Sapphire Meditation
See Sapphire Leap above, except that you're using Concentration. Concentration is really, really weird: it's the only skill that depends on Constitution, a skill that is mostly used with spellcasters and other "magic" users, and it was originally devoid of most worthwhile uses but by the end of 3.5's run it was raised to a super-important skill. Diamond Mind was a great example of this: doubling attack, dealing damage directly, replacing your saves, adding your Concentration to saving throws...Diamond Mind made a very large contribution to direct uses of Concentration in battle, and Sapphire Meditation exists to boost that. Adding just a point of essentia means you're working with a +3 to one save, or +3 to damage, or even a 15% chance increase to multiply your damage. In fact, it's almost a sin not to get this feat, but feats may be scarce for you so it's a tough choice. It's a very solid booster, a very strong option, and one that effectively works since you'll scale it as more Incarnum feats come, or simply add it to the multiple boosts to make your Concentration check insanely good.

[T.G. Oskar]

ASCETIC SWORDSAGE [MULTICLASS]
Your journey into illumination has guided you upon the path of the Sublime Way, and you have complimented your monastic talent with the skill of a blade wizard.
Prerequisites: Flurry of blows, quick to act +1, monk level 1st, swordsage level 1st
Benefit: Levels in monk and swordsage levels stack for purposes of determining unarmed damage, bonus to AC, fast movement bonus, initiative bonus from the quick to act class feature, and swordsage initiator level.
You do not lose your AC bonus, fast movement and flurry of blows abilities if you wear light armor, so as long as you are holding a light load.
You treat Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Knowledge (religion), Martial Lore and Spot as class skills whenever taking levels from any of the two classes. Skill points expended in any of these skills while taking levels in any of these two classes are treated as expended on class skills retroactively up to the point the feat was taken; thus, if the character spent 4 skill points on Martial Lore as a monk, took a level in swordsage, and then gained the feat, the character would have 4 ranks instead of 2 ranks in that skill).
Finally, you can freely multiclass between the monk and swordsage classes. You must remain lawful in order to retain the monk abilities and take monk levels. If your favored class is any, monk, or swordsage, you gain no XP penalties in any of both classes, but still take penalties with multiple classes more than one level apart.

DEVOTED CRUSADER [MULTICLASS]
Your martial prowess is twice blessed by the powers that patronize you. You are bestowed greater skill because of your immeasurable devotion.
Prerequisites: Aura of good (or evil), smite, steely resolve, turn undead or remove fatigue class ability, crusader 1st, 1st level in any of the following: cleric with the Destruction domain, paladin, blackguard, or holy liberatorCD
Benefit: Levels in crusader and the class that granted you the smite ability (cleric with the Destruction domain, blackguard, paladin, or the holy liberator prestige class; crusader smite attempts do not count for this purpose) stack for purposes of determining the caster level for the spells (treat the caster level for paladin, blackguard or holy liberator equal to the levels in crusader and the actual levels in that class, instead of half the level; thus, a 5th level paladin/1st level crusader has a caster level of 6th, not 2nd), crusader initiator level, damage with the smite ability, and your effective cleric level when turning or rebuking undead.
You may expend a smite attempt from either your crusader or cleric class, or a smite good/evil attempt from the paladin, blackguard or holy liberator, to initiate a strike maneuver. The initiated maneuver must have been already expended; you cannot initiate a maneuver that has been withheld.
You treat Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) and Martial Lore as class skills whenever taking levels from any of the two classes. Skill points expended in any of these skills while taking levels in any of these two classes are treated as expended on class skills retroactively up to the point the feat was taken; thus, if the character spent 4 skill points on Martial Lore as a paladin, took a level in crusader, and then gained the feat, the character would have 4 ranks instead of 2 ranks in that skill).
Finally, you may multiclass freely between the crusader class and the paladin class. You must be lawful good to progress in the paladin class and retain your class abilities. If your favored class is any, crusader, and either cleric or paladin, you gain no XP penalties in any of both classes, but still take penalties with multiple classes more than one level apart.

GLORIOUS WARBLADE [MULTICLASS]
Your training blends the uncanny weapon mastery of the fighter with the warblade’s knowledge of the Sublime Way.
Prerequisites: Weapon Aptitude, fighter level 1st, warblade level 1st
Benefit: Your warblade levels and fighter levels stack for the purpose of determining your initiator levels. Furthermore, you are treated as two levels higher than normal for the purpose of qualifying for certain fighter bonus feats. This eliminates the Weapon Aptitude restriction.
Any time you choose a bonus feat as part of your warblade levels, you instead may choose a fighter bonus feat. You may also choose bonus feats belonging to the warblade bonus feat list that are not considered fighter bonus feats when choosing fighter bonus feats.
You treat Concentration, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Martial Lore and Ride as class skills whenever taking levels from any of the two classes. Skill points expended in any of these skills while taking levels in any of these two classes are treated as expended on class skills retroactively up to the point the feat was taken; thus, if the character spent 4 skill points on Martial Lore as a fighter, took a level in warblade, and then gained the feat, the character would have 4 ranks instead of 2 ranks in that skill).
If your favored class is any, fighter, or warblade, you gain no XP penalties in any of both classes, but still take penalties with multiple classes more than one level apart.

PSIONIC SWORDSAGE [MULTICLASS, PSIONIC]
You blend your mental combat tactic with the martial mastery of the blade wizard. You become capable of striking at your opponent at the speed of a thought.
Prerequisites: Ability to form a mind blade, quick to act +1, soulknife level 1st, swordsage level 1st
Benefit: Levels in swordsage and soulknife stack for purposes of determining your swordsage initiator level, the swordsage’s quick to act class feature, and the psionic strike soulknife class feature (if any). As well, your mind blade gains an effective enhancement bonus and weapon enhancement special abilities as if you were a soulknife of your combined levels.
After using your psychic strike, you may expend a boost maneuver from any discipline to recharge your psychic strike extra damage. If the maneuver is from Diamond Mind, the psychic strike remains charged until the end of the next turn; if the maneuver is from Tiger Claw and you are using a mind blade on each hand, both mind blades are recharged. As well, if you are a 9th level soulknife with swordsage levels, you may expend a boost maneuver and apply its benefit when using the Bladewind class feature.
You treat Autohypnosis, Balance, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (psionics), Martial Lore, Sense Motive and Spot as class skills whenever taking levels from any of the two classes. Skill points expended in any of these skills while taking levels in any of these two classes are treated as expended on class skills retroactively up to the point the feat was taken; thus, if the character spent 4 skill points on Martial Lore as a soulknife, took a level in swordsage, and then gained the feat, the character would have 4 ranks instead of 2 ranks in that skill).
If your favored class is any, soulknife, or swordsage, you gain no XP penalties in any of both classes, but still take penalties with multiple classes more than one level apart.
Special: Unlike other psionic feats, Psionic Swordsage is not a supernatural ability and thus provides its benefit in all occasions (but other restrictions still apply).

PSIONIC WARBLADE [MULTICLASS, PSIONIC]
You combine your mental powers with your talents in initiating maneuvers. Your body and mind refine to become a deadly weapon.
Prerequisites: Ability to manifest 1st level psychic warrior powers, weapon aptitude, psychic warrior 1st, warblade 1st.
Benefit: Levels in psychic warrior and warblade stack for purposes of determining your manifester level and your warblade initiator level. As well, your effective fighter level is the sum of your levels in psychic warrior and warblade for purposes of qualifying for certain bonus feats.
When you expend a boost maneuver, or your psionic focus as part of a feat, you may execute the other action as a free action once per round. Thus, you may, for example, use the Psionic Weapon feat on your first attack and later use Dancing Mongoose as a free action, or execute Dancing Mongoose and expend your psionic focus to activate Psionic Weapon as part of the additional attack gained from the boost as a free action.
You treat Autohypnosis, Balance, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (psionics), Martial Lore, and Tumble as class skills whenever taking levels from any of the two classes. Skill points expended in any of these skills while taking levels in any of these two classes are treated as expended on class skills retroactively up to the point the feat was taken; thus, if the character spent 4 skill points on Martial Lore as a psychic warrior, took a level in warblade, and then gained the feat, the character would have 4 ranks instead of 2 ranks in that skill).
If your favored class is any, psychic warrior, or warblade, you gain no XP penalties in any of both classes, but still take penalties with multiple classes more than one level apart.
Special: At the moment you choose this feat, you may decide to use either your Intelligence for purposes of access to psychic warrior powers and their DC, as well as bonus power points, or your Wisdom to determine the bonuses granted to Reflexes, attacks of opportunity and other class abilities. Once the decision is made, it cannot be reversed.
Unlike other psionic feats, Psionic Swordsage is not a supernatural ability and thus provides its benefit in all occasions (but other restrictions still apply).

I explained a bit about the multiclass feats below, but this should serve as to explain why the specific pairings.

