Temotei
2013-03-16, 08:22 PM
Volitant Feather
When the Temple of the Nine Swords fell and the survivors scattered, a great bird watched. Observing the many different ways of fighting, it adapted these styles to its own movements, graceful and fluttering, but violent and composed. It left the Temple and called upon Ziz, its god. Ziz answered this call and allowed the great bird entry into the Temple in the Sky. Ziz listened to its story. For one full day he contemplated its meaning. The great bird waited for Ziz's bidding: "Find the one called Reshar. Ask unto him for aid in developing this style. It shall be used to protect my wards and everything in my domain. Such is my decree." The great bird bowed and left the Temple in the Sky and found Reshar, old, but alive. The man at first reached for a blade, but then relaxed and approached the great bird. He listened to the bird and together, they developed the Volitant Feather discipline for humankind and bird-kind alike.
The Volitant Feather discipline's associated skill is Balance, as controlled movement is the focus. The associated weapons of the Volitant Feather discipline are the dagger, lance, rapier, shortspear, short sword, and spear.
Because the Volitant Feather discipline was never taught widely at the Temple of the Nine Swords or any similar center of training, most martial adepts do not know any maneuvers from it, or even know it exists. Only swordsages and warblades can learn maneuvers from the Volitant Feather discipline. There are two ways to master the discipline. The first is to have been trained in it. If you choose to make a martial adept that has already been trained in the Volitant Feather discipline at character creation, you simply replace one discipline that adept could normally learn maneuvers from with the Volitant Feather discipline.
The other way is to seek out a master of the Volitant Feather discipline—a martial adept capable of using at least 5th-level maneuvers from the discipline and to learn Volitant Feather from that source. You must train for a month under the master, or spend a month in research, and spend 1,000 XP at the end of your training. You gain the ability to learn maneuvers from the Volitant Feather discipline. In addition, you may exchange your maneuvers known for maneuvers of the Volitant Feather discipline. You may exchange one maneuver of each level, and the new maneuvers you learn must be of the same level as the exchanged maneuvers, unlike normal. The difficulty of finding an appropriate mentor or text is left to the DM to choose.
Maneuver List
1st Level
Double Peck: Strike – Make an extra attack at a -4 penalty.
Firm Advance: Rush – Make a Balance check in place of a Tumble check.
Fluttering Wings: Stance – Gain a bonus to speed when an attack misses.
Lift-Off: Boost – Gain a bonus to Jump checks.
Wing Bat: Counter – Return an attack of opportunity.
Double Peck
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
As part of this maneuver, you make two attacks against an opponent. The second attack is made with a -4 penalty.
Firm Advance
Volitant Feather (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: Move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
As part of this maneuver, you make a Balance check in place of a Tumble check. In addition, you may move at your full speed instead of half your speed with this Balance check at no penalty.
Fluttering Wings
Volitant Feather (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
As long as you remain in this stance, you use the momentum generated by your opponent's missed blows to propel yourself forward. Any time a damaging attack misses you, you gain a bonus to your speed for 3 rounds, determined by your ranks in Balance. This bonus can be applied twice; each time it is applied, the duration is renewed. If any more attacks miss during this time, the duration is renewed, but no extra bonus is gained.
Balance Ranks
Speed Bonus
0-5
+10 feet
6-11
+20 feet
12-17
+30 feet
18-23
+40 feet
23+
+50 feet
Lift-Off
Volitant Feather (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn
For a moment, you feel wings on your back and you believe you can fly. You gain a bonus to Jump checks for the rest of the round based on your ranks in Balance.
Balance Ranks
Jump Bonus
0-5
+5
6-11
+10
12-17
+20
18-23
+30
23+
+40
Wing Bat
Volitant Feather (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Deftly dodging your foe's blade, you quickly shove your own weapon at it in counter. If an attack of opportunity you provoke misses you, you may make an attack against the same opponent.
2nd Level
Achill Challenge: Boost – Challenge a foe to attack.
Cloud Step: Rush – Move and create a vision-obscuring cloud.
Falling Talon: Strike – Attack at the end of a fall.
Freedom of the Partridge: Boost – Gain bonuses to air movement.
Achill Challenge
Volitant Feather (Boost) [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 30 ft.
