Step and CUT!~ [Feats, PEACH]

[Amechra]

Slicing Step [Fighter]
You strike your opponents with a speed and grace... almost in the middle of your stride.
Prerequisites: BAB +1, Dex 13
Benefit: Whenever you charge an enemy, you may choose to continue moving after making your attack, up to your normal limit on movement; this additional movement is subject to the same limits as the initial movement made as part of a charge. In addition, Iajutsu Focus is always a class skill for you.
Special: This feat counts as both Dodge and Mobility for the purposes of qualifying for Spring Attack and any feat that has Spring Attack as a prerequisite.

Lightning Stride [Fighter]
You move so quickly, people don't see the first hit coming.
Prerequisites: Slicing Step, Iajutsu Focus 9 ranks.
Benefits: Creatures are flat-footed against the first attack you make against them as part of a charge. In addition, you may sheathe your weapon as a free action at the end of a charge.
Special: If you have the Spring Attack feat, the benefits of this feat extend to attacks made as part of a Spring Attack.

Heart of the Razor [Fighter][Ambush]
You are hellishly experienced with a good blade.
Prerequisites: Slicing Step, Iajutsu Focus 6 ranks.
Benefits: For the purpose of prerequisites, you are treated as having a number of Sneak Attack dice equal to 1/3 your Iajutsu Focus ranks; in addition, you may treat damage dice gained by using Iajutsu Focus as Sneak Attack dice for the purposes of Ambush Feats.
Special: A Fighter that takes this feat treats Ambush Feats as Fighter Bonus Feats for all intents and purposes.

Thousand Blade Fountain [Fighter]
Your speed and grace is nothing short of amazing.
Prerequisites: Bounding Assault, Slicing Step
Benefits: Any additional attacks you gain when using Spring Attack also apply while charging. In addition, you may use Spring Attack as a move action; if you do so, you must forgo any additional attacks after the first.

Rushing River Blade [Fighter][Tactical]
Watching you fight is like watching poetry in motion.
Prerequisites: Spring Attack, Iajutsu Focus 9 ranks.
Benefits: This feat enables the following three tactical options:

Twisting Stream Motions: While you are using Spring Attack, you may use Iajutsu Focus checks in place of Balance or Tumble checks for all purposes.
Terrible Onrushing Waterfall: On any round in which you use Spring Attack, your base land speed increases by 10'.
Tranquil Mountain Pool: On any round in which you make a successful Iajutsu Focus check, you ignore all morale penalties and fear effects you might be subject to.

Beautiful Blade Artist [Fighter]
Your fighting style is absolutely gorgeous.
Prerequisites: BAB +1, Cha 13, Perform (Weapon Drill) 4 ranks
Benefits: You gain the Bardic Music class feature of a 1st level Bard; however, you do not gain the Countersong ability, and your Inspire Courage only applies to yourself. Your Inspire Courage is based off of Perform (Weapon Drill), ignoring the normal prohibition on the use of that skill.
Special: If you already have the Bardic Music class feature upon taking this feat, you may base it off Perform (Weapon Drill), and gain two extra daily uses of Bardic Music.

Elegant Battle Ballet [Fighter]
Your footwork is immaculate, as are the tiny slices you turn your enemies into.
Prerequisites: Beautiful Blade Artist, Cha 15
Benefits: You may make a melee attack as part of the standard action you make to start or sustain Inspire Courage.

Disapproving War Waltz [Fighter]
Your blade is sufficient repartee to almost any argument.
Prerequisites: Beautiful Blade Artist, BAB +2
Benefits: You gain the ability to use Countersong with your Bardic Music ability; in addition, whenever you activate Inspire Courage, you may also activate Countersong as part of the same action for free; if you do so, it only applies to you, rather than every creature within 30' that can hear you.

