Dark Messiah Discipline (ToB + Abyssals!)

[Xallace]

The Dark Messiah Style
Or, Abyssal Heroes and Back Again

Inspired by - what else? - Xefas' mighty Infernal Monster discipline, I decided to take a crack at the martial arts of my 2nd favorite Exalts, the Abyssals. Hoping against hope that I'm not waaaay too late to the party!

So here we have Dark Messiah, with a few Abyssal Melee charms thrown in for good measure. If all goes well I'm hoping to draft up Hungry Ghost as well, and then possibly move on to my favorite Exalts and their martial arts - the Sidereals. :smallbiggrin:

Dark Messiah is not self-defense. Dark Messiah is not disciplined. Dark Messiah is not harmonious, it is not contemplative, it is not something that advocates right action, or right speech, or right thought. Dark Messiah is not, and that is what defines it.

It is a bit counter-productive to define something by what it is not, but counter-productivity is exactly the mindset behind this brutal style and its practitioners. Dark Messiah is a means to an end, an engine for death and destruction. It is entropic in nature, purely designed for dividing and breaking down. It focuses both on the body and mind of any unfortunate target, grinding to dust both bone and sanity in a faultless expression of its dogma. One does not learn Dark Messiah to defend oneself. One learns Dark Messiah because killing is just not enough.

The history of the style is vague at best. Its proliferation among intelligent undead point to one such creature as its originator, but no evidence can be found for sure - it is not in its practitioners nature to keep records. But that is one thing that cannot be denied; many a vampire, mummy, and deathknight has shown knowledge of these techniques. There are even rumors that one must be undead to master the style - unsubstantiated, of course, but in fact no living creature has mastered it yet.

So how does one learn this destructive discipline? No schools exist on the material plane (that any living creature is aware of, anyway), and only the undead seem to know it. Unfortunately, that’s where one must start: a prospective student must approach one of those blighted creatures, one of those unliving horrors, and convince it to mentor the living. Such a thing is not easy, to say the least, but is the only practical method available. In worlds that are aware of the planes, stories abound of dojos in both the Negative Energy Plane and Hades where any creature may learn the dreaded discipline... if they can survive the trip.




Mechanically, the style can be learned in one of two ways. Upon taking your first level in an initiator class, you may choose to replace one of your possible disciplines with Dark Messiah. This choice cannot be changed later, but comes with the added bonus of adding Intimidate to your class skill list.

The second method is by learning the discipline as a feat. This allows you to learn Dark Messiah from any martial initiator class, and further, makes Intimidate a permanent class skill for every class you take.

Associated Weapons: Punching Dagger, Scythe, Sickle, Spiked Gauntlet, and Unarmed Strike
Key Skill: Intimidation

1st-Level Maneuvers
Agony’s Crucible Stance: Stance - Deal increasing damage the nearer to death you are.
Elegant Flowing Deflection: Counter - Parry an enemy’s attack, at cost to your attention to others.
Ravaging Blow: Strike - Scare your opponent into slipping up.

2nd-Level Maneuvers
Agony of the Black Messiah: Strike - Opponent is maimed, taking ongoing penalties until healed.
Dead Man’s Grasp: Strike - Constrict an opponent during a grapple.

3rd-Level Maneuvers
Broken Toys Riposte: Counter - Intercept an attack with a sunder or disarm attempt.
Dark Messiah Form: Stance - Make more accurate attacks, overcome damage reduction.

4th-Level Maneuvers
Foe-Blinding Jab: Strike - Blind target.
Owl Seizes Mouse: Strike - Charge an opponent, grappling them and dealing lethal damage.
Ultimate Inevitability of the Grave: Boost - Automatically maintain a grapple and pin an opponent.

5th-Level Maneuvers
Inescapable Iron Grip: Stance - Opponent takes a penalty to grappling, asphyxiates.
Unfurling Iron Lotus: Strike - Damage and debilitate targets around you.

6th-Level Maneuvers
Iron Maiden’s Embrace: Boost - Use opponent’s armor against them during a grapple.
Ragged Shades Revenge: Boost - Deal more damage out of desperation.

7th-Level Maneuvers
Illustrative Overkill Technique: Strike - Execute a foe in such a horrific manner that all opponents become frightened.
Time-Scything Technique: Strike - Strike opponents in a circle around you.

8th-Level Maneuvers
Bone-Shattering Blow: Strike - Inflict Con and Dex damage.
Void Avatar Prana: Stance - Deal damage to anyone who strikes you and terrify opponents by your very presence.

9th-Level Maneuvers
Blood-Press Guillotine: Strike - Reap opponents like grain.

[Xallace]

1st-Level Maneuvers

Agony’s Crucible Stance
Dark Messiah (Stance)
Action: Swift
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

Your pain drives you forward. Each blunt blow that rattles your skull, each blade that pierces your skin, each drop of your own blood shed is an oath of vengeance. The more your hurt, the more you swear to make them hurt - and you never break your promises.

Upon assuming this stance, your pain only serves to make you stronger. You gain a bonus on all attack and damage rolls depending upon your remaining HP, as follows:

{table]HP | Bonus
Full Health | +0
More than ¾ of your HP remains | +1
½ to ¾ of your HP remains| +2
¼ to ½ of your HP remains| +3
0 - ¼ of your HP remains| +4
Less than 0 HP| +5[/table]


Elegant Flowing Deflection
Dark Messiah (Counter)
Action: Immediate
Range: Melee
Trigger: A Melee attack targeting you. The attack may be rolled but the outcome cannot already be declared.
Target: You

You cut your surroundings out of mind to focus on your opponent’s singular attack. While his attack seems to slow to a crawl, you have tunnel vision regarding other opponents.