Target: One target
Duration: End of turn
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
You scream at a foe, challenging it to attack. You make an attack roll opposed by a single target's Will save. If your attack result is higher than the target's Will save result, you force it to attack you and it is shaken for 1 round. If the target is unable to attack you, it moves as close as possible. If the target is immune to fear or mind-affecting effects, it becomes sickened instead.
Cloud Step
Volitant Feather (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: Move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
As part of this maneuver, you move up to your speed. Any squares you pass through are covered in mist for 2 rounds, providing concealment to any creature within. Movement provokes attacks of opportunity as usual.
Falling Talon
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
Plummeting toward your prey, you drive your attack forward to use the fall to your advantage. After falling at least 10 feet, you make an attack against a target as you land. You take falling damage as normal. This attack deals additional damage equal to half this falling damage.
Freedom of the Partridge
Volitant Feather (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn
The spirit of the partridge flows through you. For the duration of this maneuver, you gain several bonuses to air movement. First, if you have a fly speed, your maneuverability improves by one step. Second, you do not take falling damage (though for the purposes of falling talon's additional damage, you may pretend you would take falling damage). Finally, during jumps and while falling, you keep your Dexterity bonus to AC unless it would be denied in some other fashion (e.g. feinting).
3rd Level
Clipping: Strike – While in the air, send others in the air to the ground.
Eyes of Prey: Stance – Gain several vision bonuses.
Peck-Rebound: Strike – Make an attack, move 10 feet.
Raptor Dash: Rush – Deal damage to obstacles while moving.
Clipping
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisites: One Volitant Feather maneuver
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: 15 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex partial; see text
As part of this maneuver, you can bring down adversaries in the air as long as you, too, are in the air. All enemies in the directed cone are subject to a DC 13 + Dex modifier Reflex save. If they fail, they fall to the ground, prone, and take falling damage. If they succeed, they fall 20 feet. If this would bring a creature to the ground, they land safely.
Eyes of Prey
Volitant Feather (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisites: One Volitant Feather maneuver
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
As long as you remain in this stance, your vision improves phenomenally. You gain a bonus on Search and Spot checks equal to your initiator level, superior low-light vision, and darkvision out to 120 feet. In addition, you gain uncanny dodge, as the rogue class feature, owing to your clarity of vision and lack of blurring while moving your head. Finally, you can see through clouds, fog, and almost any other sort of grit or airborne particles as easily as if the impediment weren't there. You can still see the clouds or fog as a ghostly outline, however.
Peck-Rebound
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisites: One Volitant Feather maneuver
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
With a poke forward and a step back, you stay out of danger while keeping enemies in danger. As part of this maneuver, you make an attack. After the attack is resolved, you can take a 10-foot step. This acts exactly like a 5-foot step, except it doesn't count against your 5-foot step for the round. After this movement, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round.
Raptor Dash
Volitant Feather (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisites: One Volitant Feather maneuver
Initiation Action: Move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
As part of this maneuver, you move up to your speed. You may move through creatures' squares as part of this movement. Doing so deals 2d6 damage to each of the creatures you pass as you slash, peck, and simply dash so fast you tear an opponent's skin off. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
4th Level
Driving Peck: Strike – Make an attack from afar.
Flock's Freedom: Boost – All nearby allies gain bonuses to air movement.
V Formation: Rush – You, all nearby allies, and all nearby enemies move to fit a V formation.
Driving Peck
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Prerequisites: One Volitant Feather maneuver
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Variable; see text
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
You lean forward to strike with your weapon as the air around it splits to hit a target fiercely. You make a melee attack with this maneuver made at a range based on your Balance ranks. The attack also gains a bonus to hit and on damage based on Balance ranks.
Balance Ranks
Range Bonus
Attack/Damage Bonus
0-5
+5 feet
+1
6-11
+10 feet
+2
12-17
+15 feet
+3
18-23
+20 feet
+4
23+
+25 feet
+5
Flock's Freedom
Volitant Feather (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Prerequisites: One Volitant Feather maneuver
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 20 ft.
Area: All allies in a 20-ft.-radius burst centered on you
Duration: End of turn
The spirit of the partridge flows through you and your allies. For the duration of this maneuver, everyone gains several bonuses to air movement. First, anyone with a fly speed has their maneuverability improved by one step. Second, no one takes falling damage. Finally, during jumps and while falling, everyone keeps their Dexterity bonus to AC unless it would be denied in some other fashion (e.g. feinting).