Vicious Critic [Fighter]
There is nothing you tolerate less than a poor performance.
Prerequisites: Countersong, BAB +4, Combat Expertise
Benefits: Any creature that uses a Sonic or Language-Dependent effect provokes an attack of opportunity from you. In addition, you are considered to not speak any languages for the purposes of any Language Dependent effect you might encounter.

Choral Razor Cantata [Fighter]
You can cut someone with the razor of your song and dance.
Prerequisite: Bardic Music, Perform 9 ranks
Benefits: You may choose to make attacks with your voice treat your voice as a whip, except that it does not require the use of your hands, it deals Lethal Sonic damage, you do not add your Strength bonus to damage, you add your Charisma bonus to attack rolls instead of Strength, and does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Attacking with your voice is a Sonic effect.

In addition, on any round in which you are under the effects of Inspire Courage, you may make attacks of opportunity with your voice against any creature within your reach, and you may deal damage to a creature regardles of their armor or natural armor bonus to AC.

Gorgeous Freedom Song
Your voice instills yearnings for freedom in the hearts of men, and clears their ensorcelled minds.
Prerequisite: Bardic Music, Countersong, Perform 6 ranks.
Benefits: The effects of Countersong extend to encompass Mind Affecting Abilities in addition to Sonic and Language-Dependent effects.

Understanding Through Violence [Fighter]
Sometimes, the best way to understand a man is by feeling his jaw break under your knuckles.
Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, Int 13
Benefits: Whenever you make an unarmed melee attack against a creature, you may choose to gain the benefits of making a Knowledge check against that creature, using the result of your attack roll plus your Intelligence modifier instead of the relevant Knowledge check.
Special: You are considered to have a number of ranks in all Knowledge skills equal to your BAB + 3 for the purposes of prerequisites.

Imposter-Revealing Strike [Fighter]
Sometimes, being a detective involves breaking someone's kneecaps. It's the fun part!
Prerequisites: Understanding Through Violence, Int 13
Benefits: When using this feat's prerequisite, you may choose to forgo the normal benefits to instead automatically break any disguise they are using whose Disguise check is lower than the result of your attack roll plus your Intelligence modifier and any bonuses you would get to your Spot check due to familiarity with the subject. If you break a disguise in this manner, everyone who can see the subject is considered to have automatically made their Spot check.

Reading Light Caresses [Fighter]
A nice firm handshake can tell you a lot about a person. A lot.
Prerequisites: Understanding Through Violence, BAB +6.
Benefits: Whenever you make skin-to-skin contact with a creature, you may make a melee touch attack as an immediate action; if you do so, the attack deals no damage, but you automatically apply the benefits of Understanding Through Violence to that attack.

Expressing My Displeasure [Fighter]
"I am extremely sad at this development; let me tell you how sad I am by punching your gut raw and bloody."
Prerequisites: Understanding Through Violence, Int 15
Benefit: You are able to give earily accurate messages through violence; people simply understand in the way you break their bones.
Whenever you use Understanding Through Violence, you may forgo the normal benefit to instead make a Bluff check to communicate a secret message (http://dndsrd.net/skillsCha.html), using the result of your attack roll plus your Intelligence modifier in place of a Bluff check; you do not have to share a language with the creature you're attacking. Everyone understands the language of pain, after all.
In addition, whenever you use a standard action to Feint, you may make a single melee attack against the creature that you are attempting to feint.

Blade Flick Study [Fighter]
You can tell a lot about a man by how he bleeds when you stick 'im.
Prerequisites: Understanding Through Violence, Int 13
Benefits: You may use Understanding Through Violence with any melee weapon; in addition, whenever you make a successful attack, you may forgo the normal benefit of Understanding Through Violence to become proficient with the weapon you are wielding. This does not grant proficiency to all weapons of that type, just the particular one you are using. This explicitly allows you to become proficient with improvised weapons.