Ascetic Swordsage
If you've played enough 3.5 D&D by the time Tome of Battle reached, you might have heard of the concept "Unarmed Swordsage is modded Monk". Certainly, there is a particular reason; the Monk is flawed given that its geared towards mobility but its main attack method requires standing still (i.e. Flurry of Blows). Another thing is that any attribute over 3rd level is rather disappointing: Still Mind is lackluster, Wholeness of Body is kinda nice but not potent enough, the immunities are too late and too weak, Spell Resistance is very nice but it can affect your own casters' buffs, etc. Finally, it fails on several points, including the lack of actual BAB, dependance on a specific kind of attack and allowing the use of weapons that are rather weak for what they should do, inability to bypass some of the casters' best defenses and virtually having no good defenses of its own. It depends far too much on magic items, which is something that was intentional in-game, but it gets deprived of two of the best magic items for any martial character (an actual magic weapon and an actual magic armor). And so forth.

The Swordsage brought great changes, being a class that provides pretty much everything: mobility based attacks with Bounding Assault and Pouncing Charge, elemental damage with moves from Desert Wind and Shadow Hand, the ability to teleport and fly and levitate and ignore difficult terrain with moves from Shadow Hand, Desert Wind and Setting Sun; better benefits for old moves such as grappling (Stone Dragon), tripping (Setting Sun; oh, Setting Sun!) and bull-rushing (Setting Sun and Stone Dragon), amongst others. Of course, Swordsage was focused on another kind of warrior; that of wuxia, whose abilities are quasi-magical. Part stems from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and people like Li Mu Bai and Jade Fox, or just about any of the ol' Jet Li movies (The Legend, for example) or more recent wuxia movies (Hero), and even old-school magic-wuxia. The Monk is but a sub-set of what the Swordsage was meant to do, but it wasn't meant to be the end-all be-all of a Monk. Quite frankly, there is a massive hint of truth on that statement of "Unarmed Swordsage is modded Monk"...

...except for those who have seen the Monk as the red-headed stepchild (you really thought it was the Sorcerer!? My, by Heironeous, how deluded you are!), Swordsage is kind of an intruder. Just recalling Unarmed Swordsage as "Monk" feels bad, specifically because while it has a good load of excellent maneuvers, the rest...well... Not monk fare, for sure. Also, the concept of maneuvers kinda strikes with the entire load of stuff made for the monk, which means you're throwing the effort of about 5-7 years of development down the drain. Sorry, but while Unarmed Swordsage could make a decent monk (if not a great one), I'd rather see a better Monk class done that has nothing even relatively similar to maneuvers (albeit ki isn't a bad idea...)

However, one thing I can work with is a multiclass feat. Essentially, this provides with the Monk with a pool of powers, while progressing some of the most crucial class features of the Monk (unarmed strike damage, Wisdom bonus to AC, fast movement). Thus, you can make a Monk with one or two maneuvers and complement your build with those, or...make a Swordsage with Monk-ish abilities. Either way, it's win-win, specifically for Monk.

Devoted Crusader
Much as people say that "Unarmed Swordsage is modded Monk", people claim that Crusader is "modded Paladin".

Alright, let me state this very clearly. I ABHOR THE NOTION THAT THE CRUSADER IS MEANT TO BE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PALADIN.

...wait, not enough punch. Let me make this even clearer:

I ABHOR, WITH THE FLAMING FURY OF A MILLION GODS OF WRATH, THE NOTION THAT THE CRUSADER IS MEANT TO BE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PALADIN.

I guess that deserves a little explanation, so here it goes: the closest notion that the Crusader could be the replacement of the Paladin is if you consider the Holy Knight class from Final Fantasy Tactics. However, if you see pretty much every other single game in existence, the Paladin has a very small, slight, and rather specific combination of special attacks, spells and defensive capabilities. The D&D Paladin has definitely one of the three, and it attempts really, really hard to work on the other two with smite evil, heavy armor and divine grace. The Crusader? No, Devoted Spirit healing maneuvers and White Raven buffs do not count as a limited spellcasting ability, and Ruby Knight Vindicator isn't even close to the notion I seek from a Paladin. Not. Even. Close. Mostly, because it's essentially meant to be a Crusader/Cleric multiclass PrC, and because of the very specific fluff.

So, what are the other things responsible for having the Crusader replace the Paladin, in the eyes of many? Well, considering the Cleric does exactly what the Paladin would do and more (because they insist that Clerics should wear heavy armor, and because Divine Power is essentially the only thing they need to be better than Paladins and Fighters and other melee classes), and the Paladin still has the baggage of OD&D/AD&D (seriously, look at it! It's pretty much identical!), not to mention that limited spellcasting is something that took a very serious hit in the edition change... There are several problems with it, but one thing's for certain; the Paladin wasn't properly updated. Even then, I learned how to love a Paladin through Dungeons & Dragons, and later on I realized that is basically my calling, though my true vocation is...oddly enough, Cleric. Explanation again: the fluff and the skills drive me to paladinhood, but I play mostly a supporter with healing, heavy armor and combat skills which is basically what the Cleric does.

However, as much as I attempt to see the Crusader, I simply can't...can't see Paladinhood in it. Not even a bit. Period. The Crusader is awesome, don't get me wrong; it's just that it isn't the Paladin I look for. The Paladin from World of Warcraft quite honestly isn't what I seek either, and it's pretty frightening to behold. I'm quite picky with Paladins, and while I accept that Paladins could have been done better, Crusader is not "done better" in any sense of the word. In any case, it's a class that should exist on its own, actually sharing with the Paladin who can self-buff with spells and dish damage to evil in obscene ways and have insane methods of survival, but not as a replacement to it.

So, in a nutshell: regardless of presenting empirical evidence of why I should consider the Crusader as the best Paladin fix, I simply cannot bear to accept that as a fact or even as a hypothesis. (Prestige Paladin, on the other hand, is something I can handle better since it's basically the same frame but done even more special; I can accept the Lord in Wizardry and the Fighter/Cleric boost to Paladin in The Dark Spire, so actually having Paladin as a prestige class is something I can heartily endorse. But...not Crusader as a replacement.

So, with the rant over and this not being the thread to discuss it (this is to discuss the feats and the homebrew), let's go to the rationale of why Crusader/Paladin must have a multiclass...

Hey, wait...is there actually an entry for Clerics of St. Cuthbert or another deity that grants the Destruction domain, blackguards and holy liberators?

Yep, yep they do. That's because they share a few things with paladins; the ability to cast spells, the ability to smite (much like a crusader does, yet nobody seems to protest about...argh, didn't I said the rant was over!?), and a thematic link with Crusaders. Yes, thematic link; all five classes (or rather, all three classes and two PrCs) have alignment issues, religious issues, tanking issues and fluff issues in common. Thus, it's only natural that they blend each other so nicely. Yes, blend (NOT! REPLACEMENT!). The biggest feature is to treat the smite ability as an enabler for already used maneuvers (thus, you can expend a smite and convert it to, say, Strike of Righteous Vitality or Rallying Strike or Mountain Tombstone Strike or White Raven Hammer or White! Raven! TAAAAAAACTICS!! at your leisure. Since you can recover maneuvers after a while but not smites, this is mostly a precautionary measure; it's when you need it the most. Inspired Smite helps you use the smites in a different way, so combining the two works actually fine. So, you can use your domain granted power to unleash a burst of healing on a character while dealing...a single hit on a monster, or something along those lines. Isn't it nice?

As for the issue with Paladins...Project Heretica coming soon.

Glorious Warblade
And here's the third (you know, how people say "third time's the charm"...); people claim the Warblade is the actual best fix for the Fighter.

...If you're expecting me to rant about how the Fighter must exist aside from the Warblade and must be fixed, let me tell you...nope, I don't think in that way at least for the Fighter. The Warblade IS indeed the best replacement for the Fighter, if only because the name "Warblade" is stupid and because the bonus feats are silly and pointless and because the maneuvers AND the class abilities are better than what the Fighter will ever get, barring Dungeon Crasher which is sexy. The Fighter loses very, very little in terms of what it has gained: Weapon Focus and the line aren't something that's going to really be missed, and the Warblade already grants that, so... Oh, you mean the substitution levels? Tough choice there; the Warblade offers even more than what ACFs, substitution levels and even the Thug could offer. So, really; while I can accept that the Monk can exist side to side with the obviously better Swordsage, and while I absolutely abhor that the Crusader is pointed as the new Paladin (in case you didn't get the memo last time: NO, I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE NOTION), I can accept and even enjoy that the Warblade is renamed "Fighter". Actually...the "Warblade" can be called the new "Fighter" and the Fighter can be the new Warrior NPC class; I mean, you can make awesome NPCs with all those bonus feats, no?