V Formation
Volitant Feather (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Prerequisites: One Volitant Feather maneuver
Initiation Action: Move action
Range: 40 ft.
Area: All allies and enemies in a 40-ft.-radius burst centered on you
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will save negates (harmless)
As part of this maneuver, you call to your allies to fall into formation. All willing allies within range arrange into a V formation, with the tip of the V being you. In addition, you may attempt to move enemies into V formation as well, targeting a single enemy within range to be the tip of the V. This movement takes no action on either allies' or enemies' parts and no attacks of opportunity are provoked for this movement.
5th Level
Dive Bomb: Strike – Leap and attack.
Raptor Crush: Rush – Deal damage to obstacles and disorient creatures while moving.
Unshakable Flap: Stance – Become immune to slowing effects and gain movement abilities.
Dive Bomb
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Jump range; see text
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; see text
As part of this maneuver, you make a Jump check to leap into the air and dive at an opponent within the range of your jump, making a single attack that deals +2d8 damage. In addition, the opponent must make a Fortitude save of DC 15 + Dex modifier or become stunned for 1 round. If the enemy is immune to stunning but not to dazing, it becomes dazed on a failed save instead. You can choose to end your movement from the jump in any square surrounding the target enemy. This maneuver may also be made while flying with a range up to double your fly speed.
Raptor Crush
Volitant Feather (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; see text
As part of this maneuver, you move up to your speed. You may move through creatures' squares as part of this movement. Doing so deals 4d6 damage to each of the creatures you pass as you slash, peck, and simply dash so fast you tear an opponent's skin off. In addition, any enemy you pass by is sickened for 1 round unless it succeeds on a Fortitude save of DC 15 + Dex modifier. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Unshakable Flap
Volitant Feather (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
You are not phased by any sort of movement-impairing effects as you gracefully move around the battlefield. While you remain in this stance, you gain a number of benefits. First, you become immune to any effect that would slow your speed, including difficult terrain and weather effects. Second, once per round, you can avoid an attack of opportunity when you provoke one. Third, each round in which you move, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC and on Reflex saves. Finally, if you are targeted by an enemy attack, you are able to take flight for 1 round with a speed of 60 feet with good maneuverability. If you already have a fly speed, you gain a +10-foot bonus to it and your maneuverability improves by one step (minimum good). This flight doesn't allow you to avoid the attack in question—it simply allows you to fly after it has been resolved.
6th Level
Drill Peck: Strike – Make multiple attacks, punctuated by a powerful final strike.
Flock's Flight: Boost – Grant flight to all nearby allies.
Keen-Eyed Strike: Strike – Make a special melee touch attack.
Drill Peck
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 6, Warblade 6
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Full-round action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
With the persistence of a woodpecker you strike at a single opponent more times than it can count. Make a full attack twice. Each attack deals half damage. At the end of this flurry, you make one final attack that deals double damage at your full attack bonus. This attack can have one side effect from the following tacked on: bull rush, disarm, feint, sunder, or trip. None of these effects provoke attacks of opportunity and your opponent cannot act beyond defending against these side effects.
Flock's Flight
Volitant Feather (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 6, Warblade 6
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 20 ft.
Area: All allies in a 20-ft.-radius burst centered on you
Duration: End of turn
When you initiate this maneuver, you and your allies can take flight for 1 round with a speed of 60 feet and good maneuverability. If anyone already has a fly speed, they gain a +10-foot bonus to it and their maneuverability improves by one step (minimum good). In addition, flying together keeps your flock in top form, granting a +4 dodge bonus to AC to everyone for the duration.
Keen-Eyed Strike
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 6, Warblade 6
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; see text
You make a single melee touch attack, striking true. This attack ignores all effects that would impair your ability to hit the target except ability score penalties, size penalties to attack, and the target's touch AC. In addition, the critical threat range of your weapon doubles and its critical multiplier increases by 1. Finally, if you land a critical hit with this strike, the target must make a Fortitude save of DC 16 + Dex modifier or be dazed for 1 round.
7th Level
Feather Trail: Rush – Leave a trail of feathers to grant speed while moving.
Highwind: Strike – Disallow enemy flight in a large radius.
Wing of Ziz: Counter – Protect an ally within range from a single harmful effect.