1

Also, as long as we are doing homebrew, replace the Prerequisites: line of Bounding Assault and Rapid Blitz with the following:

Bounding Assault
Prerequisites: Spring Attack, BAB +8

Rapid Blitz
Prerequisites: Bounding Assault BAB +12

I have a few more ideas for feats extending off Beautiful Blade Artist... but those'll have to wait.

PEACHes are appreciated!

[Amechra]

I added Choral Razor Cantata and Vicious Critic; now you can literally harm someone with the beauty of your voice (hell, or break stuff), or just smack the Bard trying to sing in front of you because he the song he's singing is stupid.

[Amechra]

And I added another 5 feats! Understanding Through Violence lets you make "knowledge" checks by punching a guy in the face, and its upgrades let you do stuff like send secret messages through handshakes (or just punching people in the face) or break disguises with your fist.

Oh... and people can post if they want to. I don't need any more posts to talk to myself about the feats I've added.

Please tell me I'm pretty.

[Tempestfury]

Hmmm... the Iajutsu Focus feats are great, and make the skill in general a much more stronger and accessible skill.

Choral Razor Cantata is pretty hilarous.

[Amechra]

Thanks; they came about in part because I was commenting on another thread that Charging didn't need more love... and then it hit me that I was wrong.

Power Attack + Charging doesn't need more love. So I made that slash-cutting thing you see here.

And yeah, all the Bardic Music stuff was because Rushing River Blade was originally named Rising Blade Cantata... and then... yeah.

[Debihuman]

Slicing Step [Fighter]
You strike your opponents with a speed and grace... almost in the middle of your stride.
Prerequisites: BAB +1, Dex 13
Benefit: You may make your first attack at any point during a charge, instead of just at the end. In addition, Iajutsu Focus is always a class skill for you.
Special: This feat counts as both Dodge and Mobility for the purposes of qualifying for Spring Attack and any feat that has Spring Attack as a prerequisite.

The point of a charge is that you are running towards your opponent. If you attack too soon you are slicing thin air as you haven't reached him or her yet. This doesn't make a lot of sense to me. In a charge, you have to move at least 10 feet. If you aren't within range of your opponent when you attack, how does this help?

If you had said that you can make your attack as soon as you are in range of your opponent rather than at the end of the charge, that would make sense.

Player: I am 30 feet from my target so I charge him.

The player moves 10 feet in the charge and slices, but his target is still 20 feet away; I'd call that a miss even with this feat.

Debby

[Amechra]

I'll have to double-check the rules for charging; however, the intent was that it let you charge an opponent 15 feet away, and then keep on going. Thanks for bringing that to my attention though; I'll fix it after class.

Any opinions on the rest of the feats?

[Amechra]

Alright, I fixed Slicing Step (at least, I hope the intent is clear.)

[Tempestfury]

So in otherwords you charge some distance, hit them, and then keep moving?

I like it. Works well with mobility builds.

[Allnightmask]

Understanding Through Violence and all of the branching feats are works of wonder and they must be used! They're all great feats, but Understanding Through Violence is Understanding Through Violence.

Got anything else bouncing round that brain of yours you mind setting free on the playground :smallbiggrin:?

[Amechra]

Oh, I have plenty. For the following feats, remove Combat Expertise as a prerequisite for Improved Trip, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, and Improved Grapple.

Slow the Tides [Fighter]
Sometimes, people move too quicky. You've taken it upon yourself to tell them to slow down.
Prerequisites: BAB +2, Improved Trip
Benefit: Whenever you make a Trip attempt, your target must make a Fortitude save against (10 + 1/2 BAB + Str), or have all of their speeds reduced by 10' for a number of rounds equal to your Strength modifier. If your Trip attempt is succesful, this penalty is doubled. This feat does not stack with itself.

Steal Breath [Fighter]
"Woah there, buddy! I'm gonna have to ask you to sit down."
Prerequisites: Slow the Tides, BAB +6
Benefits: Whenever you trip someone, add your BAB to the DC of the Tumble check they have to make to avoid taking an AoO for standing up. In addition, the movement penalty from Slow the Tides is increased to 20'.