Upon initiating this maneuver, you gain a dodge bonus against the targeting attack equal to your martial initiator level. Against all other attacks before the beginning of your next turn, you take a -4 penalty to your Armor Class.

Ravaging Blow
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Action: Standard
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature

You crash head-long into your opponent, screaming bloody murder. The more terrifying you make this display, the easier it is for your horrified opponent to slip up.

As part of this attack, make an Intimidation check opposed by the target's level check. If you succeed, your attack deals double damage.


2nd-Level Maneuvers

Agony of the Black Messiah
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Action: Standard
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature

Intentionally missing your opponent’s vital organs, you aim for where your strike will bring the most pain.

Make an attack as normal, but instead of dealing damage, your opponent takes half of your initiator level as a penalty on all actions until the beginning of your next turn. The injury is not overcome quite so quickly, though: the target takes a -1 morale penalty on all rolls until the end of combat.

Dead Man’s Grasp
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Action: Standard
Range: Grapple
Target: A creature you are grappling

The pressure you apply is immense. A grim smile alights on your face as the sweet sound of cracking ribs reaches your ears.

You can constrict a target for a single action. You deal an automatic 2d6 + twice your Strength modifier in crushing, lethal damage to your grappled target. This damage increases by 1 for every martial initiator level you possess.

3rd-Level Maneuvers

Broken Toys Riposte
Dark Messiah (Counter)
Prerequisite: One Dark Messiah maneuver
Action: Immediate
Range: Melee
Trigger: An attack is made against you. You may initiate this maneuver after the attack is rolled, but before the outcome is declared.
Target: One Creature

Your weapon speeds to intercept the attack, but instead of parrying it harmlessly away, the force of your strike cracks your opponent’s weapon in half.

When you are attacked by another creature, you may immediately make a Sunder or Disarm attempt against the weapon your opponent is using to strike you. This Sunder attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity, and your attack ignores the weapon’s hardness. If you destroy or disarm the targeted weapon, the attack against you is entirely negated.

Dark Messiah Form
Dark Messiah (Stance)
Prerequisite: One Dark Messiah maneuver
Action: Swift
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

You exhale, relaxing your muscles and letting yourself glide on the balls of your feet. Most martial arts teach you to treat your weapon as an extension of your body - but now, your body feels more like an extension of your weapon.

The signature stance of the Dark Messiah discipline, the aptly-named Dark Messiah form is designed to allow for maximum destruction in as short a period of time as possible, regardless of barriers to that goal. Upon assume this stance, you overcome Damage Reduction with associated weapons as though your weapons were magic and adamantine.

More impressively, your brutal disregard for your opponent’s well-being is empowered: you roll twice when making melee attacks with associated weapons, taking the higher of the two results.

4th-Level Maneuvers

Foe-Blinding Jab
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisite: One Dark Messiah Maneuver
Action: Standard
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature

A quick jab with your fingers or the hilt of your weapon, and your foe clutches their face in pain. Their vision blurs and distorts from the strike.

When you initiate this maneuver, make an attack at a -4 penalty. If you succeed, you deal non-lethal damage and partially blind the target. The target treats all creatures as having partial concealment until the damage heals.

A second use of this maneuver on a partially-blinded creature results in fully blinding the target. This blindness lasts until all of the damage from all uses of this maneuver is entirely healed.

Owl Seizes Mouse
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisite: One Dark Messiah Maneuver
Action: Full-Attack
Range: Special
Target: One Creature

You leap through the air, fingers extended like talons. You swoop down on your prey from the shadows, a silent killer in the night.

As part of this maneuver, make a charge attack against a single opponent. You move at double speed and gain a +2 bonus to your attack roll. Make a melee touch attack against your target - if you succeed, your target is automatically grappled and takes 2d6 + your martial initiator level damage.

Ultimate Inevitability of the Grave
Dark Messiah (Boost)
Prerequisite: One Dark Messiah Maneuver
Action: Swift
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: Instant

Your opponent thinks he has the upper hand, but it’s a ruse - you slam him back into the dirt like the worm he is.

You can only activate this boost while you are grappling an opponent, and only at the beginning of your turn. You gain a +15 bonus to your grapple check this round, and if your succeed, your opponent is automatically pinned.


5th-Level Maneuvers

Inescapable Iron Grip
Dark Messiah (Stance)
Prerequisite: Two Dark Messiah maneuvers
Action: Swift
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

Arms up, hands forward, your fingers twitch, ready to grab and throttle any creature that comes within your reach.

While most destruction wrought by the Dark Messiah style is quick, brutal, and impersonal, a number of techniques spin that idea on its head. One such stance is this, known as the Inescapable Iron Grip, which allows an initiator great benefits while grappling. First, grappling provokes no attack of opportunity while in this stance. Second, your brutality is intimidating to say the least - any creature grappling you takes a -5 morale penalty to all grapple checks. Creatures immune to fear do not take this penalty.

These effects pale in comparison to the true benefit of the stance, however: Your holds squeeze the very air out of your opponents lungs. For every round in which you maintain this stance, an opponent you have pinned is unable to breathe. Your opponent can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to their Consitution modifier before they begin to suffocate.