Feather Trail
Volitant Feather (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 7, Warblade 7
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
As part of this maneuver, you move up to your speed. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. In each square you pass through, you drop a single feather, each of which lasts until the end of your next turn. If you or an ally move through any of those squares and pick up the feather left behind (a free action), you can instantly move 10 feet (which can allow you to pick up more feathers, each of which allow you to move 10 feet) in any direction as a free action. Each feather picked up grants a +2 bonus to attacks, damage, AC, Reflex saves, Balance, Jump, and Tumble for 1 round. This bonus stacks if more than one feather is picked up. Going upward by picking up a feather allows the carrier to hover at that height for 1 round.
Highwind
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 7, Warblade 7
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Area: All foes in a 60-ft.-radius burst centered on you
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
You create powerful downward winds that force all flying enemies within 60 feet to fall to the ground instantly. You and your allies may remain flying. These winds disappear at the end of your next turn. Enemies take falling damage when they hit the ground.
Wing of Ziz
Volitant Feather (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 7, Warblade 7
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range: 30 ft.
Target: One harmful effect
Duration: Instantaneous
Ziz charges you to protect your birds--your allies--and grants you the power to do so. If an ally within 30 feet is targeted by a harmful effect, you may shield that ally from the effect by making an attack roll. If the harmful effect is an attack, you make an opposed attack roll. If the harmful effect is a targeted effect or spell (other than a touch spell), you make an attack roll against the saving throw DC of the effect. If it has no saving throw DC, make your attack against 10 + spell level + foe's primary ability modifier. If the effect has no spell level, your DM determines its effective spell level for the purpose of this maneuver. You gain a +2 sacred bonus on your attack roll. If you succeed in defending your ally, Ziz rewards you, granting you a +2d6 sacred bonus to attack and damage on your next attack made within 1 round.
8th Level
Falling Tears of the Phoenix: Stance – You and nearby allies heal every round and avoid death while your Volitant Feather maneuvers burn.
Zhu's Exile: Strike – Send target to extradimensional pocket.
Falling Tears of the Phoenix
Volitant Feather (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 8, Warblade 8
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 20 ft.
Area: All allies in a 20-ft. radius centered on you
Duration: Stance
While you remain in this stance, you adopt the movements of a phoenix. Magical tears douse the ground beneath your feet, granting fast healing 5 to you and all allies within 20 feet. In addition, if you or an ally die while you are in this stance, you may end its effects to restore yourself or that ally as an immediate action. This heals the target by twice your initiator level. A single creature can only be restored in this manner once per day. Whenever you execute a Volitant Feather rush while in this stance, you may choose to leave behind burning tears that turn every square you pass through into difficult terrain for 1 round. This difficult terrain also deals 2d6 fire damage if a creature ends its turn on it. Finally, whenever you execute a Volitant Feather strike while in this stance, you may choose to change any damage you deal to fire damage. If you do so, the strike deals an additional 1d6 fire damage.
Zhu's Exile
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 8, Warblade 8
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will partial; see text
As part of this maneuver, you make a melee touch attack. If it succeeds, you send the target to an extradimensional pocket unless it succeeds on a Will save of DC 18 + Dex modifier. The target returns in 1d6 minutes. If the target succeeds on this saving throw, it is nauseated for 1 round from its body being wrenched between planes before settling back. A target sent to an extradimensional pocket can still act normally. Escaping the extradimensional pocket is impossible without very powerful magic, however, such as a wish or miracle spell. If the target is under the effects of a dimensional anchor or other such effect, it automatically succeeds on its Will save.
9th Level
Featherdance: Strike – Attack in a large radius, rise up while knocking enemies prone.
Featherdance
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 9, Warblade 9
Prerequisites: Three Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Full-round action
Range: 40 ft.
Area: All foes within a 40-ft.-radius burst centered on you
Duration: Instantaneous
As part of this maneuver, you make one attack against all enemies within range, dealing +5d8 damage on each attack. At the end of this series of attacks, you kick off the ground, forcing all enemies you hit with this maneuver prone and allowing you to rise up to 200 feet. After rising, you can balance on the currents of air to effectively fly by making a DC 15 Balance check. Each round, the DC of this check rises by 2. When you fail a check or choose to go down, you do not take falling damage (though for the purposes of falling talon's additional damage, you may pretend you would take falling damage), but instead land gently on your feet, though you fall at full speed.