And speaking of bonus feats: Glorious Warblade offers mostly that. You get full effective Fighter levels, a bit more bonus feats (from dipping in Fighter), the Fighter bonus feats...really, that's the Warblade Striking with Perfect Clarity the Fighter and looting all of its stuff. Poor, poor Fighter, but hey, at least you can justify dipping in Fighter and get more stuff than what you could from remaining Warblade for 20 levels...oh, wait, Dual Stance! I almost forgot! Well...that's a minor sacrifice for what you get...which is one more feat, but a feat can make a world of difference in a build, let alone two or Dungeon Crasher on your build :P

Psionic Swordsage
So...why Soulknife? Soulknife is a cool concept, but unfortunately didn't work as a prestige class and much less as a class. Why? Essentially because the Soulknife has exactly ONE class ability: the ability to form a Mind Blade. Give that as a feat, and you have effectively murdered the Soulknife in its own game. So, why not grant the Soulknife something worthwhile, something like...I dunno, a LG Goblin Soulknife/Swordsage painted in green and old as existence itself jumping and owning its enemies with awesome moves (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRd9PGmAQUE&feature=related). All it really needs is a bit of telekinetic power and some psionic powers (or say, supernatural maneuvers...) and call him a Jedi Knight, for that is what a Soulknife would essentially be.

Thus, the Soulknife is paired with the class which has the largest amount of maneuvers at its disposal; the Swordsage. There are several benefits to the Swordsage, the biggest of it being the ability to add its Wisdom modifier (if any) to its Armor Class, a benefit that could certainly help with the AC whenever needed. Technically, just wearing hide would allow the Soulknife to fight unarmed and unarmored, and still be strong enough to succeed in combat. The Soulknife gets a bit more benefit when getting more Soulknife levels, including increased initiator level and the ability to use maneuvers with Bladewind, while still having more maneuvers than the Crusader or Warblade will ever have.

Now, the main question would be: why not pair Soulknife with Warblade? The reason is varied, but there's one clear point to it: the Warblade's limited maneuver list, coupled with the fact that it would make very, very difficult to get at least 9 levels in Soulknife to use maneuvers with Bladewind, something that could essentially work as Bloodstorm Blade if not better. However, that would be pairing a weak class with a not-so-weak class, and the end result wouldn't benefit either; at least with Swordsage, the Soulknife benefits a lot and the Swordsage gets a minor, but significant, benefit.

One more thing: Psychic Strike is a cool feature, but it was badly done. This feat is a stealth-fix for it, much like Inspired Smite is a stealth-fix for the smite ability. Diamond Mind makes it a much, much better fix (more damage for your buck, so it really becomes a boost) while Tiger Claw makes it more TWF-friendly.

Psionic Warblade
After seeing this feat, you might be wondering: hey, that's no fair! Swordsage is paired with a bad class, while Warblade is paired with an AWESOME class!

Well, read that little thing again. The Warblade is a class that you could take 20 levels and you would still beat the living daylights out of people. So does the Psychic Warrior. Mix the two, and...well, which level will you take later? Remember that one less Warblade level means one less maneuver for about two levels, while one less Psychic Warrior maneuver means one less psionic power and delayed access to 6th level powers. Herein lies the balancing point: you will be forced to choose between both classes, given that there's no PrC that advances manifesting and initiating and that's official (though there are homebrews for that), and getting half-and-half, even leap-frogging, can be pretty harmful (since you'll get at most 7 maneuvers and about 10 psionic powers, with a maximum power level of 4th), so you'll have to decide which ability is better: leapfrogging (aka, choosing Warblade levels for later to get access to higher-level maneuvers) for better maneuvers and let psionics enhance your defenses or enhancing your psionic powers and just have maneuvers for when you need them. Put that in, say, Swordsage/Psychic Warrior and the dilemma becomes less and less painful.

Another trick is that a Psychic Warrior/Warblade has the ability to reduce its expected MAD by focusing on either Int or Wis. If you choose Int, your Warblade abilities and your Psychic Warrior abilities will both key off it and open new choices which, while it will hurt both, will be beneficial in the long run (*coughcoughFactotumcoughcough*). Meanwhile, choosing Wis means your Warblade abilities and your Psychic Warrior abilities will both key off it and open new choices which, while it will hurt both, will be beneficial in the long run (*coughcoughZenArcheryandIntuitiveStrikecoughcough *). It's merely a choice between whether to fight smarter or to fight wiser.

So...why Warblade and not Swordsage? Well, a Psychic Warrior/Warblade is closer to, say, a Jedi Consular (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jedi_Consular) while the Psychic Warrior/Swordsage is more of a Jedi Guardian (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jedi_Guardian), so to speak: one is a better swordsman, the other is a better psionics-user. Certainly, the true "Jedi Consular" would be the Soulknife/Psychic Warrior while the Jedi Guardian would be the mix I made above, and the Jedi Brute would be this mix...not entirely relevant, but to get the usual idea hammered in: Swordsage would have been far too powerful, since you barely lose anything with a class that you can enter late (say, 6th level), and immediately gain 6 3rd level maneuvers while having a plethora of powers, then leap-frogging until you get 9th level maneuvers and probably two or three paths complete (quite probably Time Stands Still, which is brutal with Hustle), which would have made multiclassing easier. That, and Psychic Warrior/Swordsage already has a built-in support for Wisdom so you'd get more Wisdom power for your buck: seriously, Extended Inertial Armor augmented to max with Wis bonus to AC is the closest thing to "can't touch this" (and if you manage to get TSS, then you say "Stop! Hammertime!") Add Shifting Defense, Combat Reflexes, and you can do your own MC Hammer video without troubles...while fighting dragons and outsiders (pull that on a Pit Fiend and you gain many kudos).

...Alright, I got out of topic, but it was in good fun. It also serves to explain why PsyWar/Swordsage is not the best idea (it's too easy to make an awesome build with it!) Still, I might brew an idea based on it...

[T.G. Oskar]

DISCIPLINE MIND BLADE [PSIONIC]
When you reshape your mind blade, you can shape it into the signature weapons of your favored discipline.
Prerequisites: Blade Meditation, ability to form a mind blade, initiator level 6+
Benefit: Any time you wish to reshape your mind blade, you can add the weapons from the discipline chosen with the Blade Meditation feat. You are considered proficient with any of the weapons you lack proficiency as if you had the correspondent Martial Weapon Proficiency or Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat. The weapon is appropriately sized for you and deals damage as a weapon of its type.
Special: You may take this feat more than once. Each time you gain this feat, it applies to any other discipline to which you may have the Blade Meditation feat.

MENTAL INSIGHT [PSIONIC]
Your ability with the Diamond Mind discipline enhances your ability to remain psionically focused. Your ability reaches full circle.
Prerequisites: Constitution 5 ranks, power point reserve, one Diamond Mind maneuver
Benefit: Whenever you initiate a Diamond Mind maneuver in which you require to do a Concentration check, you can spend your psionic focus to gain a +15 insight bonus on your skill check. This replaces the normal effect when you expend your psionic focus, you must still do a Concentration check with the maneuver. Regardless of the result, you still expend both your psionic focus and your maneuver.
Normal: If you expend your psionic focus when initiating a Diamond Mind maneuver that requires a Concentration skill check, you instead treat the result as a 15.

PSICRYSTAL PREPARATION [PSIONIC]
You can infuse your psicrystal with knowledge of a maneuver, which you can reclaim and initiate at a moment’s notice.
Prerequisites: Psicrystal Affinity, Psicrystal Containment, initiator level +6, two maneuvers
Benefit: You may ready one maneuver upon your psicrystal instead of allowing it to hold a psionic focus. The readied maneuver does not count towards your limit of readied maneuvers, but you may only choose from the unreadied maneuvers; effectively, this gives you one extra ready maneuver per day. You ready this maneuver at the moment you ready all your maneuvers.
As a swift action, you can recall the knowledge of the maneuver stored in the psicrystal. The maneuver must be executed in the same round in which it was recalled, or else the maneuver is considered expended and unreadied. Once the maneuver is expended, regardless of whether it was initiated or not, it cannot be recovered through the usual recovery methods. You may not recover the maneuver with the Adaptive Style feat, if you have it.

As you may have noticed, even psionics has its share of feats that can be applied to martial maneuvers. The ones in here are few, given the fact that the original book had some slight psionic support, but are somewhat meaningful because they use more of the mechanics of the system. Including, of course, one slight and unremarkable thing I believe few may have noticed.

Discipline Mind Blade
Let's face it: most people don't want to hear about Complete Psionic for a variety of reasons. Most likely, while Ardent is awesome, Divine Mind is a failure of a class and Lurk is a class that has some weird rationale behind it (fights like a martial character, but otherwise it's a glorified psionic rogue/assassin). The PrCs are really hit or miss; Hit: Soulbow helping the Soulknife do more; Miss: pretty much everything else; Frightening Miss: Zerth Cenobite, which has AWESOME fluff but pathetic abilities, to justify giving the same amount of psionic powers a War Mind offers (but without the BAB and nice skills that the latter has)

And then there's the feats. Racial feats for the XPH races, ways to expand on the idea of people hosting psionic spirits (aka other ways to get Kalashtar and Inspired in your game), amongst others. Soulknives have a huge load of support in here, getting some stuff for their psychic strike and the ability to shape new Mind Blades. Between Complete Psionics and Secrets of Sarlona, some love was given to the Soulknife, a class that was never meant to be (my apologies to the fans of Soulknife, but the Psychic Warrior ACF is pretty close to what the Soulknife could have been, making it an awesome Jedi-like character with its own definite fluff) unless it had a real, real, REAL reason to exist on its own.