Unfurling Iron Lotus
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisites: Two Dark Messiah Maneuvers
Action: Standard
Range: Melee
Target: All Adjacent Creatures

A quick twist of the wrist and a spin on the heel, and your blade carves through everyone stupid enough to get near you - but not to kill them. No, they need to know just how dumb they are.

When you initiate this maneuver, make a single attack roll and compare it to the Armor Class of all adjacent creatures. If you successfully strike a creature, you deal damage as normal. In addition, each creature struck is staggered during their next turn - they may only take a single Standard or Move action, and any attacks made by them take a -4 penalty.


6th-Level Maneuvers

Iron Maiden’s Embrace
Dark Messiah (Boost)
Prerequisite: Two Dark Messiah Maneuvers
Action: Swift
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: 1 Round

Your opponent thought her armor would keep her alive, but it only helps further her demise. As you press the heavy metal into her ribs, you’ll make sure she knows her folly.

This boost must be activated while you are grappling. On your next grapple check, you gain a bonus equal to your target’s Armor bonus, as you take advantage of her armor’s encumbrance to keep her down. If you deal damage this round, you deal an additional 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage per point of armor bonus.

Ragged Shade’s Revenge
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisite: Two Dark Messiah Maneuvers
Action: Standard
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature

Blood blurs your vision. Pain numbs your body. You barely feel the motion as you launch all of your weight into the next attack, a wild swing of fury and desperation.

You make an attack at a -2 penalty to the attack roll, but you gain a bonus to damage equal to the difference between your maximum HP and your current HP.

7th-Level Maneuvers

Illustrative Overkill Technique
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisite: Two Dark Messiah Maneuvers
Action: Standard
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature

You cleave a target in half, tear out their entrails, rip of their head, or otherwise brutally dispatch a foe with full intention to scare their allies out of their wits.

If your opponent is eligible for a coup de grace, you may make that action against the target as part of this maneuver. Otherwise, make a normal attack with your weapon. This attack (or coup de grace) deals an additional 7d6 points of damage. If the attack kills your opponent, all enemies within 60 feet must make a Will Save (DC17 + your Strength modifier) or become frightened for 1d6+1 rounds.

Time-Scything Technique
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisite: Two Dark Messiah Maneuvers
Action: Full-Round Action
Range: Melee
Target: Special

Time seems to slow, and you perceive the perfect path for carving through your enemies in the shortest amount of time.

As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack roll and compare it against the AC of every enemy within 15 feet. Each opponent struck takes damage as though struck by your weapon, plus an additional 4d6 points of damage. You may end this maneuver in any square adjacent to one of your targets.



8th-Level Maneuvers

Bone Shattering Blow
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisite:Three Dark Messiah maneuvers
Action: Standard
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature

Your mighty swing crushes bone and pulps muscle.

Make a standard attack against your target. In addition to the damage dealt, you deal 1d6 Dex and 1d6 Con damage.


Void Avatar Prana
Dark Messiah (Stance)
Prerequisite:Three Dark Messiah maneuvers
Action: Swift
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

You assume a position of casual relaxation, almost as though you have given up the fight. Far from it - your loose form lets your ki flow freely, and with a quick meditation upon the ultimate obliteration of your enemies, you become a pure conduit for oblivion.

Entering Void Avatar Prana is less of a stance and more of a statement; and that statement is “Farewell ethics, it’s time for bloody payback!” Upon assuming this stance, the initiator’s ki erupts to the surface of her body in grey-black flames of negative energy. Any creature that strikes her in melee takes 1 point of negative energy damage per initiator level. Grappled creatures take this damage every round of contact. The initiator also adds this damage to her unarmed strikes. This aspect of the stance is a Supernatural effect.

Further, the threat imposed by this stance is overwhelming. All creatures within 30 feet of the initiator must make a Will Save (DC18 + Strength modifier) or become shakened for as long as they remain near you. When the initiator strikes a creature in melee and deals at least 1 point of damage, that creature must make another Will Save (at the same DC) or become frightened for 1d4 rounds; success merely leaves the target shaken (or frightened, if they are already shaken) for 1 round. The fear effect from your attacks does not stack with any other fear effect, although the aura of fear does.


9th-Level Maneuvers

Blood Press Guillotine
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisite: Four Dark Messiah Maneuvers
Action: Full-Round Action
Range: Special
Target: Special

No blood-curdling howl escapes your lips, no battle cry to warn your opponents of their ultimate fate. It is nothing but horrible, blaring silence that meets your foes as you lunge forward at speeds unfollowable, scything through foe after foe in a dance of blood and body parts. At the finale of your macabre waltz, you unleash a torrent of destruction unlike the world has ever seen.

If entropy were an art form, Blood Press Guillotine would be its Mona Lisa. This horrendous attack can cut down an army in seconds, leaving only a lake of blood and shattered dreams. Surprisingly, it actually comes in two parts; the first half is known as Instant Murder Flash. The initiator can begin the maneuver by moving up to ½ his base land speed and making a single attack against a target. This attack deals 10d6 extra points of damage, and if the target fails a Fortitude Save (DC 19 + the initiator’s Strength modifier), she is dazed for 1 round. After this attack has been entirely resolved, you may move up to ½ your base land speed and make a second attack against a different creature, which deals extra damage and dazes the target on a failed save, as well. You may continue to move and make attacks this way until you run out of targets - you may not attack a given creature more than once with this maneuver.