When the Temple of the Nine Swords fell and the survivors scattered, a great bird watched. Observing the many different ways of fighting, it adapted these styles to its own movements, graceful and fluttering, but violent and composed. It left the Temple and called upon Ziz, its god. Ziz answered this call and allowed the great bird entry into the Temple in the Sky. Ziz listened to its story. For one full day he contemplated its meaning. The great bird waited for Ziz's bidding: "Find the one called Reshar. Ask unto him for aid in developing this style. It shall be used to protect my wards and everything in my domain. Such is my decree." The great bird bowed and left the Temple in the Sky and found Reshar, old, but alive. The man at first reached for a blade, but then relaxed and approached the great bird. He listened to the bird and together, they developed the Volitant Feather discipline for humankind and bird-kind alike.
The Volitant Feather discipline's associated skill is Balance, as controlled movement is the focus. The associated weapons of the Volitant Feather discipline are the dagger, lance, rapier, shortspear, short sword, and spear.
Because the Volitant Feather discipline was never taught widely at the Temple of the Nine Swords or any similar center of training, most martial adepts do not know any maneuvers from it, or even know it exists. Only swordsages and warblades can learn maneuvers from the Volitant Feather discipline. There are two ways to master the discipline. The first is to have been trained in it. If you choose to make a martial adept that has already been trained in the Volitant Feather discipline at character creation, you simply replace one discipline that adept could normally learn maneuvers from with the Volitant Feather discipline.
The other way is to seek out a master of the Volitant Feather discipline—a martial adept capable of using at least 5th-level maneuvers from the discipline and to learn Volitant Feather from that source. You must train for a month under the master, or spend a month in research, and spend 1,000 XP at the end of your training. You gain the ability to learn maneuvers from the Volitant Feather discipline. In addition, you may exchange your maneuvers known for maneuvers of the Volitant Feather discipline. You may exchange one maneuver of each level, and the new maneuvers you learn must be of the same level as the exchanged maneuvers, unlike normal. The difficulty of finding an appropriate mentor or text is left to the DM to choose.
Maneuver List
1st Level
Double Peck: Strike – Make an extra attack at a -4 penalty.
Firm Advance: Rush – Make a Balance check in place of a Tumble check.
Fluttering Wings: Stance – Gain a bonus to speed when an attack misses.
Lift-Off: Boost – Gain a bonus to Jump checks.
Wing Bat: Counter – Return an attack of opportunity.
Double Peck
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
As part of this maneuver, you make two attacks against an opponent. The second attack is made with a -4 penalty.
Firm Advance
Volitant Feather (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: Move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
As part of this maneuver, you make a Balance check in place of a Tumble check. In addition, you may move at your full speed instead of half your speed with this Balance check at no penalty.
Fluttering Wings
Volitant Feather (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
As long as you remain in this stance, you use the momentum generated by your opponent's missed blows to propel yourself forward. Any time a damaging attack misses you, you gain a bonus to your speed for 3 rounds, determined by your ranks in Balance. This bonus can be applied twice; each time it is applied, the duration is renewed. If any more attacks miss during this time, the duration is renewed, but no extra bonus is gained.
Balance Ranks
Speed Bonus
0-5
+10 feet
6-11
+20 feet
12-17
+30 feet
18-23
+40 feet
23+
+50 feet
Lift-Off
Volitant Feather (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn
For a moment, you feel wings on your back and you believe you can fly. You gain a bonus to Jump checks for the rest of the round based on your ranks in Balance.
Balance Ranks
Jump Bonus
0-5
+5
6-11
+10
12-17
+20
18-23
+30
23+
+40
Wing Bat
Volitant Feather (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Deftly dodging your foe's blade, you quickly shove your own weapon at it in counter. If an attack of opportunity you provoke misses you, you may make an attack against the same opponent.
2nd Level
Achill Challenge: Boost – Challenge a foe to attack.
Cloud Step: Rush – Move and create a vision-obscuring cloud.
Falling Talon: Strike – Attack at the end of a fall.
Freedom of the Partridge: Boost – Gain bonuses to air movement.
Achill Challenge
Volitant Feather (Boost) [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 30 ft.
Target: One target
Duration: End of turn
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
You scream at a foe, challenging it to attack. You make an attack roll opposed by a single target's Will save. If your attack result is higher than the target's Will save result, you force it to attack you and it is shaken for 1 round. If the target is unable to attack you, it moves as close as possible. If the target is immune to fear or mind-affecting effects, it becomes sickened instead.