But, that doesn't mean it cannot receive support! And thus, aside from Psionic Swordsage, there is one more aid to Soulknives, one that really, really, REALLY helps them. And that is this feat: Discipline Mind Blade.

So, what does this provide? It provides a lot of new weapons upon which your Mind Blade can be shaped, including some beloved exotic weapons (such as the spiked chain!). Another great thing is that it offers a choice of about 5 weapons in each take of the feat, so you can take something like Discipline Mind Blade (Desert Wind) and Discipline Mind Blade (Shadow Hand) and get about 8-9 new shapes for the Mind Blade, which is effectively a bargain.

Another thing is that you effectively get EWP for free in those weapons you are familiar with (not just EWP-like proficiency with mind blades of that kind; to create the weapon, you must first familiarize with it), not to mention Martial Weapon Proficiency. That means that, for each two feats you spend on Blade Meditation and Discipline Mind blade, you're taking a whole bunch of feats alongside it. That's a bargain if I've seen it anywhere.

One thing I want to clear out: some disciplines have Unarmed Strikes or Claws as favored weapons. Given that Unarmed Strikes are simple weapons and they already exist, that doesn't mean they suddenly get the Monk's unarmed strike progression. Gauntlets are something they can already wear, so it's not like they gain something. However...what about Claws? Does that mean they can shape claws?

...That I won't answer, but if people offer ideas, I will work on them. Thus far, I'm going with psionically energizing the character's fists to be lethal and deal slightly more damage, and allowing the Soulknife to manifest claws as if they were using the Claws of the Beast power. That sounds a bit sensible, and allows users of Setting Sun and Tiger Claw not to feel cheated.

Mental Insight
Remember when I said that there was something that perhaps only a few people actually noticed? Well, most of the Diamond Mind maneuvers allow Concentration checks. Psionic Focus is used for a lot of things, but the first and foremost use of the ability is to deploy it on any Concentation check. Note that it says "a single Concentration check", but not exactly WHICH. Thus, it is reasonable to think that you can deploy it in conjunction with Diamond Mind maneuvers, and that just having Wild Talent is enough to give a MASSIVE boost to Diamond Mind? How so?

Well, first and foremost, you can use it for Moment of Perfect Mind, Action Before Thought and Mind over Body. That means you can effectively "take 15" on a saving throw. See to it if you wouldn't fail that check, specially if you have a high Concentration bonus.

Second, Insightful Strike. That's a +15 to damage, no questions asked! Greater Insightful Strike? +30! That's 5 (or 10) points short from 20, but at least it's when you HAVE to use it (such as when you have IS or GIS, the enemy needs only one hit to die, and the amount of HP is between that amount + your Concentration modifier), and it implies a very steady amount of damage.

Finally, Nightmare Blade. That's essentially a sure "I hit you for extra/double/quadruple damage this turn", especially if you combine it with other methods of adding damage to the attack.

However...why not make it EVEN BETTER!? Thus, Mental Insight. Essentially, instead of expending your psionic focus for "take 15", you can use it to "ADD 15". That's...insane, great, spectacular, and just short of broken: Insightful now deals reasonable damage (d20 + full Concentration check modifier +15), you simply can't fail your saving throws, and you can essentially make sure you WILL get that Concentration check right.

Psicrystal Preparation
Unlike the other two which are certainly fitting, this one is a bit of an oddball. It implies getting Psicrystal Affinity, which is a feat that virtually any manifester can get, to use their psionic focus to keep one maneuver you may need eventually. However, since you're effectively temporarily transferring the maneuver to the psicrystal, the limitation is extremely harsh; it can only be used ONCE per day. It's, again, something like the Incarnum feat that allows you to "store" maneuvers outside of your mind; you get an expanded amount of ready maneuvers, but your accessibility becomes even more limited. So it's really for those tight situations, when you REALLY need that maneuver but you can't afford to have it.

However...why the maneuver becomes inaccessible for the remainder of the day, instead of just making the psicrystal retain only one maneuver per day? It's because while Incarnum has this feature that most of its feats can allow Essentia reassigning only once per day, psicrystals can recharge their psionic focus at any time. This is mostly fluff-linked: while with Incarnum, it is the unborn souls that retain your knowledge of the maneuver and give you that spark of inspiration, in the case of psicrystals you basically transfer your knowledge of the maneuver, but the psicrystal cannot use that maneuver since it doesn't have a form. Thus, it retains your maneuver until next day when you can reclaim it. It's also a mechanical restriction: this is basically the Extra Readied Maneuver feat, except that open to everyone and that Swordsages can take it along the other feat having even more readied maneuvers. It's also a challenge: which maneuvers you consider indispensable, which one you consider trash, which one you consider situational? Indispensables are always readied upon you, trash are those you never get, and situationals are those which you want available but not readied: maneuvers in martial scrolls, those you took for purposes of qualifying for higher-level maneuvers but you've stopped using, and maneuvers that you'd rather leave to items. This feat adds a sub-division to those situational maneuvers: those you want to have just in case ready at any moment, but that you don't expect to use more than once in any day.

[T.G. Oskar]

WEAPON STYLE FEATS
Introduced in Complete Warrior, these feats provide special abilities when using a specific kind of weapon and several feats in succession. These feats use weapons related to various of the disciplines, granting abilities in tune with the theme of each discipline.

HAMMER OF FAITH [STYLE]
You have mastered the style of fighting with a greatclub or maul while employing basic movements from the Devoted Spirit discipline. You can bypass the defenses of creatures with evil alignments without a thought.
Prerequisites: Avenging Strike, Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Weapon Focus (greatclub or maul)
Benefit: If you hit a creature with a greatclub or maul, your weapon always ignores the damage reduction of the creature (including epic damage reduction) This benefit applies to any attack or maneuver that uses the weapon, even if the weapon is somehow thrown, but you cannot extend the benefit to allied creatures.
Special: if you ignore the damage reduction of the creature by any means other than this feat (such as good-aligned weapons, the use of certain maneuvers, or the Shards of Granite feat), you also deal damage equal to your initiator level (if any) with each attack that you deal with the weapon. If you only partially ignore the damage reduction of the creature (for example, if you use a good aligned weapon against an evil creature with damage reduction X/evil and cold iron), you instead deal damage equal to your initiator level whenever you use the Aligned Strike feat.

PANTHER’S LEAP [STYLE]
You have mastered the style of fighting with a handaxe, kama or kukri in both hands (or a combination of the two) while employing basic maneuvers from the Tiger Claw discipline. Your damage becomes vicious, causing an alarming cut that bleeds profusely.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Acrobatic, Two-Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Rend, Weapon Focus (handaxe, kama or kukri)
Benefit: If you hit a creature with either a kama, a kukri, or a handaxe in both hands (or a combination of the two), and you activate the effect of the Two Weapon Rend feat (meaning you strike with both your main weapon and your off-hand weapon), the rending damage of the feat lingers. You deal 1d6 + 1-1/2 your Strength modifier in damage, as usual, as if you did the damage with your off-hand weapon; on the next turn, the wound bleeds and causes the same damage. The bleeding continues until the creature receives magical healing or a Heal check with DC equal to 15 + your Str modifier. Wounds from multiple successful uses of this strike cause cumulative bleeding: if the creature is affected three times by this style, it takes an amount of damage equal to the sum of the points of damage dealt each round from bleeding.

RISING SUN STRIKE [STYLE]
You have mastered the style of fighting with two nunchakus or a quarterstaff, while employing basic maneuvers of the Setting Sun discipline. Your strikes combine the art of striking pressure points for stunning the opponent with the ability to use the opponent’s own strength against it.
Prerequisites: Falling Sun Strike, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (nunchaku or quarterstaff)
Benefit: If you hit a creature with a nunchaku in either hand or with a quarterstaff while using the Two Weapon Fighting feat, you gain the ability to initiate a bull rush maneuver at the end of your action. If the opponent moves at least five feet, it must roll a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + ½ character level + Wis modifier + 1 per 5 feet moved) or be stunned for 1 round. This stunning attack does not consume a Stunning Fist attempt.
Special: If you possess any other maneuvers such as Pain Touch, Weakening Touch, Freezing the Lifeblood, between others, you may expend a Stunning Fist attempt as usual to activate the effect. The use of these above-mentioned feats replace the stunning effect of the feat. If you also have the Stunning Master feat (from Secrets of Sarlona), you may use the feat without expending a Stunning Fist attempt.

SEISMIC FURY [STYLE]
You have mastered the style of fighting with a greataxe or heavy mace while employing basic maneuvers from the Stone Dragon discipline. The brutal swing of your weapon not only destroys equipment, but also unleashes the fury of the earth.
Prerequisites: Str 13, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greataxe or heavy mace), Balance 13 ranks
Benefit: If you succeed on a sunder attempt to destroy an enemy’s weapon or shield while using a greataxe or heavy mace, the force of your blow causes the enemy to fall prone and the shrapnel of the weapon to scatter and strike all nearby enemies. The opponent whose item has been destroyed falls to the ground without a save, so as long as it can fall prone (thus, creature with no feet are immune to this effect). Furthermore, the shards of the blade fly upon impact, dealing damage equal to the amount of damage dealt to the weapon with the sunder attempt. A DC 15 Reflex save reduces the damage by half.
Special: If you use the Power Attack feat and take a penalty of at least -5 to the attack roll, the damage dealt by the shards is doubled instead.

