Jeering Monkey (mobility themed discipline)

[Zaydos]

The Jeering Monkey

An old discipline, if never the most famous. Overlooked by Reshar as the domain of street urchins and pick pockets, the Jeering Monkey discipline lacks much of the offensive focus of other disciplines. Turning first towards mobility and speed, the Jeering Monkey discipline much like its name looks to monkeys for inspiration. Like these simians it emphasizes speed and mobility to avoid foes over meeting them head on, and its loping, often exaggerated movements are used to feint and confuse enemies to create the openings it needs when it does finally close in for combat.

Practitioners of the Jeering Monkey are swift and agile first. They move across the battlefield striking foes along their way when they don't escape the scene entirely. Much as Reshar suspected them as being pick pockets and nothing more, many of the practitioners of the Jeering Monkey use it for theft first and combat second. They wield simple weapons, those that they can hide easily, and those that can be passed off as tools as opposed to weapons. Much in keeping with their weapons Jeering Monkey practitioners do not stand atop the battlefield as a god, moving from war ground to war ground, instead they pass through the crowded streets as if merely another pedestrian.

Associated Skill: Sleight of Hand. Many Jeering Monkey practitioners also put a heavy emphasis on Jump.

Discipline Weapons: Club, Sap, Dagger, Quarterstaff, Sickle, Hand Axe, and Unarmed Strike.

Learning the Jeering Monkey Discipline: A Swordsage, Warblade, or Protean Hunter (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?306674-Morphic-Claw-%283-5-ToB-Base-Class-PEACH%29) may trade access to any one of their disciplines for Jeering Monkey style. If they do so they add Sleight of Hand to their class skill list and remove the associated skill of the lost discipline unless they have another discipline with that skill or it is Jump. A Wildwood Knight (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?401772-Wildwood-Knight-%28Fey-themed-martial-initiator-Base-Class-PEACH%29) may trade Diamond Mind or White Raven for access to the Jeering Monkey style, they do not lose the associated skill but must select Winter for their Seasonal Skill.

New Maneuver Type: Dash
A dash maneuver is used as a move action and includes some amount of movement. Actions which can normally be taken as part of a move action, such as drawing a weapon with BAB +1 or higher. If a check or ability requires moving at half or less speed it can be used as part of a dash if you move no more than that proportion of the movement granted by the dash maneuver.

Edit: It has been brought to my attention that when people homebrewed move action maneuvers previously they were called Rushes. For all practical purposes the two should be considered the same thing.

Jeering Monkey Disciplines (overview)

Agile Dash: 1st, Dash. Ignore difficult terrain and move through magical impediments.
Piercing Feint: 1st, Strike. Sleight of Hand check adds damage.
Robber's Stance: 1st, Stance. Pick pockets as you hit people.
Quick Lope: 1st, Dash. Move double your speed.
Wall Slide: 1st, Counter. Slide down wall to slow your fall.
Disorienting Feint: 2nd, Counter. Replace AC with Sleight of Hand check.
Monkey Feint: 2nd, Strike. Deny target their Dexterity bonus.
Steal Weapon: 2nd, Strike. Disarm foe, and steal weapon.
Stumbling Dodge: 2nd, Counter. When missed move yourself and enemy.
Wall Runner: 2nd, Dash. Move up a wall.
Agile Riposte: 3rd, Counter. Attack target which missed you.
Double Strike: 3rd, Strike. Make 2 attacks as a standard action.
Monkey Dance: 3rd, Stance. Do not provoke attacks of opportunity with movement.
Scamper Stance: 3rd, Stance. Gain bonus to speed based on your IL.
Thieving Walk: 3rd, Dash. Move your speed and rob everyone you pass.
Dashing Strike: 4th, Strike. Move forward and strike an opponent gaining bonus damage based on your speed.
Monkey Roll: 4th, Counter. Gain bonus to AC and move away.
Spring Jump: 4th, Boost. Running jump as a swift action.
Baboon Rush: 5th, Strike. Move forward attacking every foe you pass by.
Vexing Flurry: 5th, Strike. Make a full attack with 2 extra attacks.
Weaving Dodge: 5th, Stance. Whenever an opponent misses you, you may take a 5-ft step.
Evasive Leap: 6th, Boost. Jump as an immediate action to get out of range of an attack or effect.
Monkey Hammer: 6th, Strike. Make 2 attacks, the first renders target flat-footed and gives a bonus to damage on the second.
Switching Blow: 6th, Strike. +4 to hit, +6d6 damage, switch position with target.
Free Run: 7th, Dash. Move 4 times your speed ignoring impediments.
Monkey King's Leap: 7th, Boost. Swift action triple length jump.
Darting Footwork: 8th, Stance. Make 2 extra 5-ft steps each round.
Supernal Theft: 8th, Counter. Steal magical effect which would affect you.
Monkey King's Dance: 9th, Strike. Move forward full attacking every foe you pass.