If at least three creatures are dazed from a single use of this maneuver, you may initiate a grand finale - the true Blood Press Guillotine. You move up to your base land speed to one of the dazed targets, and make a single attack. Instead of damage, the target must make a Fortitude Save (at the same DC as before). On a failure, the target dies, horrifically. If the target succeeds, they take 20d6 points of damage - possibly enough to kill them anyway. If the target dies, negative energy surges from the corpse, exploding in a 60-foot burst around you, centered on the victim. You are immune to the effect, using your poor victim’s body as a shield. All other creatures in the area must succeed on a Reflex Save or take 20d6 points of Negative Energy damage. Creatures dazed by this maneuver do not get to make a saving throw.

The negative energy burst aspect of Blood Press Guillotine is a supernatural effect.

[Xefas]

Neat. I think I like your version better than mine, to be honest.

If Sidereals are your favorite, I suspect you could make a lot of people happy by doing a completed Throne Shadow Discipline. I know I would be.

[Xallace]

Neat. I think I like your version better than mine, to be honest.

I wasn't even aware you had made a version of this until this moment. Thank you though!


If Sidereals are your favorite, I suspect you could make a lot of people happy by doing a completed Throne Shadow Discipline. I know I would be.

Throne Shadow, hmm? Seems like a challenge. I'm up for it, though!

[vasharanpaladin]

...And once again I weep for the death of 3.x for me. :smallfrown:

[PEACH]

Agony’s Crucible Stance
Dark Messiah (Stance)
Action: Swift
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

Your pain drives you forward. Each blunt blow that rattles your skull, each blade that pierces your skin, each drop of your own blood shed is an oath of vengeance. The more your hurt, the more you swear to make them hurt - and you never break your promises.

Upon assuming this stance, your pain only serves to make you stronger. You gain a bonus on all attack and damage rolls depending upon your remaining HP, as follows:

{table]HP | Bonus
Full Health | +0
More than ¾ of your HP remains | +1
½ to ¾ of your HP remains| +2
¼ to ½ of your HP remains| +3
0 - ¼ of your HP remains| +4
Less than 0 HP| +5[/table]

Further, while in this stance, any critical hit made against you provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If the provoking creature is not in reach, then the attack is wasted.

It's kind of odd that you can respond with an attack of opportunity to a hit and prevent it from actually hitting you (if you kill them). I like the rest of the stance, but the AoO thing isn't my favorite.


Elegant Flowing Deflection
Dark Messiah (Counter)
Action: Immediate
Range: Melee
Trigger: A Melee attack targeting you. The attack may be rolled but the outcome cannot already be declared.
Target: You

You cut your surroundings out of mind to focus on your opponent’s singular attack. While his attack seems to slow to a crawl, you have tunnel vision regarding other opponents.

Upon initiating this maneuver, you gain a dodge bonus against the targeting attack equal to your martial initiator level. Against all other attacks before the beginning of your next turn, you take a -4 penalty to your Armor Class.

Pretty cool. Maybe it should have a cap at some point, since +20 may as well be an autododge on a first level maneuver.


Ravaging Blow
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Action: Standard
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature

You crash head-long into your opponent, screaming bloody murder. The more terrifying you make this display, the easier it is for your horrified opponent to slip up.

Resolve your attack as normal, but you deal an additional point of damage for each rank in Intimidation that you possess.

Eh. Pretty weak when you get it, and outclassed by the time the scaling factor kicks in. You can't do much with first level, but this is about the least you can do. As a relevant comparison, you can get initiator level +1d6 fire damage as a boost, which is about the same damage, but as a swift action.


Agony of the Black Messiah
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Action: Standard
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature

Intentionally missing your opponent’s vital organs, you aim for where your strike will bring the most pain.

Make an attack as normal, but instead of dealing damage, your opponent takes your initiator level as a penalty on all actions until the beginning of your next turn. The injury is not overcome quite so quickly, though: the target takes a -1 morale penalty on all rolls until the end of combat.

Far too powerful; this needs a cap and probably should scale with half initiator level. -20 to all actions may as well be making an opponent autofail with no save unless they're a caster.


Dead Man’s Grasp
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Action: Standard
Range: Grapple
Target: A creature you are grappling

The pressure you apply is immense. A grim smile alights on your face as the sweet sound of cracking ribs reaches your ears.

You can constrict a target for a single action. You deal an automatic 2d6 + twice your Strength modifier in crushing, lethal damage to your grappled target. This damage increases by 1 for every martial initiator level you possess.

Well, grappling should already have this anyway since it really doesn't do a lot unless optimized, but this isn't bad if you can set it up... but most anybody designed to be good at grappling has better ways to deal damage, if not at third level.


Broken Toys Riposte
Dark Messiah (Counter)
Prerequisite: One Dark Messiah maneuver
Action: Immediate
Range: Melee
Trigger: An attack is made against you. You may initiate this maneuver after the attack is rolled, but before the outcome is declared.
Target: One Creature

Your weapon speeds to intercept the attack, but instead of parrying it harmlessly away, the force of your strike cracks your opponent’s weapon in half.

When you are attacked by another creature, you may immediately make a Sunder attempt against the weapon your opponent is using to strike you. This Sunder attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity, and your attack ignores the weapon’s hardness. If you destroy the targeted weapon, the attack against you is entirely negated.

I hate sundering possibly irrationally, since breaking the loot you're supposed to get is almost always not a good idea. I'd love this if it was an automatic disarm+dispel, but I really can't judge sundering in general.


Dark Messiah Form
Dark Messiah (Stance)
Prerequisite: One Dark Messiah maneuver
Action: Swift
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

You exhale, relaxing your muscles and letting yourself glide on the balls of your feet. Most martial arts teach you to treat your weapon as an extension of your body - but now, your body feels more like an extension of your weapon.