SHADOW STAB [STYLE]
You have mastered the style of fighting with a sai in one hand and a dagger, shortsword or siangham in the other hand, while employing basic maneuvers from the Shadow Hand discipline. You strike at the opponent’s weak points in the armor while distracting it with your main attack.
Prerequisites: Improved Feint, Shadow Blade, Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (dagger, siangham or shortsword), Weapon Focus (sai)
Benefit: If your opponent is denied their Dexterity bonus to AC or is flanked, and you make a full attack action with a sai in one hand and a dagger, shortsword or siangham, your attacks distract the opponent enough to cause your secondary attacks to ignore their defenses. Any attack you do with your off-hand is considered a touch attack, and thus it ignores Armor Class provided by armor, shield, natural armor, or their enhancements.
Special: If you manage to feint the opponent while still denying the opponents’ Dexterity bonus to AC or while flanking, the attack ignores the effects of magic items and feats that normally deny the effects of touch attacks.

SWALLOW’S DAZE [STYLE]
You have mastered the style of fighting with a bastard sword while employing basic maneuvers from the Diamond Mind discipline. Your flurry of strikes speeds to the point where you can land one more decisive hit.
Prerequisites: Rapid Assault, Stunning Fist, Weapon Focus (bastard sword)
Benefit: When making a full attack with a bastard sword, you may make one extra attack at your highest base attack bonus. The extra attack may deal either lethal or nonlethal damage to the opponent. If you choose to make nonlethal damage to the opponent, your opponent must make a Fortitude save against a DC of 10 + ½ your character level + your Wisdom modifier or be stunned for one round. Failure means the opponent is dazed instead. This attack does not consume a Stunning Fist attempt.
Special: If you possess any other maneuvers such as Pain Touch, Weakening Touch, Freezing the Lifeblood, between others, you may expend a Stunning Fist attempt as usual to activate the effect of said feats when dealing lethal damage. If you also have the Stunning Master feat (from Secrets of Sarlona), you may use the feats above mentioned without expending a Stunning Fist attempt.

SWEEPING SIROCCO [STYLE]
You have mastered the style of fighting with a scimitar or falchion while employing basic maneuvers from the Desert Wind discipline. The heat of your flames burns and strains the opponent.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Desert Fire, Dodge (or Desert Wind Dodge), Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (scimitar or falchion)
Benefit: When you attack with a scimitar or falchion, your knowledge of the Desert Wind discipline and your blazing speed heat the following wind to increase the damage. Your attacks deal 1d6 extra fire damage. Furthermore, if the creature takes at least one point of fire damage, it must make a Fortitude save against a DC equal to 10 + ½ your character level + the amount of fire damage taken or become fatigued. If the creature is already fatigued, it instead becomes exhausted.
Special: If you are somehow capable of dealing extra fire damage (because of a flaming weapon, the Desert Fire or Desert Wind Dodge feats, or a Desert Wind boost or strike), the fire damage from this feat cannot be resisted, and the creature must make a Fortitude save or be exhausted instead. Creatures immune to fire are not affected.

Rationale for Weapon Style feats here in a jiffy

After this monumental copy-pasta from my own documents, as well as minor fixes to a few feats, the usual question remains. Like them? Dislike them? Love them to death? Hate them (and by extension the author) with the wrath of a million gods of war during an event of multiversal peace? Comments, suggestions, ideas? Those would be quite appreciated.

UPDATE: Bit tired, so you may comment on all feats but the explanation for the remaining feats will come later on. The general feats section has the rationale for all feats, so you might want to start commenting on that if you want.

[Pechvarry]

I've only read the 1st post so far, but I suggest changing Mounted Initiation into a Multiclass type feat and adding a bit about special mount growth (probably use the higher of your normal effective mount level or Initiator level, whichever is higher). As-is, 2 feats to get the mounted stance deal, in addition to all the other mounted feats you're likely to possess, and you still have a stunted mount unless you're Paladin lots/ToB class 1.

Ok, now I've read the Combat Form feats. I think something needs clarified: in the instances where you're discharging your combat focus, how many benefits are you getting? Can you discharge your focus and get double stances as well as a bunch of recovered maneuvers? Or is this a decision point? I'm leaning towards the latter, but curious at what your intentions were.

In particular, I think Combat Positioning should only allow you to maintain double stances for as long as the duration of the focus would've been.

I'm also noticing an unsettling tendency towards "Initiator level 11+". I expect this is because non-initiators never go above 10 in sub-epic play, but it feels a bit harsh.

[Prime32]

SWALLOW’S DAZE [STYLE]
Tsubame Gaeshi? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasaki_Kojirō)

[T.G. Oskar]

I've only read the 1st post so far, but I suggest changing Mounted Initiation into a Multiclass type feat and adding a bit about special mount growth (probably use the higher of your normal effective mount level or Initiator level, whichever is higher). As-is, 2 feats to get the mounted stance deal, in addition to all the other mounted feats you're likely to possess, and you still have a stunted mount unless you're Paladin lots/ToB class 1.

I mentioned I was thinking of opening the requirements to most mounted builds. Technically, the idea should be that the character must be boosted rather than the mount, by allowing you the ability to use maneuvers and stances while mounted and specifically to allow Stone Dragon maneuvers within the mount. Boosting the mount may not be the option, but I might consider a "Special" section in which having Mounted Initiation allows you to treat something (perhaps 1/2 your character level plus your Paladin/Cavalier/X levels) for purposes of special mount; makes it capable of growing, allows people to dabble in other classes, but it allows opening. It's already quite stunted, but if I were to use the higher of two classes, it'll quickly end up in just a Cavalier or 5-level Paladin dip and not a clear choice of which classes to get.

Another thing is that Mounted Initiation doesn't fit for a Multiclass feat, or at least the conception of what I get as a Multiclass feat, since it's mostly an "enabling" feat rather than a "multiclass ease" feat. Cleave Initiation is an "enabling" feat, and thus it gets in General (along with "enhancement" feats, such as, say, Midnight Dodge or something).


Ok, now I've read the Combat Form feats. I think something needs clarified: in the instances where you're discharging your combat focus, how many benefits are you getting? Can you discharge your focus and get double stances as well as a bunch of recovered maneuvers? Or is this a decision point? I'm leaning towards the latter, but curious at what your intentions were.

Treat it as if psionic focus: when you expend your combat focus, you can only use one of the feats in conjunction, not all of them. Thus, it's a decision point way of handling the feats, which allows for reasonable bonuses: you're effectively ending a focus which provides you with a lot of benefits, so the pay-off should be equally reasonable; however, you can only expend your focus that much.


In particular, I think Combat Positioning should only allow you to maintain double stances for as long as the duration of the focus would've been.

I can see your point. Combat Focus effectively lasts for a number of rounds equal to 10 + Combat feats (including, IIRC, Combat Focus itself), so you'd get a bit more than a minute having that skill, so it may work even better than before. However, it also begs the question of whether the other restriction should remain (i.e., the loss of double-stance if you change any of the two stances), since the idea is that you're exchanging lots of flexibility (specifically the benefit of Combat Formation) for restricting yourself to remaining in two stances or else lose the benefit. Strictly speaking, both would have the same duration (if the battle lasts less than a minute's worth of rounds), so for the most part it wouldn't be a noticeable change; however, the restriction may be quite the deciding factor.


I'm also noticing an unsettling tendency towards "Initiator level 11+". I expect this is because non-initiators never go above 10 in sub-epic play, but it feels a bit harsh.

I mentioned that I hadn't touched these feats up until now (and even then, only some of them were retouched or altered from the core to conform to new descriptors, as with all Multiclass feats), so at that moment I considered those feats to involve such an amount of devotion to martial maneuvers that an Initiator level of 11 or higher would be reasonable; that doesn't mean it's particularly reasonable as I see them again, but I posted it because it was the original intention at the time I wrote them.

Do consider that these feats were meant to be coupled with other stuff in mind (namely, a new base class and ACFs for base classes which granted their own initiator level growth; there are links to them on the first post), so the restrictions may not have been that harsh when I developed them at the moment. Then again, the idea was to dip into martial adept classes to gain the benefit (and at times a bit more than usual, perhaps a 4 level dip or something).

Still, if you (and others) find it's a bit harsh and unsettling, I can work with reducing the initiator level restriction to...say, 6th. That way, feats like Counter Reflexes could enter play by 6th level (though in the case of Counter Reflexes, maybe initiator level 7th or 8th would be a tad more reasonable). The idea is that people will still have to dip into a martial class to gain the best possible benefit from them (since most of the feats make reference to use of multiple maneuvers, and if you do Martial Study that means you get at most 3 maneuvers to use 1/encounter), but perhaps a happier medium can be reached.