Jeering Monkey Feats:

Monkey Lope
You are capable of leveraging your speed on the battlefield to strike foes hard.
Prerequisites: One Jeering Monkey Dash.
Benefit: Whenever you use a Dash maneuver you gain a +1 bonus to hit and a +1 Dodge bonus to AC. If your BAB is +6 or higher these bonuses increase to +2, increasing again at +11 and +16 to +3 and +4 respectively.

Quick Dash:
You are capable of blazing your way across the battlefield at speeds to amaze foe and friend alike.
Prerequisites: 3 or more Jeering Monkey maneuvers, Monkey Lope.
Benefit: As long as you are in a Jeering Monkey stance you may use Dash maneuvers as swift actions or as move actions.

Monkey Canopy Dance [Tactical]:
The Jeering Monkey discipline was developed by pick pockets and thieves. It emphasizes using legerdemain and misdirection to turn your target's blind spots against it, using various methods to distract the target to leave them open, to retreat from combat, or to stay close regardless of how they try to flee.
Prerequisites: Monkey Lope, BAB +6, 2 Jeering Monkey maneuvers.
Benefit: The Monkey Canopy Dance feat grants three tactical options.
Disorienting Monkey Dance: To use this option you must begin your turn adjacent to a creature and then move at least 10-ft. On your next turn if you are adjacent to that creature you may make a DC 20 Sleight of Hand check as a free action. If you succeed that creature is flat-footed against your first attack this turn.
Thieving Magpie Vanish: To use this option you must successfully take an object from a creature with a Sleight of Hand check which goes unnoticed by them. That creature cannot see you until end of turn or you attack that creature.
Unseen Monkey Shadow: To use this option you must attack a creature that is denied its Dexterity bonus against you. Until the beginning of your next turn if that creature moves you may move up to your speed as an immediate action as long as you end your movement adjacent to them; this movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the creature you follow.

[Zaydos]

Jeering Monkey Maneuvers

Sorted by level and alphabetically.

1st Level Maneuvers

Agile Dash
Jeering Monkey (Dash)
Level: 1st
Initiation Action: Move.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
You weave and dodge, moving across the ground without being slowed no matter what stands in your way.
As part of this maneuver move up to your speed. You may ignore difficult terrain, including that terrain which would lower your speed to 1/4th or less. Even magical terrain which would normally set a fix limit to your speed (such as Solid Fog or Web) may be passed through at half speed.

Piercing Feint
Jeering Monkey (Strike)
Level: 1st
Initiation Action: Standard.
Range: Melee.
Targets: 1 creature.
You weave your weapon seeming to attack for a split second only to follow with your true attack a moment later.
When you use this maneuver make a Sleight of Hand check with a DC of the target’s AC. If you succeed you gain +1d6 damage on the attack made as part of this maneuver, if it fails you instead suffer a -2 penalty to your attack roll.