The signature stance of the Dark Messiah discipline, the aptly-named Dark Messiah form is designed to allow for maximum destruction in as short a period of time as possible, regardless of barriers to that goal. Upon assume this stance, you overcome Damage Reduction with associated weapons as though your weapons were magic and adamantine.

More impressively, your brutal disregard for your opponent’s well-being is empowered: when you score a critical hit against an opponent, you may immediately make a number of additional attacks against them equal to the critical multiplier of your weapon, minus 1. So a character who scores a critical hit while unarmed may make one additional attack, while a character who does the same with a scythe can make three additional attacks. These attacks are made at your highest attack bonus.

Extra attacks on critical hits, and crits in general, is just too binary. It's not worth it unless you supremely optimize for crits, but if you are this is way too good. At the very least there should definitely be a cap on the additional attacks you can make, but really for most PCs this is "I have a 1 in 20 chance to fire off another attack" and for crit optimized PCs it can probably get pretty close to a 1 in 4 chance to make two extra attacks every attack.


Foe-Blinding Jab
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisite: One Dark Messiah Maneuver
Action: Standard
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature

A quick jab with your fingers or the hilt of your weapon, and your foe clutches their face in pain. Their vision blurs and distorts from the strike.

When you initiate this maneuver, make an attack at a -4 penalty. If you succeed, you deal non-lethal damage and partially blind the target. The target treats all creatures as having partial concealment until the damage heals.

A second use of this maneuver on a partially-blinded creature results in fully blinding the target. This blindness lasts until all of the damage from all uses of this maneuver is entirely healed.

I'm assuming that the damage from this maneuver is preferentially healed. Anyway, this is pretty cool.


Owl Seizes Mouse
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisite: One Dark Messiah Maneuver
Action: Full-Attack
Range: Special
Target: One Creature

You leap through the air, fingers extended like talons. You swoop down on your prey from the shadows, a silent killer in the night.

As part of this maneuver, make a charge attack against a single opponent. You move at double speed and gain a +2 bonus to your attack roll. Make a melee touch attack against your target - if you succeed, your target is automatically grappled and takes 2d6 + your martial initiator level damage.

This isn't bad, though it feels like this should come online about the same time you're getting your first grappling maneuver.


Ultimate Inevitability of the Grave
Dark Messiah (Boost)
Prerequisite: One Dark Messiah Maneuver
Action: Swift
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: Instant

Your opponent thinks he has the upper hand, but it’s a ruse - you slam him back into the dirt like the worm he is.

You can only activate this boost while you are grappling an opponent, and only at the beginning of your turn. Do not roll a grapple check this round - you automatically succeed on your grapple check and pin your opponent.

Pretty nice.


Inescapable Iron Grip
Dark Messiah (Stance)
Prerequisite: Two Dark Messiah maneuvers
Action: Swift
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

Arms up, hands forward, your fingers twitch, ready to grab and throttle any creature that comes within your reach.

While most destruction wrought by the Dark Messiah style is quick, brutal, and impersonal, a number of techniques spin that idea on its head. One such stance is this, known as the Inescapable Iron Grip, which allows an initiator great benefits while grappling. First, grappling provokes no attack of opportunity while in this stance. Second, your brutality is intimidating to say the least - any creature grappling you takes a -5 morale penalty to all grapple checks.

These effects pale in comparison to the true benefit of the stance, however: Your holds squeeze the very air out of your opponents lungs. For every round in which you maintain this stance, an opponent you have pinned is unable to breathe. Your opponent can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to their Consitution modifier before they begin to suffocate.

Very powerful. A free +5 to grapple checks, essentially, is nice, though since it's an intimidation effect I might consider making the penalty not apply if your opponent is immune to fear.


Unfurling Iron Lotus
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisites: Two Dark Messiah Maneuvers
Action: Standard
Range: Melee
Target: All Adjacent Creatures

A quick twist of the wrist and a spin on the heel, and your blade carves through everyone stupid enough to get near you - but not to kill them. No, they need to know just how dumb they are.

When you initiate this maneuver, make a single attack roll and compare it to the Armor Class of all adjacent creatures. If you successfully strike a creature, you deal damage as normal. In addition, each creature struck is staggered during their next turn - they may only take a single Standard or Move action, and any attacks made by them take a -4 penalty.

Once again, I like it.


Iron Maiden’s Embrace
Dark Messiah (Boost)
Prerequisite: Two Dark Messiah Maneuvers
Action: Swift
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: 1 Round

Your opponent thought her armor would keep her alive, but it only helps further her demise. As you press the heavy metal into her ribs, you’ll make sure she knows her folly.

This boost must be activated while you are grappling. On your next grapple check, you gain a bonus equal to your target’s Armor bonus, as you take advantage of her armor’s encumbrance to keep her down. If you deal damage this round, you deal an additional 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage per point of armor bonus.

This is pretty impressive, though at this point with your boosts, strikes, and stances your grapples may as well be inescapable without much optimization.


Ragged Shade’s Revenge
Dark Messiah (Boost)
Prerequisite: Two Dark Messiah Maneuvers
Action: Swift
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 Attack

Blood blurs your vision. Pain numbs your body. You barely feel the motion as you launch all of your weight into the next attack, a wild swing of fury and desperation.

Your next attack takes a -2 penalty to the attack roll, but gains a bonus to damage equal to the difference between your maximum HP and your current HP.