Tsubame Gaeshi? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasaki_Kojirō)

Yes, you read my mind. "Swallow's Daze" is a move that I liked (in terms of execution) when playing Tactics Ogre; only much later I realized it was based on an actual technique, aptly named Tsubame-Gaeshi, or Swallow Reversal.

Extra tidbit: the version of Tsubame Gaeshi from Tactics Ogre: Knight of Lodis actually caused the stun condition (but little damage); that's the version I'm basing the weapon style feat from.

[NineThePuma]

I've gotten spoiled by you, TG! I now can't read homebrew without wanting to find people's rationale for why they do things. I may have to steal that from you.

In any case, I read over the feats that interested me, namely the MultiClass ones and I think some of the weapon style ones and am suitably impressed. If only my copy of ToB hadn't vanished. (Seriously, what is it with stuff I own disappearing?)

Regardless, I look forward to hearing why you opted for Swordsage/Soulknife and Warblade/Psychic Warrior. SK is the 'beefiest' of them, and attaching it to the showy WB seems more appropriate to my sense of... Something. I'm sure you have your reasons; I'm looking forward to hearing them.

[The Mentalist]

SEISMIC FURY, has a flaw in that you don't say how big the radius on the shrapnel is. That's the only issue I noticed on my quick skim.

[Pechvarry]

I finally read the rest of these. First off, I should tell you: I immediately bookmarked this page. I like pretty much all of these feats. Time for me to suggest more changes, though:

Rising Sun Strike has tons of prereqs. I might suggest changing the Two-Weapon Fighting req to "Two Weapon Fighting or the ability to Flurry" and then changing the text to say the ability also activates if using a flurry at the time. They are, afterall, both flurry-able weapons.

Seismic Fury, unfortunately, needs a lot of work. Static DC 15 is pretty bad news, and auto-tripping is even worse. Obviously, these are both my opinions. I just think the feat would be all the better to DM and player with both of those aspects reworked.

As for the things I mentioned previously:

For a lot of the Initiator level 11+ effects, I was actually thinking 8 or so. Still out of reach of non-initiators in most campaigns, but not terribly early for full initiators.

As for Mounted Initiation, I think I see what you're saying -- if Initiator level ups the special mount, people will just grab the mount and never touch the non-initiator classes again. This is a good point. I wonder if a practiced spellcaster effect would be amiss in one of your mounted initiator feats (+4 to effective special mount level, to a max of HD). I actually like the Special Mount req, btw.

Thanks for all of this. Good stuff.

[T.G. Oskar]

I've gotten spoiled by you, TG! I now can't read homebrew without wanting to find people's rationale for why they do things. I may have to steal that from you.

In any case, I read over the feats that interested me, namely the MultiClass ones and I think some of the weapon style ones and am suitably impressed. If only my copy of ToB hadn't vanished. (Seriously, what is it with stuff I own disappearing?)

Regardless, I look forward to hearing why you opted for Swordsage/Soulknife and Warblade/Psychic Warrior. SK is the 'beefiest' of them, and attaching it to the showy WB seems more appropriate to my sense of... Something. I'm sure you have your reasons; I'm looking forward to hearing them.

Spoiled? I'm...not sure you should expect people to explain their rationale about their stuff. I find it easier to add the explanation through spoilers since people who wish to read it will read it, and those who don't can just get to the meatier parts. On the other hand, usually I find that I can explain things without the legalistic rigidity of the language used in the rules, which usually have to indicate the exact effect in order to conform RAW, and any confusion is explained easier that way.

As for why Swordsage/Soulknife over Swordsage/PsyWar and Warblade/PsyWar over Warblade/Soulknife, there are several factors. The first and the foremost is bonus feats: the Psychic Warrior is meant to be, in essence, a Fighter with psionic powers up to 6th level, hence why it has the bonus feats in the class chassis. Warblade also has bonus feats, which are a bit more restricted but the idea is that they can take Fighter Bonus Feats. Hence, the two make an ideal match. The other is basically what happens with Ascetic Mage: you basically have the Monk's bonus to AC key off Charisma instead of Wisdom. PsyWar's second/third high stat is Wisdom, and so does Warblade's second or third high stat is Intelligence: in that regard, both are similar.

Swordsage/Soulknife, on the other hand, is basically mixing two things and fixing the problem of one class with the abundance of the other. The first, the two mixed things, is essentially the Wis bonus to AC when wearing light armor; basically, the Soulknife/Swordsage can have high AC and still be an effective combatant, AC-speaking; meanwhile, the Soulknife works somewhat in a way like Unarmed Swordsage does: the Soulknife/Swordsage doesn't have to be armed with a manufactured weapon to deal damage. In this case, the mind blade and the access to Discipline Mind Blade makes the Soulknife a bit more versatile in that it can develop the right kind of weapon based on the class with the largest access to disciplines. The other is kinda straightforward: the Swordsage has lots of maneuvers, readied maneuvers and stances, which compensates for the lack of anything the Soulknife has.

If I had gone with the other choices (Soulknife/Warblade and Psywar/Swordsage), things would have been quite unfair. Certainly, a PsyWar/Swordsage would have probably Intuitive Attack, Zen Archery, and a Wisdom bonus that simply would ignore the concept of having Str in the first place (attack? Well, that's what the maneuvers and the powers are for!). Meanwhile, the Soulknife/Warblade would have had a bit more BAB and a reason to go Int-based, but the end result would have been that the Warblade wouldn't modify the Soulknife as I would have wanted: while PsyWar/Swordsage would have far too many powers and maneuvers to basically get the character up an entire tier (add Adaptive Style and you can certainly do quite a lot of good things, including teleporting, flying, having the right form, do several attacks, awesome defenses (Concealing Amorpha with Pearl of Black Doubt), and basically having the debate between whether to get Expanded Knowledge or Martial Study for purposes of getting powers and maneuvers of other classes, the Soulknife/Warblade would have no powers, depend almost exclusively on Warblade maneuvers (which are good, I will admit that, and it has Diamond Mind and both IHS and WRT which are the two broken maneuvers in-game), having the Mind Blade as a nifty ability. Meanwhile, you'd probably dip Soulknife, get Warblade all the time, and forget about Soulknife proper.

Now...if you consider that those classes need pairings...that can be fixed.


SEISMIC FURY, has a flaw in that you don't say how big the radius on the shrapnel is. That's the only issue I noticed on my quick skim.

It says "nearby" enemies, but you're right. The original intention was like alchemist's fire or splash weapons: 5 feet radius. So, it would be a pretty small radius as well.


I finally read the rest of these. First off, I should tell you: I immediately bookmarked this page. I like pretty much all of these feats. Time for me to suggest more changes, though:

Rising Sun Strike has tons of prereqs. I might suggest changing the Two-Weapon Fighting req to "Two Weapon Fighting or the ability to Flurry" and then changing the text to say the ability also activates if using a flurry at the time. They are, afterall, both flurry-able weapons.

Hmm...good point. I used TWF because both are essentially TWF-able weapons, but considering that you could get easily through flurry (which means a dip in Monk, unless you use the Retooled Monk which requires 10 levels :P), it makes sense.


Seismic Fury, unfortunately, needs a lot of work. Static DC 15 is pretty bad news, and auto-tripping is even worse. Obviously, these are both my opinions. I just think the feat would be all the better to DM and player with both of those aspects reworked.

The static DC was, much as I mentioned, the idea of making a sort-of splash weapon from the shrapnel of the sundered weapon. I've grown to admire the common dynamic DC mechanic (10 + 1/2 level + ability score modifier), which I find should work well with anything given that, barring buffs and magic items, and having the same HD and similar modifiers, you should expect a good save character succeed on a 10 or more, while a poor save character would have it tougher (5 or more).

The auto-trip, on the other hand...that's a bit tougher to ignore. You already require the character to succeed on a sunder attempt and actually shatter the weapon, so adding yet another effect makes it pointless to get the ability, even if you can provide burst damage. You're already sacrificing future loot to deal burst damage, and the main target doesn't get much (the target, for example, still must make a Reflex save for half damage, but otherwise doesn't get anything). The auto-trip is mostly to ensure that you're actually doing something with the attack, because otherwise...well, the creature just lost its weapon and took a bit of damage, but that's mostly it.

Besides, Power Attack requires quite a lot of Strength, so it's reasonable to think you won't have Combat Expertise and/or Improved Trip, nor you'll actually gear yourself for tripping. In that sense, you don't lock the opponent in the ground; they can get up just as nicely.

Point is: adding yet another restriction will just hurt the move more than help it, and removing the auto-ability makes the feat less attractive to the character, even if for some reason it gears towards sundering.


As for the things I mentioned previously:

For a lot of the Initiator level 11+ effects, I was actually thinking 8 or so. Still out of reach of non-initiators in most campaigns, but not terribly early for full initiators.


As for Mounted Initiation, I think I see what you're saying -- if Initiator level ups the special mount, people will just grab the mount and never touch the non-initiator classes again. This is a good point. I wonder if a practiced spellcaster effect would be amiss in one of your mounted initiator feats (+4 to effective special mount level, to a max of HD). I actually like the Special Mount req, btw.