Keeping The Ghost Down [Fighter]
"Hey, guys! I've managed to pin down this ghost fellow for you people!"
Prequisites: Slow the Tide, BAB +6
Benefits: Whenever you successfully trip an Incorporeal creature, that creature loses all of the benefits of being Incorporeal until they are able to stand up. In addition, you may trip creatures with a Fly speed; if you do so, they immediately begin to fall, and are treated as having "stood up" once they stop falling.

Excellent Reaction Time [Fighter]
You can respond to stimuli faster than most people think is possible.
Prerequisites: BAB +3, Improved Initiative
Benefit: You may always take a Move action during the surprise round, even if you can not actually take actions during the surprise round.

Stop-Motion Reflexes [Fighter]
You could respond to a flicker of light hitting your eye for less than a split second... just in time to get out of the way of the ambush.
Prerequisites: BAB +8, Excellent Reaction Time
Benefit: The Move action gained from Excellent Reaction Time is now in addition to any other actions you might have during the surprise round. In addition, you may take a Standard action during the surprise round, even if you cannot actually take any actions other than a move action that round.

Faster than Oblivion [Fighter]
Your response time is faster than lightning. Much faster.
Prerequisites: BAB +12, Stop-Motion Reflexes
Benefit: The Standard action gained from Stop-Motion Reflexes is now in addition to any other actions you might have during the surprise round. In addition, you always act in the surprise round.

Pause for Breath [Fighter]
Sometimes, you can get a lot done in the space of a single breath.
Prerequisites: BAB +15, Excellent Reaction Time
Benefits: You always gain a surprise round at the beginning of each combat; however, you may not take any actions that would affect creatures that are not also taking actions in that surprise round.

Quick On The Draw [Fighter]
You have the fastest trigger finger in the West! And East, North, and South...
Prerequisites: Iajatsu Focus 4 ranks, Proficiency in crossbows or firearms, Quick Draw
Benefit: You may use Iajatsu Focus with crossbows and firearms; you still have to draw the crossbow or the firearm before making the attack to benefit, however.

Peerless Archery [Fighter]
You are pretty obscene when it comes to hitting people with your arrows.
Benefit: Whenever you make a ranged attack, you may ignore any bonus to armor class that would be granted by concealment; in addition, you take no penalties to your ranged attacks for attacking a creature within your first two range increments, and gain a +2 to attack rolls with your ranged weapon against creatures within your first range increment.
Special: This feat counts as the Precise Shot, Point-Blank Shot, and Far Shot feats for the purposes of prerequisites.

Draconic Knight [Fighter]
Your strength of arms comes from your mighty heritage.
Prerequisites: Draconic Aura, BAB +4
Benefits: The benefits that you gain from your Draconic Aura are doubled; in addition, you gain the Dragonblood subtype if you did not have it already.

1

Pause for Breath is Fighter time stop, split up into 5 feats, each of which are damn useful by themselves.

[Amechra]

Human Shield [Fighter]
It's your job to get in the way of everything from axes to arrow to acid arrows.
Prerequisites: Con 13
Benefit: Whenever you Fight Defensively or take the Total Defense action, you may grant the bonus to AC to a creature within your reach instead of yourself; this creature is referred to as your Charge. They benefit from the bonus to AC even if they are flat-footed or otherwise deprived of their Dexterity bonus to AC.

Peerless Guardian [Fighter]
It really is rather effortless for you to keep another person safe.
Prerequisites: Con 13, Human Shield
Benefit: While you are Fighting Defensively and using Human Shield, your penalty to attack rolls is reduced by 1 and the bonus to AC granted to your ally increases by 1. In addition, whenever you use Human Shield, your ally gains a Circumstance bonus to Reflex saves equal to half the Dodge bonus to AC granted by that feat.