This is really cool, but might be worth being a higher level or a strike rather than a boost, since the damage alone could be pretty relevant without being part of another strike or full attack.


Illustrative Overkill Technique
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisite: Two Dark Messiah Maneuvers
Action: Standard
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature

You cleave a target in half, tear out their entrails, rip of their head, or otherwise brutally dispatch a foe with full intention to scare their allies out of their wits.

If your opponent is eligible for a coup de grace, you may make that action against the target as part of this maneuver. Otherwise, make a normal attack with your weapon. This attack (or coup de grace) deals an additional 7d6 points of damage. If the attack kills your opponent, all enemies within 60 feet must make a Will Save (DC17 + your Strength modifier) or become frightened for 2d6 rounds.

Very impressive. The duration is massive, so it's essentially a save or lose, but it's got enough conditionals and it's a fear effect, so it might be OK. 1d6+1 would probably still be powerful enough.


Time-Scything Technique
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisite: Two Dark Messiah Maneuvers
Action: Full-Attack
Range: Melee
Target: Special

You charge a foe, weapon drawn, ready to dispatch anyone willing to get between you and your target. Any time such an obstacle presents itself, your desire to see your target’s destruction increases.

As part of this maneuver, make a charge attack. If you provoke an attack of opportunity from a creature for moving through its threatened squares during this charge, you may make a single attack against them at your highest attack bonus. If you successfully strike the creature, they do not get to make an attack of opportunity, and you continue your charge unimpeded. If you fail, the target gets an attack as normal.

For each attack of opportunity that strikes you and deals damage during this charge, you deal an additional 2d6 points of damage to your target at the end of the charge.

Meh. It's a poor substitute of your ninth level manuever, and the amount of times that charging is both a legal option and you'd need to avoid a decent number of attacks of opportunity is very minimal. This could be, like, third level and I wouldn't bat an eye.


Bone Shattering Blow
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisite:Three Dark Messiah maneuvers
Action: Standard
Range: Melee
Target: One Creature

Your mighty swing crushes bone and pulps muscle.

Make a standard attack against your target, but instead of dealing hit point damage, you deal 1d6 points of Constitution damage.

Mountain Tombstone Strike may be a single level higher, but it pretty much proves why this is really weak. Mountain Tombstone strike is already a pretty poor high level strike and it's got double the constitution damage and deals normal damage. Against most anything that isn't a giant sack of hit dice, constitution damage just isn't that relevant.



Void Avatar Prana
Dark Messiah (Stance)
Prerequisite:Three Dark Messiah maneuvers
Action: Swift
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

You assume a position of casual relaxation, almost as though you have given up the fight. Far from it - your loose form lets your ki flow freely, and with a quick meditation upon the ultimate obliteration of your enemies, you become a pure conduit for oblivion.

Entering Void Avatar Prana is less of a stance and more of a statement; and that statement is “Farewell ethics, it’s time for bloody payback!” Upon assuming this stance, the initiator’s ki erupts to the surface of her body in grey-black flames of negative energy. Any creature that strikes her in melee takes 1 point of negative energy damage per initiator level. Grappled creatures take this damage every round of contact. The initiator also adds this damage to her unarmed strikes. This aspect of the stance is a Supernatural effect.

Further, the threat imposed by this stance is overwhelming. All creatures within 30 feet of the initiator must make a Will Save (DC18 + Strength modifier) or become shakened for as long as they remain near you. When the initiator strikes a creature in melee and deals at least 1 point of damage, that creature must make another Will Save (at the same DC) or become panicked for 1d4 rounds; success merely leaves the target shaken (or frightened, if they are already shaken) for 1 round.

This definitely needs to have a limit for how often you can activate it, because otherwise you're going to be forcing 4+ saves against panic on the same target every round (along with a lesser problem where everybody has to save against shaken every round). If it was like most fear effects (save once and you're good for the day) it might be weak, but once a round still feels strong when it's also giving you +20 damage.


Blood Press Guillotine
Dark Messiah (Strike)
Prerequisite: Four Dark Messiah Maneuvers
Action: Full-Attack
Range: Special
Target: Special

No blood-curdling howl escapes your lips, no battle cry to warn your opponents of their ultimate fate. It is nothing but horrible, blaring silence that meets your foes as you lunge forward at speeds unfollowable, scything through foe after foe in a dance of blood and body parts. At the finale of your macabre waltz, you unleash a torrent of destruction unlike the world has ever seen.

If entropy were an art form, Blood Press Guillotine would be its Mona Lisa. This horrendous attack can cut down an army in seconds, leaving only a lake of blood and shattered dreams. Surprisingly, it actually comes in two parts; the first half is known as Instant Murder Flash. The initiator can begin the maneuver by moving up to ½ his base land speed and making a single attack against a target. This attack deals 10d6 extra points of damage, and if the target fails a Fortitude Save (DC 19 + the initiator’s Strength modifier), she is stunned for 1 round. After this attack has been entirely resolved, you may move up to ½ your base land speed and make a second attack against a different creature, which deals extra damage and stuns the target on a failed save, as well. You may continue to move and make attacks this way until you run out of targets - you may not attack a given creature more than once with this maneuver.