I think that, in that case, initiator level 6+ would be better. Non-initiators would get good chances of getting at least three of the feats, while initiators get those abilities by the time they reach the point they get prestige classes. Maybe have a top of 8+ for really strong classes.


Thanks for all of this. Good stuff.

Aw...shucks :smallredface:

[Cieyrin]

Nifty nifty, indeedly. Some things I noticed, though:

Shadow Death Fist isn't available till 18th, with or without Ascetic Swordsage, which makes it seem not that great a choice, feat-wise. The only way I can think to qualify at 15th is through a pair of Greater Shadow Hands, which probably isn't the intended method of getting in.

Azure Strike currently adds essentia to the DCs of all maneuvers you know, not just the Blade Meditation's preferred discipline. Might want to fix that. :smallwink:

Devoted Crusader's Favored Class clause should be 'or,' not 'and'.

Does Psionic Swordsage's recharge with Diamond Mind boost mean you can make multiple psychic strikes til the charge is expended at the end of next turn? That's a pretty nice boost to Soulknife, right there, even if Swordsage/Soulknife wasn't a combination that doesn't ooze cool already.

Psionic Warblade is missing the Multiclass tag.

Does Hammer of Faith work on DR/-? I just wonder, given it calls out DR/Epic, which is a piercable type, if barely, while DR/- usually has a specific call out for it.

Panther's Leap requiring Acrobatic seems out of the blue, compared to the rest of the prereqs. Like it's great they have a +2 to Jump and Tumble and all but requiring it seems off.

Which weapon in Shadow Stab is intended to be the secondary attack, if either? The Special text also seems to be a tad on the overpowering side, as they rapidly approach AC 10 + size bonus with the number of conditions against them. I think the feat would be fine without that particular inclusion.

Beyond those, they seem to be doing fine, methinks. Them's my 2 coppers. Take as you will.

[T.G. Oskar]

Nifty nifty, indeedly. Some things I noticed, though:

Shadow Death Fist isn't available till 18th, with or without Ascetic Swordsage, which makes it seem not that great a choice, feat-wise. The only way I can think to qualify at 15th is through a pair of Greater Shadow Hands, which probably isn't the intended method of getting in.

I'll see how I can handle that, given that the big killer is Quivering Palm being a level 15 class ability (unless using the Retooled Monk which doesn't have it as a class feature but as a feat itself, which means everyone and their mother can use it but it would lose a small bit of its potential). Perhaps make it so that BAB is 10 or slightly lower (BAB 8 seems to be the sweet spot in terms of attack bonus) and perhaps a much lower maneuver (3rd level maneuver? That way, it'd be accessible right around 15th level which would be the intention, specifically for non-martial adepts.


Azure Strike currently adds essentia to the DCs of all maneuvers you know, not just the Blade Meditation's preferred discipline. Might want to fix that. :smallwink:

Truly unintended. The idea is that all bonuses are linked to one discipline, so
mostly a small addition.


Devoted Crusader's Favored Class clause should be 'or,' not 'and'.

Sort of grammatical trouble right there. Considering that English isn't my native language (though that shouldn't be an excuse), it feels bizarre to have a double "or" in the sentence. But then again, it is really intended to be "or".

Actually, it should be "any, crusader, cleric or paladin", since that way there would be a single instance of "or" in the sentence and needless repetition would be avoided.


Does Psionic Swordsage's recharge with Diamond Mind boost mean you can make multiple psychic strikes til the charge is expended at the end of next turn? That's a pretty nice boost to Soulknife, right there, even if Swordsage/Soulknife wasn't a combination that doesn't ooze cool already.

Exactly as intended. Since Diamond Mind is well-attuned to psionics, it basically serves as a proper boost to damage. I mean, Desert Wind does exactly the same (with Burning Blade, Burning Boost and Inferno Blade), so why not provide a benefit with two rather obviously linked concepts such as a discipline that depends on Concentration and psionic strike which depends on focus?

And Swordsage/Soulknife is basically a Jedi Knight changing from Makashi to Soreshi to Djem So in seconds flat. Make of it what you want.

Psionic Warblade is missing the Multiclass tag.

Odd, given that otherwise Psionic Swordsage would also have missed the multiclass tag.

Does Hammer of Faith work on DR/-? I just wonder, given it calls out DR/Epic, which is a piercable type, if barely, while DR/- usually has a specific call out for it.

Yes, it does. By RAW (and by RAI since I'm saying this :P) it's supposed to bypass DR X/-. I made the mention of epic damage reduction since essentially people might have had some questions about it, but I believe it's also essential to indicate that it also ignores DR X/-.

Panther's Leap requiring Acrobatic seems out of the blue, compared to the rest of the prereqs. Like it's great they have a +2 to Jump and Tumble and all but requiring it seems off.

Well, there should be a reason how to explain the leap...

Actually, that was mostly to add a bit of difficulty to the choice. Two-Weapon Rend is already a sub-par choice, and the idea with Panther's Leap was to improve it, but there's no actual "leap" to be done. Perhaps if the weapon style implied an actual leap, Acrobatics would have worked since you'd require proving your awesome jumping skills to deal with that.

I think I originally intended for the feat to use both Leap Attack and Two-Weapon Pounce, but the idea was quite ridiculous and far too punishing on the character (charge, do the leap attack, hit with both weapons, deal rend damage, character bleeds and takes damage per round equal to rend damage). But, the requirements would have been killer (both Str 13 and Dex 13, Power Attack, Leap Attack, Jump 8 ranks, Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Rend and Two-Weapon Pounce), for a small benefit which is roughly not what I want with Weapon Style feats. However, it may require a small exchange on either prerequisites or name (or both!).


Which weapon in Shadow Stab is intended to be the secondary attack, if either?

Technically that's fluff; the main portion is "Any attack you do with your off-hand is considered a touch attack, and thus it ignores Armor Class provided by armor, shield, natural armor, or their enhancements." It does imply that you should deny the enemy's Dex bonus to AC. But that can be fixed.


The Special text also seems to be a tad on the overpowering side, as they rapidly approach AC 10 + size bonus with the number of conditions against them. I think the feat would be fine without that particular inclusion.

Well, the idea is to promote feinting in combat. The only way you could exploit this is if you could somehow gain more attacks as a standard action, attack twice with weapons as an AoO, or feint as a swift action, and that applies only to off-hand attacks (which already have 1/2 Str bonuses). A character with high deflection, insight, or non-touch, non-Dex based AC bonus (or dodge bonuses which usually apply based on Dex bonus to AC) would still have a good chance of blocking a combat style which already has penalties to attack bonus (-2 to all attack rolls, plus whichever penalty that applies unless you have huge Str/Dex and full BAB), and you'd be using almost exclusively piercing weapons (dagger is slashing as well, but it usually works as piercing). Otherwise, you would ignore feint and just use the attacks since there would be no troubles with it, but that's when you REALLY need to land a hit.

[Cieyrin]

I'll see how I can handle that, given that the big killer is Quivering Palm being a level 15 class ability (unless using the Retooled Monk which doesn't have it as a class feature but as a feat itself, which means everyone and their mother can use it but it would lose a small bit of its potential). Perhaps make it so that BAB is 10 or slightly lower (BAB 8 seems to be the sweet spot in terms of attack bonus) and perhaps a much lower maneuver (3rd level maneuver? That way, it'd be accessible right around 15th level which would be the intention, specifically for non-martial adepts.

Yeah, I was thinking 3rd level maneuvers would probably be best.


Sort of grammatical trouble right there. Considering that English isn't my native language (though that shouldn't be an excuse), it feels bizarre to have a double "or" in the sentence. But then again, it is really intended to be "or".

Actually, it should be "any, crusader, cleric or paladin", since that way there would be a single instance of "or" in the sentence and needless repetition would be avoided.

Understandable. Hence why you put them up for others to PEACH. Language barriers aside, everybody futzes up their words on occasion.


Exactly as intended. Since Diamond Mind is well-attuned to psionics, it basically serves as a proper boost to damage. I mean, Desert Wind does exactly the same (with Burning Blade, Burning Boost and Inferno Blade), so why not provide a benefit with two rather obviously linked concepts such as a discipline that depends on Concentration and psionic strike which depends on focus?

And Swordsage/Soulknife is basically a Jedi Knight changing from Makashi to Soreshi to Djem So in seconds flat. Make of it what you want.

Hey, works for me. I got no issue with that.


Well, there should be a reason how to explain the leap...

Actually, that was mostly to add a bit of difficulty to the choice. Two-Weapon Rend is already a sub-par choice, and the idea with Panther's Leap was to improve it, but there's no actual "leap" to be done. Perhaps if the weapon style implied an actual leap, Acrobatics would have worked since you'd require proving your awesome jumping skills to deal with that.