Cloud Step
Volitant Feather (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: Move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
As part of this maneuver, you move up to your speed. Any squares you pass through are covered in mist for 2 rounds, providing concealment to any creature within. Movement provokes attacks of opportunity as usual.
Falling Talon
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
Plummeting toward your prey, you drive your attack forward to use the fall to your advantage. After falling at least 10 feet, you make an attack against a target as you land. You take falling damage as normal. This attack deals additional damage equal to half this falling damage.
Freedom of the Partridge
Volitant Feather (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn
The spirit of the partridge flows through you. For the duration of this maneuver, you gain several bonuses to air movement. First, if you have a fly speed, your maneuverability improves by one step. Second, you do not take falling damage (though for the purposes of falling talon's additional damage, you may pretend you would take falling damage). Finally, during jumps and while falling, you keep your Dexterity bonus to AC unless it would be denied in some other fashion (e.g. feinting).
3rd Level
Clipping: Strike – While in the air, send others in the air to the ground.
Eyes of Prey: Stance – Gain several vision bonuses.
Peck-Rebound: Strike – Make an attack, move 10 feet.
Raptor Dash: Rush – Deal damage to obstacles while moving.
Clipping
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisites: One Volitant Feather maneuver
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: 15 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex partial; see text
As part of this maneuver, you can bring down adversaries in the air as long as you, too, are in the air. All enemies in the directed cone are subject to a DC 13 + Dex modifier Reflex save. If they fail, they fall to the ground, prone, and take falling damage. If they succeed, they fall 20 feet. If this would bring a creature to the ground, they land safely.
Eyes of Prey
Volitant Feather (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisites: One Volitant Feather maneuver
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
As long as you remain in this stance, your vision improves phenomenally. You gain a bonus on Search and Spot checks equal to your initiator level, superior low-light vision, and darkvision out to 120 feet. In addition, you gain uncanny dodge, as the rogue class feature, owing to your clarity of vision and lack of blurring while moving your head. Finally, you can see through clouds, fog, and almost any other sort of grit or airborne particles as easily as if the impediment weren't there. You can still see the clouds or fog as a ghostly outline, however.
Peck-Rebound
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisites: One Volitant Feather maneuver
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
With a poke forward and a step back, you stay out of danger while keeping enemies in danger. As part of this maneuver, you make an attack. After the attack is resolved, you can take a 10-foot step. This acts exactly like a 5-foot step, except it doesn't count against your 5-foot step for the round. After this movement, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round.
Raptor Dash
Volitant Feather (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisites: One Volitant Feather maneuver
Initiation Action: Move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
As part of this maneuver, you move up to your speed. You may move through creatures' squares as part of this movement. Doing so deals 2d6 damage to each of the creatures you pass as you slash, peck, and simply dash so fast you tear an opponent's skin off. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
4th Level
Driving Peck: Strike – Make an attack from afar.
Flock's Freedom: Boost – All nearby allies gain bonuses to air movement.
V Formation: Rush – You, all nearby allies, and all nearby enemies move to fit a V formation.
Driving Peck
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Prerequisites: One Volitant Feather maneuver
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Variable; see text
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
You lean forward to strike with your weapon as the air around it splits to hit a target fiercely. You make a melee attack with this maneuver made at a range based on your Balance ranks. The attack also gains a bonus to hit and on damage based on Balance ranks.
Balance Ranks
Range Bonus
Attack/Damage Bonus
0-5
+5 feet
+1
6-11
+10 feet
+2
12-17
+15 feet
+3
18-23
+20 feet
+4
23+
+25 feet
+5
Flock's Freedom
Volitant Feather (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Prerequisites: One Volitant Feather maneuver
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 20 ft.
Area: All allies in a 20-ft.-radius burst centered on you
Duration: End of turn
The spirit of the partridge flows through you and your allies. For the duration of this maneuver, everyone gains several bonuses to air movement. First, anyone with a fly speed has their maneuverability improved by one step. Second, no one takes falling damage. Finally, during jumps and while falling, everyone keeps their Dexterity bonus to AC unless it would be denied in some other fashion (e.g. feinting).
V Formation
Volitant Feather (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Prerequisites: One Volitant Feather maneuver
Initiation Action: Move action
Range: 40 ft.