Robber’s Stance
Jeering Monkey (Stance)
Level: 1st
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Stance.
You have learned how to use your deft hands to filch from your foes even as you strike them down.
While in this stance whenever you strike a foe in melee within your natural reach and have a hand free (if using an unarmed strike it can be that hand) you may attempt a Sleight of Hand check to pick their pocket as a free action at no penalty.

Quick Lope
Jeering Monkey (Dash)
Level: 1st
Initiation Action: Move.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
You dash across the battlefield with surprising speed a sudden half sprint.
When you initiate this maneuver move up to twice your land speed, you may perform actions within this movement as if it were a normal move action (for example with BAB +1 you can draw a weapon as a free action). If an ability would require you to move at half speed or less treat it as half of this boosted speed.

Wall Slide
Jeering Monkey (Counter)
Level: 1st
Initiation Action: Counter.
Range: Personal.
Targets: You
Duration: 1 fall.
Falling you reach out slowing your fall by sliding down a nearby surface.
You may activate this maneuver whenever you would fall. If there is a wall or other vertical surface within your reach you fall slowly (as if with Feather Fall) for as long as that wall continues.

2nd Level Maneuvers

Disorienting Feint
Jeering Monkey (Counter)
Level: 2nd
Prerequisites: 1 Jeering Monkey maneuver.
Initiation Action: Counter.
Range: Personal.
Targets: You
You feign an attack to create an opening in which to dodge an attack coming towards you.
You may activate this maneuver in response to an attack that you are not denied your Dexterity modifier against. Make a Sleight of Hand check, if it is better than your AC you may replace your AC with its result against that attack.

Monkey Feint
Jeering Monkey (Strike)
Level: 2nd
Initiation Action: Standard.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
With carefully judged body movements and a hint of prestidigitation you deceive a target, striking hard in a momentary opening.
As part of this maneuver make a single melee attack, your target is denied their Dexterity bonus and any Dodge bonuses they possess against this attack.

Steal Weapon
Jeering Monkey (Strike)
Level: 2nd
Prerequisites: 1 Jeering Monkey maneuver.
Initiation Action: Standard.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
You strike your opponent in the hand forcing them to drop what they are holding.
As part of this maneuver make a single melee attack. If you hit you may immediately attempt to disarm the target. You ignore penalties and bonuses on either side for the number of hands used to wield you weapon and gain a +4 bonus on the check. If you succeed and have a hand free you can grasp whatever they dropped.

Stumbling Dodge
Jeering Monkey (Counter)
Level: 2nd
Prerequisites: 1 Jeering Monkey maneuver.
Initiation Action: Counter.
Range: Personal.
Targets: You
You dodge away, spinning from the attack in such a way as to cause your foe to stumble in their own overextension.
You may initiate this maneuver when a creature misses you with a melee attack. You may immediately move yourself and your attacker both 5-ft.This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity from each other.

Wall Runner
Jeering Monkey
Level: 2nd
Initiation Action: Move action.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
You combine speed with a trained eye, rushing up a wall as if it were a smooth floor.
As part of this maneuver you may move up to your speed and your speed is increased by 10-ft for this movement. As part of this movement you may move across angled ground or even a vertical surface as if it were flat, horizontal ground.

3rd Level Maneuvers

Agile Riposte
Jeering Monkey (Counter)
Level: 3rd
Prerequisites: 1 Jeering Monkey maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Immediate.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
Avoiding your foe’s attack you lash out striking back against them.
You may activate this maneuver in response to an attack missing you which you were not denied your Dexterity bonus against. When you use this maneuver you may immediately make a melee attack against the creature which missed you if they are inside your melee range.

Double Strike
Jeering Monkey (Strike)
Level: 3rd
Prerequisites: 1 Jeering Monkey maneuver.
Initiation Action: Standard.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
The monkey is quick, striking here and there. You are like the agile simian, and your strikes fall from both sides at once.
When you initiate this maneuver you may immediately make two attacks at your highest base attack bonus as the same standard action.