If at least three creatures are stunned from a single use of this maneuver, you may initiate a grand finale - the true Blood Press Guillotine. You move up to your base land speed to one of the Stunned targets, and make a single attack. Instead of damage, the target must make a Fortitude Save (at the same DC as before). On a failure, the target dies, horrifically. If the target succeeds, they take 20d6 points of damage - possibly enough to kill them anyway. If the target dies, negative energy surges from the corpse, exploding in a 60-foot burst around you, centered on the victim. You are immune to the effect, using your poor victim’s body as a shield. All other creatures in the area must succeed on a Reflex Save or take 20d6 points of Negative Energy damage. Stunned creatures do not get to make a saving throw.

The negative energy burst aspect of Blood Press Guillotine is a supernatural effect.

I feel like it should specify that targets stunned by this effect get no save, not stunned creatures in general. Otherwise, it's pretty cool. I'd make the stunning effect a daze effect instead, since it's stronger (much harder to be immune to daze).

Also, as a general note: Everything that says "full attack action" should say full round action instead. There's no such thing as a full attack action.

[Zireael]

I love the idea! I can't say much about the mechanics, other than confirming "full attack action" doesn't exist.

[Xallace]

...And once again I weep for the death of 3.x for me. :smallfrown:

I'm not sure... should I be apologizing? :smallfrown:


It's kind of odd that you can respond with an attack of opportunity to a hit and prevent it from actually hitting you (if you kill them). I like the rest of the stance, but the AoO thing isn't my favorite.

Mm, yeah that was one of those last-minute things. Looking back, I can't remember my reason for it - so away it goes!




Pretty cool. Maybe it should have a cap at some point, since +20 may as well be an autododge on a first level maneuver.

Max of +10? I wanted to make these maneuvers scale.


Eh. Pretty weak when you get it, and outclassed by the time the scaling factor kicks in. You can't do much with first level, but this is about the least you can do. As a relevant comparison, you can get initiator level +1d6 fire damage as a boost, which is about the same damage, but as a swift action.


Well, the original Ravaging Blow is a damage multiplier... maybe I could do like Diamond Mind does, Successful Intimidate check = x2 damage?


Far too powerful; this needs a cap and probably should scale with half initiator level. -20 to all actions may as well be making an opponent autofail with no save unless they're a caster.

OK, half-initiator sounds good. Do you think a cap of -10 sounds reasonable? That's at 20th level and it's own for 1 round.




I hate sundering possibly irrationally, since breaking the loot you're supposed to get is almost always not a good idea. I'd love this if it was an automatic disarm+dispel, but I really can't judge sundering in general.

Well, the original Broken Toys Riposte let you destroy or knock away a target's weapon, and I'm trying to preserve much of the original charms' flavor in this style. I suppose we could make it "sunder or disarm," in that case.



Extra attacks on critical hits, and crits in general, is just too binary. It's not worth it unless you supremely optimize for crits, but if you are this is way too good. At the very least there should definitely be a cap on the additional attacks you can make, but really for most PCs this is "I have a 1 in 20 chance to fire off another attack" and for crit optimized PCs it can probably get pretty close to a 1 in 4 chance to make two extra attacks every attack.

Well... huh. I wanted something to simulate the original flurry aspect of the stance without just straight-up letting you make multiple attacks at any time. Back to the drawing board on this one.



Very powerful. A free +5 to grapple checks, essentially, is nice, though since it's an intimidation effect I might consider making the penalty not apply if your opponent is immune to fear.

Good catch! It was supposed to be that way all along.



This is really cool, but might be worth being a higher level or a strike rather than a boost, since the damage alone could be pretty relevant without being part of another strike or full attack.

And it makes more sense as a strike, anyway. I think I originally had it as a strike, even...


Very impressive. The duration is massive, so it's essentially a save or lose, but it's got enough conditionals and it's a fear effect, so it might be OK. 1d6+1 would probably still be powerful enough.

Well... it is overkill, afterall. :smalltongue: But yeah, I'll lower the duration, no problem there.



Meh. It's a poor substitute of your ninth level manuever, and the amount of times that charging is both a legal option and you'd need to avoid a decent number of attacks of opportunity is very minimal. This could be, like, third level and I wouldn't bat an eye.

And maybe move Ragged Shade's Revenge up to take it's place...


Mountain Tombstone Strike may be a single level higher, but it pretty much proves why this is really weak. Mountain Tombstone strike is already a pretty poor high level strike and it's got double the constitution damage and deals normal damage. Against most anything that isn't a giant sack of hit dice, constitution damage just isn't that relevant.

Oh. Hm, I always thought of Mountain Tombstone as being pretty impressive, but I'm not that great at math. What might bring it up to the level of an 8th-level maneuver?



This definitely needs to have a limit for how often you can activate it, because otherwise you're going to be forcing 4+ saves against panic on the same target every round (along with a lesser problem where everybody has to save against shaken every round). If it was like most fear effects (save once and you're good for the day) it might be weak, but once a round still feels strong when it's also giving you +20 damage.

Maybe if the fear effect from the actual attacks didn't stack with other fear effects?


I feel like it should specify that targets stunned by this effect get no save, not stunned creatures in general. Otherwise, it's pretty cool. I'd make the stunning effect a daze effect instead, since it's stronger (much harder to be immune to daze).

Ah, good catch again.


Also, as a general note: Everything that says "full attack action" should say full round action instead. There's no such thing as a full attack action.


I love the idea! I can't say much about the mechanics, other than confirming "full attack action" doesn't exist.

Whoops! I'lllll take care of that.

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

[JoshuaZ]

Ultimate Inevitability of the Grave should probably be a fixed bonus to the grapple check rather than an automatic success, since there are so many ways to do crazy stuff once one is in a grapple. Maybe instead a +15 bonus to the check? Among other issues, this could combine in broken ways with Inescapable Iron Grip.