Area: All allies and enemies in a 40-ft.-radius burst centered on you
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will save negates (harmless)
As part of this maneuver, you call to your allies to fall into formation. All willing allies within range arrange into a V formation, with the tip of the V being you. In addition, you may attempt to move enemies into V formation as well, targeting a single enemy within range to be the tip of the V. This movement takes no action on either allies' or enemies' parts and no attacks of opportunity are provoked for this movement.
5th Level
Dive Bomb: Strike – Leap and attack.
Raptor Crush: Rush – Deal damage to obstacles and disorient creatures while moving.
Unshakable Flap: Stance – Become immune to slowing effects and gain movement abilities.
Dive Bomb
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Jump range; see text
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; see text
As part of this maneuver, you make a Jump check to leap into the air and dive at an opponent within the range of your jump, making a single attack that deals +2d8 damage. In addition, the opponent must make a Fortitude save of DC 15 + Dex modifier or become stunned for 1 round. If the enemy is immune to stunning but not to dazing, it becomes dazed on a failed save instead. You can choose to end your movement from the jump in any square surrounding the target enemy. This maneuver may also be made while flying with a range up to double your fly speed.
Raptor Crush
Volitant Feather (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; see text
As part of this maneuver, you move up to your speed. You may move through creatures' squares as part of this movement. Doing so deals 4d6 damage to each of the creatures you pass as you slash, peck, and simply dash so fast you tear an opponent's skin off. In addition, any enemy you pass by is sickened for 1 round unless it succeeds on a Fortitude save of DC 15 + Dex modifier. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Unshakable Flap
Volitant Feather (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
You are not phased by any sort of movement-impairing effects as you gracefully move around the battlefield. While you remain in this stance, you gain a number of benefits. First, you become immune to any effect that would slow your speed, including difficult terrain and weather effects. Second, once per round, you can avoid an attack of opportunity when you provoke one. Third, each round in which you move, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC and on Reflex saves. Finally, if you are targeted by an enemy attack, you are able to take flight for 1 round with a speed of 60 feet with good maneuverability. If you already have a fly speed, you gain a +10-foot bonus to it and your maneuverability improves by one step (minimum good). This flight doesn't allow you to avoid the attack in question—it simply allows you to fly after it has been resolved.
6th Level
Drill Peck: Strike – Make multiple attacks, punctuated by a powerful final strike.
Flock's Flight: Boost – Grant flight to all nearby allies.
Keen-Eyed Strike: Strike – Make a special melee touch attack.
Drill Peck
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 6, Warblade 6
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Full-round action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
With the persistence of a woodpecker you strike at a single opponent more times than it can count. Make a full attack twice. Each attack deals half damage. At the end of this flurry, you make one final attack that deals double damage at your full attack bonus. This attack can have one side effect from the following tacked on: bull rush, disarm, feint, sunder, or trip. None of these effects provoke attacks of opportunity and your opponent cannot act beyond defending against these side effects.
Flock's Flight
Volitant Feather (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 6, Warblade 6
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 20 ft.
Area: All allies in a 20-ft.-radius burst centered on you
Duration: End of turn
When you initiate this maneuver, you and your allies can take flight for 1 round with a speed of 60 feet and good maneuverability. If anyone already has a fly speed, they gain a +10-foot bonus to it and their maneuverability improves by one step (minimum good). In addition, flying together keeps your flock in top form, granting a +4 dodge bonus to AC to everyone for the duration.
Keen-Eyed Strike
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 6, Warblade 6
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; see text
You make a single melee touch attack, striking true. This attack ignores all effects that would impair your ability to hit the target except ability score penalties, size penalties to attack, and the target's touch AC. In addition, the critical threat range of your weapon doubles and its critical multiplier increases by 1. Finally, if you land a critical hit with this strike, the target must make a Fortitude save of DC 16 + Dex modifier or be dazed for 1 round.
7th Level
Feather Trail: Rush – Leave a trail of feathers to grant speed while moving.
Highwind: Strike – Disallow enemy flight in a large radius.
Wing of Ziz: Counter – Protect an ally within range from a single harmful effect.