Monkey Dance
Jeering Monkey (Stance)
Level: 3rd
Prerequisites: 1 Jeering Monkey maneuver.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Stance.
Your every move is an elegant dance, weaving and dodging leaving no opening for even the cleverest blade.
While in this stance your movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity, even from creatures you are not aware of. If pitted against an ability that makes all movement provoke (such as Thicket of Blades) the two cancel each other out leaving the movement only provoking if it would normally.

Scamper Stance
Jeering Monkey (Stance)
Level: 3rd
Prerequisites: 1 Jeering Monkey maneuver.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Stance.
Your movements are swift, darting across the battlefield with a speed rarely rivaled.
While in this stance you gain a +10-ft enhancement bonus to your speed. This bonus increases by 10-ft for every 6 Initiator levels you possess.

Thieving Walk
Jeering Monkey (Dash)
Level: 3rd
Prerequisites: 1 Jeering Monkey maneuver
Initiation Action: Move.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Like an agile chimp you slip through throngs of foes, lifting their valuables from their bodies as you pass.
When you initiate this dash you may move up to your move speed. Whenever you pass within arms’ reach of a creature you may, if you have a free hand, attempt a sleight of hand check to pick that creature’s pocket as a free action. You suffer a -2 penalty to this check for each creature you have already attempted to pick the pocket of this way during this maneuver, and you may not attempt to pick the pocket of the same creature twice during one instance of this maneuver. Movement made as part of this maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

4th Level Maneuvers

Dashing Strike
Jeering Monkey (Strike)
Level: 4th
Prerequisites: 2 Jeering Monkey maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Standard.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
You rush forward, striking an opponent with the full power of your charge.
As part of this maneuver you may move up to your land speed and attack a single creature dealing +2 damage per 5-ft you moved this way. Movement made as part of this maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the target of this maneuver and if you moved at least 10-ft in a straight line immediately prior to the attack this attack counts as a charge.

Monkey Roll
Jeering Monkey (Counter)
Level: 4th
Prerequisites: 1 Jeering Monkey maneuver.
Initiation Action: Immediate action.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Instantaneous.
Poising for the oncoming attack you dodge by tumbling backwards and away.
When you activate this maneuver you gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against a single attack. After that attack is resolved you may move up to ½ your speed. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the assailant whose attack the maneuver was initiated in response to.

Spring Jump
Jeering Monkey (Boost)
Level: 4th
Prerequisites: 2 Jeering Monkey maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
You swiftly leap, using your simian agility to reposition yourself across the battlefield.
When you initiate this maneuver you may make a Jump check as a swift action, this Jump is always considered a running Jump and you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of Strength to determine your Jump modifier for this check.

5th Level Maneuvers

Baboon Rush
Jeering Monkey (Strike)
Level: 5th
Prerequisites: 2 Jeering Monkey maneuvers.
Initiation Action: 1 Full-Round Action.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
You rush forward like the savage baboon, striking out against one enemy after another as they pass through your range of fury.
As part of this maneuver you may move up to double your base land speed. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and you may make a single melee attack at your highest base attack bonus against each creature in your melee reach during any part of this movement (but only one attack per creature).

Vexing Flurry
Jeering Monkey (Strike)
Level: 5th
Prerequisites: 2 Jeering Monkey maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Full-round action.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
You strike furiously if randomly, battering down your opponent at every opportunity even the slightest of them.
When you initiate this maneuver you may make a full attack. You may make 2 additional attacks as part of this full attack each at your highest attack bonus but all attacks made as part of this full attack suffer a -2 penalty to hit.

Weaving Dodge
Jeering Monkey (Stance) [Cold]
Level: 5th
Prerequisites: 2 Jeering Monkey maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Stance.
You learn to use all your agility in combat, moving with the momentum of your dodges.
While in this stance whenever a melee attack misses you, and you were not denied your Dexterity bonus against that attack, you may move 5-ft. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the creature which missed you.