Bone Shattering Blow is a bit weak, and should probably do normal damage also (and maybe given the fluff a small amount of dex damage to). If it did 1d6 con, 1d6 dex and did normal damage it would probably be ok.

Agree with PEACH about Agony of the Black Messiah should probably cap out at -10 and should scale at half initiator level.

I disagree with PEACH about Elegant Flowing Deflection, if at level 20 one wants something like an auto dodge maneuver that's fine.

Unfurling Iron Lotus is really neat.



Overall, I like this discipline a lot, both flavor and mechanics.

[Draken]

I would refrain from capping the bonus of Elegant Flowing Deflection.

It is level 1, yes, but these are maneuvers, not spells. You get scant few of them (relatively speaking) and can have scanter few of them ready at any one time, and those you can have readied are a mix of high and low level maneuvers. I would compare this particular maneuver to the diamond mind counters that exchange saves.

The point of giving maneuvers levels, then, isn't to make the higher-level ones better than the lower-level ones, it is (or at least should be) to gate more powerful effects that can't be made avaiable to low level characters.

[Xallace]

Ultimate Inevitability of the Grave should probably be a fixed bonus to the grapple check rather than an automatic success, since there are so many ways to do crazy stuff once one is in a grapple. Maybe instead a +15 bonus to the check?

Hmm. I was about to say that I'm not sure if there's really a practical difference between "automatic" and "incredibly high bonus," but then I realized that's really only applicable to other medium-sized humanoids... as it stands, you can use the maneuver to automatically pin Tiamat. I think you might be right on this one.


Among other issues, this could combine in broken ways with Inescapable Iron Grip.

Maybe broken, but they are all certainly designed to work together. The discipline seems to have developed into scattering groups of opponents (Unfurling Iron Lotus, Illustrative Overkill Technique, Void Avatar Prana) and then grappling the poor souls that remain in reach.

I say "seems to" because I didn't really intend it that way, I was just trying to convert an Exalted martial art to D&D. :smalltongue:


Bone Shattering Blow is a bit weak, and should probably do normal damage also (and maybe given the fluff a small amount of dex damage to). If it did 1d6 con, 1d6 dex and did normal damage it would probably be ok.

Well that's two votes for a change, so consider it done.


I disagree with PEACH about Elegant Flowing Deflection, if at level 20 one wants something like an auto dodge maneuver that's fine.


I would refrain from capping the bonus of Elegant Flowing Deflection.

It is level 1, yes, but these are maneuvers, not spells. You get scant few of them (relatively speaking) and can have scanter few of them ready at any one time, and those you can have readied are a mix of high and low level maneuvers. I would compare this particular maneuver to the diamond mind counters that exchange saves.

The point of giving maneuvers levels, then, isn't to make the higher-level ones better than the lower-level ones, it is (or at least should be) to gate more powerful effects that can't be made avaiable to low level characters.

Much as the votes here are in favor of a capless bonus. As such, no cap for now.




Unfurling Iron Lotus is really neat.



Overall, I like this discipline a lot, both flavor and mechanics.


Thank you!

EDIT: Time-Scything Technique has been entirely re-written, and the fear-effects from attacking while in Void Avatar Prana stance do not stack with other fear effects.

Dark Messiah Form has also been changed, though I worry that it may be too powerful for a third-level stance.

[vasharanpaladin]

Pre-emptive apology for possible thread necromancy, but there seems to have been an editing failure with Blood Press Guillotine. :smallfrown:

The second portion of the attack requires at least three creatures to be stunned by the first portion, which dazes creatures. On a semi-related note, the maneuver as a whole seems to be massively overpowered even when it does work properly, between the massive extra damage on the first attack and the save-or-die-in-a-massive-explosion that follows?

[Xallace]

Ah, thanks for pointing that out. It should read dazed all the way through the maneuver now.

As for balance, I really don't know. On paper it seems pretty okay to me - there are a lot of qualifiers to get the whole effect: You must hit at least three targets (which you might not) and they must all fail their saves, then your final target has to fail another save, and then any target who didn't fail the first save must fail another save. To get any mileage you have to have a group of baddies around, no Blood Press Guillotine-ing the Big Bad.

But that said, playtests make the RPG world go 'round, so you might be entirely right.

[vasharanpaladin]

The problem with it, as I am told by my ToB-supporting friend, is that it pretty much rolls together three different 9th-level maneuvers and does them all in one go. Maybe cut out the extra damage during the first portion of it? That would put more emphasis on the grand finale, even if it means you'd want to take an alternate 9th-level maneuver for bosses...

[Xallace]

After some thought, I decided that I like the "official" version the way it is, for now.

However, if your GM would be more comfortable with lower power, might I suggest the following changes?

1) The "Instant Murder Flash" half of the maneuver grants 10d6 total bonus damage, that you may split up among targets as you see fit. (This may actually be a little low, consider raising the total to 15d6 or 20d6.)

2) You may only continue to make attacks as long as you hit. If you miss a target, you must either stop attacking (if less than three targets are dazed), or move on to Blood Press Guillotine (if three or more targets are dazed).

This way, the maneuver is still somewhat useful against a single target (10d6 + daze), but you won't be murder-flashing an entire army.

[vasharanpaladin]

First I'll have to actually use it, since, as you said, playtests make the world go 'round. :smallbiggrin:

But me? I'm of the opinion that fighters can have nice things, too, so~