I think I originally intended for the feat to use both Leap Attack and Two-Weapon Pounce, but the idea was quite ridiculous and far too punishing on the character (charge, do the leap attack, hit with both weapons, deal rend damage, character bleeds and takes damage per round equal to rend damage). But, the requirements would have been killer (both Str 13 and Dex 13, Power Attack, Leap Attack, Jump 8 ranks, Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Rend and Two-Weapon Pounce), for a small benefit which is roughly not what I want with Weapon Style feats. However, it may require a small exchange on either prerequisites or name (or both!).

Might I suggest, then, changing the name to not implying a leap, as since there isn't one involved at all at this point, having a prereq and name about it when the rest of the effect doesn't include anything of the sort is probably just confusing to most. Perhaps calling it Panther Slash or something similar could be in order.


Well, the idea is to promote feinting in combat. The only way you could exploit this is if you could somehow gain more attacks as a standard action, attack twice with weapons as an AoO, or feint as a swift action, and that applies only to off-hand attacks (which already have 1/2 Str bonuses). A character with high deflection, insight, or non-touch, non-Dex based AC bonus (or dodge bonuses which usually apply based on Dex bonus to AC) would still have a good chance of blocking a combat style which already has penalties to attack bonus (-2 to all attack rolls, plus whichever penalty that applies unless you have huge Str/Dex and full BAB), and you'd be using almost exclusively piercing weapons (dagger is slashing as well, but it usually works as piercing). Otherwise, you would ignore feint and just use the attacks since there would be no troubles with it, but that's when you REALLY need to land a hit.

Well, when I read the feat, I immediately thought of Invisible Blade, which works rather nicely with this, actually, free Feint/round and all. But besides that, I suppose I concede about the Feint, though who really has more than 5 points of Insight or Deflection to AC, much less things like Luck, Sacred, etc. bonii that that really comes up, y'know? Even moderately optimized, I don't think off-hand weapon attack bonii are that low, not noticably compared to the primary.

[T.G. Oskar]

Added the rationale for Multiclass feats and Incarnum feats. Also, please do not insist on answering the rant; that was just me venting off a frustration I had held deep inside, and that I vent every now and then. It also serves as my answer to the three questions.


Might I suggest, then, changing the name to not implying a leap, as since there isn't one involved at all at this point, having a prereq and name about it when the rest of the effect doesn't include anything of the sort is probably just confusing to most. Perhaps calling it Panther Slash or something similar could be in order.

Bloody Claws? Then again, it wouldn't have that link to Tiger Claw and kitty appendages. Perhaps "Panther's Edge", which relates to a cutting implement and has kitties on it. Definitely merits a name change, but then again I'm not the best feat-namer there is (Midnight Preparation?)

Well, when I read the feat, I immediately thought of Invisible Blade, which works rather nicely with this, actually, free Feint/round and all. But besides that, I suppose I concede about the Feint, though who really has more than 5 points of Insight or Deflection to AC, much less things like Luck, Sacred, etc. bonii that that really comes up, y'know? Even moderately optimized, I don't think off-hand weapon attack bonii are that low, not noticably compared to the primary.

Well, off-hand attacks may not be that bad technically speaking, but the 3rd or 4th hit is already going to cause you trouble. Since you're already sacrificing what you already had good (the ability to deal more attacks), it should serve as a way to compensate. And since it requires a feint, it basically implies that you will probably sacrifice more than one hit to land a pretty much "perfect" strike for less damage than you would have otherwise dealt.

Also, high-level outsiders will probably have more than 24 Charisma, which automatically implies a +6 to deflection, not to mention other possible bonuses. And it still has the biggest bane to melee attackers; non-AC based defenses.

[NineThePuma]

Project Heretica.

...

*Sigh* Everyone makes a Paladin fix eventually.

[Cieyrin]

That reminds me, I'd love to see a Retooling of the Soulknife from you, Oskar! :smallbiggrin:

[NineThePuma]

That reminds me, I'd love to see a Retooling of the Soulknife from you, Oscar! :smallbiggrin:

Seconded. With every fiber of my being. =|

... ALSO! How does this interact with the rehauls you do? =3 Particularly the Monk/Swordsage bit.

[T.G. Oskar]

... ALSO! How does this interact with the rehauls you do? =3 Particularly the Monk/Swordsage bit.

Well...the Ascetic Swordsage with Retooled Monk would have its prereqs and bonus changed a bit. Instead of Flurry of Blows (which appears at 10th level, hence a bit too late), you need a ki pool instead (which on Retooled Monk and Pathfinder Monk appears at 1st level). You'd get as an extra benefit the stacking of both Monk and Swordsage levels for the ki pool.

Shadow Death Fist, on the other hand, is a bit more difficult to pull off. I explained the trouble with it, but I'll repeat it: Retooled Monk (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7004498&postcount=1) doesn't have Quivering Palm as a class ability (it's a feat (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7045828&postcount=10) instead), and the original benefit you could have gained becomes null since you can basically expend daily uses of your Stunning Fist feat or, in the case of Retooled Monk, daily uses of ki power (hence, you may use it several times per day). It's also acquired pretty late in-game, so you'd have to wait 'til 15th level to use it. In that case, Shadow Death Fist would have to be rewritten from scratch, since it's highly incompatible. If you're using the Retooled Monk, you should already gain the main benefit of the feat. However, that may be fixed...

SHADOW DEATH FIST [GENERAL]
You blend your knowledge of the Shadow Hand discipline with your own ki strikes. You enhance the power of these maneuvers with your knowledge of the discipline and viceversa.
Prerequisites: Quivering Palm, Stunning Fist, ki pool of 1 or higher, one 5th level Shadow Hand maneuver, one Shadow Hand stance, base attack bonus +11
Benefit: When using Stunning Fist, Quivering Palm, or a feat related to Stunning Fist, you may expend a boost from the Shadow Hand discipline as a swift action. The DC for the attack increases by an amount equal to the level of the maneuver.
As well, if you expend daily uses of your ki power or your daily attempts of the Stunning Fist feat, you may execute a strike maneuver from the Shadow Hand discipline that you have already expended. You must expend one daily attempt of your Stunning Fist feat per level of the maneuver, or a daily use of your ki power for every three levels of the maneuver (up to 3 daily uses of your ki power, if using the 9th level maneuver Five-Ice Creeping Enervation Strike).

Basically, you must replace the prereqs to add the ki pool of Retooled Monk (or Ninja, or Retooled Ninja), and get Quivering Palm; as for the benefits, you either expend a boost to make your stunning attack stronger (or your death attack, or Freezing the Lifeblood, or Pain Touch or Weakening Touch), or you expend daily uses of your feat-based or class-based abilities to execute expended maneuvers.

Since you need only a 1-level dip to get ki points from either Retooled Monk, Pathfinder Monk, Ninja or Retooled Ninja, virtually any class can get it at 18th level, including the oddball fighter. However, only the Retooled/Pathfinder Monk will have total benefit since they'll have more daily uses of Stunning Fist, with the CA Ninja and Retooled Ninja having slightly more uses. And, of course, Shadow Sun Ninja which will be capable of using it as a Monk or Ninja/Swordsage.

Tell me if I miss something or if you debate with the intended patches. As for a Soulknife retooling...well, it's going to be tough to work within the frame of a class and not an ACF for Psychic Warrior. I mean, I've got ideas for it, but they can work equally and elegantly well for a PsyWar ACF, if Soulbound Warrior is an indicative of it.

[NineThePuma]

I... Personally would not mind it being an ACF for Psychic warrior... But I feel there is a lot of potential there that just needs to be drawn out.

[T.G. Oskar]

I... Personally would not mind it being an ACF for Psychic warrior... But I feel there is a lot of potential there that just needs to be drawn out.

I can figure that out. The tough part will be how to handle the application of Psionics without giving him a list, which is what the devs probably intended; psionics are really nice and getting the Soulknife away from that will be difficult. Though I might give the Soulknife a power point pool if I were to make it. Perhaps a psionically enhanced set of combat styles which may define the kind of mind weapon they can shape (such as whips and chains for tripping, large axes for THF, small weapons for TWF, and so on).

That's...as far as I can imagine working the Soulknife, along with really revamping Mind Blade and making Psychic Strike useful. But it would be a weird mixture of psionics and ToB without using either, and that's harder to do than an ACF for PsyWar which seems to be the easiest way to handle it.

[NineThePuma]

Something that Cadian pointed out when I was discussing these feats for tower:

The Psionic Swordsage and Psionic Warblade feats are apparently suppressible by an Anti-Magic/Null Psionics Field.

[T.G. Oskar]

Something that Cadian pointed out when I was discussing these feats for tower:

The Psionic Swordsage and Psionic Warblade feats are apparently suppressible by an Anti-Magic/Null Psionics Field.

Hmm, apparently so... Not intended, though; in any case, making them [Multiclass] should make them extraordinary again (since you're dealing with progressions, class skills and removing restrictions).

In any case, that shouldn't happen. Thanks for pointing out; that reminds me, I should finish with the rationale for the Weapon Style feats. Silly me.

Then again, I have a lot of homebrew to post. Not sure if I should go with another retooled class, another retooled PrC, or an original class/PrC (since the last one was mostly unheard of). Mostly waiting for the PrC competition to end to resume posting 'brew.