6th Level Maneuvers

Evasive Leap
Jeering Monkey (Counter)
Level: 6th
Prerequisites: 3 Jeering Monkey maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Immediate action.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Instantaneous.
Sensing danger you leap far, moving out of the range of the attack.
When you use this maneuver you make a Jump check as an immediate action. This jump is considered to be a running jump and you may use your Tumble modifier in place of your Jump modifier. If this maneuver is initiated in response to an attack or ability and your jump brings you out of its range it automatically misses.

Monkey Hammer
Jeering Monkey (Strike)
Level: 6th
Prerequisites: 3 Jeering Monkey maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
You strike the target twice in quick succession using the first attack to unbalance them so that the second can strike home.
When you use this maneuver make two melee attacks at your highest bonus against the same creature. If the first attack hits, the target is considered flat-footed against the second and takes +6d6 damage from it.

Switching Blow
Jeering Monkey (Strike)
Level: 6th
Prerequisites: 1 Jeering Monkey maneuver.
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
You lunge forward striking your opponent as you move and pushing them towards where you were before.
When you initiate this maneuver make a melee attack with a +4 bonus to hit and which deals +6d6 damage. If you hit you may switch places with your target, assuming there is space enough for both of you to move through (at different times), this movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

7th Level Maneuvers

Free Run
Jeering Monkey (Dash)
Level: 7th.
Prerequisites: 3 Jeering Monkey maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Move.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
For a moment you transcend mortal limits upon movement. You move with complete liberty, slipping across the battlefield with unrivaled speed and fluidity.
As part of this maneuver you may move up to 4 times your speed. You ignore difficult terrain, and may move upon any surface even if it could not support your weight, even including clouds and fog, regardless of angle or orientation. You must end your movement on a surface able to support your weight or else you suffer the effects of it being unable to support your weight. During this movement you never need to make balance checks and you may move through normally damaging terrain and environmental hazards (such as a wall of fire, or a series of caltrops) without suffering damage. This movement is made as if under Freedom of Movement, never provokes attacks of opportunity, and is absolutely quiet.

Monkey King’s Leap
Jeering Monkey (Boost)
Level: 7th
Prerequisites: 2 Jeering Monkey maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Like the legendary monkey king you vaunt the heavens leaping high and far.
When you initiate this maneuver you may make a Jump check as a swift action and you may move triple the normal distance, this Jump is always considered a running Jump and you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of Strength to determine your Jump modifier for this check.

8th Level Maneuvers

Darting Footwork
Jeering Monkey (Stance)
Level: 8th
Prerequisites: 3 Jeering Monkey maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Stance.
The essence of the Jeering Monkey is mobility, and you have mastered the most basic premises of mobility, taking many small movements that add up to a large one.
When you enter this stance you may take 2 additional 5-ft steps each round. These function as a normal 5-ft step, except that you may use them even if you have already moved in the round.

Supernal Theft
Jeering Monkey (Counter)
Level: 8th
Prerequisites: 4 Jeering Monkey maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Immediate action.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
You pluck the forces of magic from the air around you, stealing them and releasing them back on their source.
You may only use this maneuver when you are targeted by or included within the area of a supernatural ability, spell, psionic power, spell-like ability, or similar. Make a Sleight of Hand check against a DC of 10 + CL of the spell or spell-like ability or against a DC 10 + the CR of a creature using a Supernatural ability. If you succeed you negate that effect and can, as a free action at the beginning of your next turn, use it yourself. If it is a continuous effect (such as a gaze attack or fear aura) it is suppressed for 1 round and you gain it for 1 round.

This is a supernatural maneuver.

9th Level Maneuvers

Monkey King’s Dance
Jeering Monkey (Strike)
Level: 9th
Prerequisites: 4 Jeering Monkey maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Full-round action.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
You move across the battlefield as a bloody blur, raining devastation on all who oppose you.
As part of this maneuver you may move up to double your base land speed. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and you may make a full attack with melee attacks against each creature in your melee reach during any part of this movement (but only one full attack per creature).