Wreath of Blades [Fighter]
Anyone who wants to harm your charge does so over your cold, dead body.
Prerequisites: Human Shield, Con 13
Benefit: While you are Fighting Defensively and using Human Shield, your penalty to attack rolls is reduced by 1 and the bonus to AC granted to your ally increases by 1. In addition, attacking your Charge provokes an attack of opportunity from you.

Guardsman's Fury [Fighter]
Anyone who thinks of hurting your charge is in for a world of hurt.
Prerequisites: Con 15, Str 15, Power Attack, Wreath of Blades
Benefit: While you are Fighting Defensively and using Human Shield, your penalty to attack rolls is reduced by 1 and the bonus to AC granted to your ally increases by 1. In addition, whenever you attack a creature that has attacked your Charge within the last round, you deal additional damage equal to twice the AC bonus you granted to your Charge.

Defending the Shield Wall [Fighter]
You can guard an entire platoon of allies.
Prerequisites: Shield Wall, BAB +4
Benefits: While you are Fighting Defensively and using Human Shield, your penalty to attack rolls is reduced by 1 and the bonus to AC granted to your ally increases by 1. In addition, you may apply the benefits of Human Shield to up to two allies; doing so increases your penalty to attack rolls by 2.
At BAB +8, and every +4 to BAB thereafter, you may extend the benefits of Human Shield to an additional ally; each additional ally after the second increases your penalty to attack rolls by 2.

Tactical Acumen [Fighter]
You capitalize on any advantages you can.
Prerequisites: Bab +1, Int 13
Benefit: When calculating your attack bonus and AC, increase any bonuses from favorable conditions by 1, and reduce all penalties from unfavorable situations by 1. When calculating another creatures attack bonus on an attack against you, or their AC against an attack from you, reduce any bonuses from favorable conditions by 1, and increase all penalties from unfavorable situations by 1.

--------------------------------------------------------

Tactical Acumen is kinda... OK, an example:

You are standing on higher ground and your opponent happens to be prone. You make a melee attack against them.

Normally, you'd get a +1 bonus to your attack rolls due to being on higher ground and they'd get a -4 to their AC due to being Prone, with a net +5 bonus to your attack roll. With Tactical Acumen, they would be taking a -5 penalty to AC, and you'd get a +2 to your attack rolls.

If the positions were reversed, you'd take a -3 penalty to AC and they would not get a bonus on their attack rolls against you.

Most of the time, its going to be a circumstancial +2 to AC or attack rolls, which I'm perfectly fine with. If you are Flanking a character, are standing on higher ground, and they are blinded, I say you should enjoy your +3 to attack rolls.

[JKTrickster]

For Defending the Shield Wall - shouldn't it also have Human Shield as a prerequisite? :smallconfused:

[Lappy9001]

Time to return some of that critique :smallwink:

Slicing Strike is really handy. Plus the Iajutsu Focus and Sprint Attack pre-reqs. I suppose it's technically a little powerful, but I'd argue feats should be like this.

Lightning Stride is amazingly badass, and you sheathe your weapon for added cool points :smallcool:

Should Heart of the Razor be bolded?

Rushing River Blade, helping to cut down on the skill costs in addition to the feat ones. This is an extremely useful feat tree! I'd make a build of of this in a heartbeat.

Bard goodies too? Wee :smallbiggrin:

Choral Razor Cantata is sort of strange, although I get what you're going for. Kind of an awkward run on sentence, but again, I get the gist of it. Also has a typo for 'regardless'.

Understanding Through Violence is pretty great :smalltongue:

Imposter-Revealing Strike has some more awkward wording, but is undeniably cool.

Reading Light Caresses might cause some arguments about 'skin to skin contact', but I don't think that's really something you can prevent. Just something to keep in mind.

This is an amazing group of feats that may benefit from violently punching someone to give them a morale boost or cure a status effect (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAsEriEiIsA) :smalltongue:

But seriously, good work!