Feather Trail
Volitant Feather (Rush)
Level: Swordsage 7, Warblade 7
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Move action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
As part of this maneuver, you move up to your speed. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. In each square you pass through, you drop a single feather, each of which lasts until the end of your next turn. If you or an ally move through any of those squares and pick up the feather left behind (a free action), you can instantly move 10 feet (which can allow you to pick up more feathers, each of which allow you to move 10 feet) in any direction as a free action. Each feather picked up grants a +2 bonus to attacks, damage, AC, Reflex saves, Balance, Jump, and Tumble for 1 round. This bonus stacks if more than one feather is picked up. Going upward by picking up a feather allows the carrier to hover at that height for 1 round.
Highwind
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 7, Warblade 7
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Area: All foes in a 60-ft.-radius burst centered on you
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
You create powerful downward winds that force all flying enemies within 60 feet to fall to the ground instantly. You and your allies may remain flying. These winds disappear at the end of your next turn. Enemies take falling damage when they hit the ground.
Wing of Ziz
Volitant Feather (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 7, Warblade 7
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range: 30 ft.
Target: One harmful effect
Duration: Instantaneous
Ziz charges you to protect your birds--your allies--and grants you the power to do so. If an ally within 30 feet is targeted by a harmful effect, you may shield that ally from the effect by making an attack roll. If the harmful effect is an attack, you make an opposed attack roll. If the harmful effect is a targeted effect or spell (other than a touch spell), you make an attack roll against the saving throw DC of the effect. If it has no saving throw DC, make your attack against 10 + spell level + foe's primary ability modifier. If the effect has no spell level, your DM determines its effective spell level for the purpose of this maneuver. You gain a +2 sacred bonus on your attack roll. If you succeed in defending your ally, Ziz rewards you, granting you a +2d6 sacred bonus to attack and damage on your next attack made within 1 round.
8th Level
Falling Tears of the Phoenix: Stance – You and nearby allies heal every round and avoid death while your Volitant Feather maneuvers burn.
Zhu's Exile: Strike – Send target to extradimensional pocket.
Falling Tears of the Phoenix
Volitant Feather (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 8, Warblade 8
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: 20 ft.
Area: All allies in a 20-ft. radius centered on you
Duration: Stance
While you remain in this stance, you adopt the movements of a phoenix. Magical tears douse the ground beneath your feet, granting fast healing 5 to you and all allies within 20 feet. In addition, if you or an ally die while you are in this stance, you may end its effects to restore yourself or that ally as an immediate action. This heals the target by twice your initiator level. A single creature can only be restored in this manner once per day. Whenever you execute a Volitant Feather rush while in this stance, you may choose to leave behind burning tears that turn every square you pass through into difficult terrain for 1 round. This difficult terrain also deals 2d6 fire damage if a creature ends its turn on it. Finally, whenever you execute a Volitant Feather strike while in this stance, you may choose to change any damage you deal to fire damage. If you do so, the strike deals an additional 1d6 fire damage.
Zhu's Exile
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 8, Warblade 8
Prerequisites: Two Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will partial; see text
As part of this maneuver, you make a melee touch attack. If it succeeds, you send the target to an extradimensional pocket unless it succeeds on a Will save of DC 18 + Dex modifier. The target returns in 1d6 minutes. If the target succeeds on this saving throw, it is nauseated for 1 round from its body being wrenched between planes before settling back. A target sent to an extradimensional pocket can still act normally. Escaping the extradimensional pocket is impossible without very powerful magic, however, such as a wish or miracle spell. If the target is under the effects of a dimensional anchor or other such effect, it automatically succeeds on its Will save.
9th Level
Featherdance: Strike – Attack in a large radius, rise up while knocking enemies prone.
Featherdance
Volitant Feather (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 9, Warblade 9
Prerequisites: Three Volitant Feather maneuvers
Initiation Action: Full-round action
Range: 40 ft.
Area: All foes within a 40-ft.-radius burst centered on you
Duration: Instantaneous
As part of this maneuver, you make one attack against all enemies within range, dealing +5d8 damage on each attack. At the end of this series of attacks, you kick off the ground, forcing all enemies you hit with this maneuver prone and allowing you to rise up to 200 feet. After rising, you can balance on the currents of air to effectively fly by making a DC 15 Balance check. Each round, the DC of this check rises by 2. When you fail a check or choose to go down, you do not take falling damage (though for the purposes of falling talon's additional damage, you may pretend you would take falling damage), but instead land gently on your feet, though you fall at full speed.