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Zaydos
2015-03-07, 02:16 PM
The Way of the Darting Viper

Poisonous and quick the viper is one of nature's deadliest animals. Its powerful fangs sink into creatures and inject them with deadly poison. The martial discipline of the Darting Viper is similar in nature to the snakes they imitate, focusing on sudden strikes and crippling wounds. Where a master of Stone Dragon will lay a foe down with a single mighty blow, or at least try to, a follower of the Darting Serpent will inflict a strike to a vital point of the target disrupting their life flow so as to open them up to more and more powerful strikes in the future. Pioneered by hobgoblins, the Darting Viper is far from their most famous martial discipline, but its focus on anatomical knowledge and exploiting even the smallest opening is showing as to the nature of those who invented it.

Associated Skill: Heal. The Darting Viper relies heavily on striking vital points of its targets, disabling the body piece by piece and it uses an understanding of the way bodies work to enable these precise strikes.

Discipline Weapons: Unarmed Strike, Rapier, Shortsword, Nunchaku, Kusari-Gama, Spiked chain, Staff of Three Parts, Dagger, Kukri. Darting Viper weapons rely on speed and finesse over brute power, striking the precise point desired and nowhere else.

Gaining Access to Darting Viper: A character may trade access to Desert Wind, Setting Sun, Tiger Claw, or White Raven to gain access to Darting Viper. A class with native access to Protean Hunter or Feral Hunger may also trade access to those disciplines to gain access to Darting Viper.

Darting Viper Maneuvers:

Hamstringing Blow: 1st, Strike. Attack reduces target's speed for 1 minute.
Hemorrhaging Blow: 1st, Strike. Target bleeds, taking 1 damage/round for 1 minute.
Lunging Strike: 1st, Counter. Make attack of opportunity from 5-ft further.
Metabolic Control:1st, Stance. Gain bonus to Fort saves, increased versus poison, based on Heal ranks.
Deafening Blow: 2nd, Strike. +2d6 damage, deafens a creature momentarily and give it a penalty to Listen checks.
Exploit Opening: 2nd, Counter. Bonus damage and free Feint to Attack of Opportunity.
Nerve Stab: 2nd, Strike. +2d6 damage and target is wracked with pain.
Coiled Viper: 3rd, Stance. Use martial maneuvers as AoOs.
Muscle Tearing Strike: 3rd, Strike. +2d6 and 2 Strength damage.
Sickening Blow: 3rd, Strike. +2d6 damage, sicken foe.
Stopping Blow: 3rd, Strike. +2d6 damage and immobolize for 1 round on failed save.
Crippling Fang: 4th, Strike. Cripple target's ability to move freely (entangle) for 1 minute.
Qi Interrupting Technique: 4th, Strike. Attack inflict negative level.
Striking Viper: 4th, Boost. Gain +5-ft reach till next turn.
Vessel Bursting Blow: 4th, Strike. Attack deals 1d6 damage/round for 1 minute to target.
Serpent Dodge: 5th, Counter. Gain +4 AC, counterattack if they miss you.
Stomach Churning Strike: 5th, Strike. +4d6 damage and nauseate for 1 round.
Waiting Serpent: 5th, Stance. As long as you do not move, make attacks of opportunity against creatures entering your threat range and it is harder for foes to avoid AoOs for movement.
Disrupt the Heart: 6th, Strike. Attack deals 4 points of Con damage.
Muscle Rending Blows: 6th, Boost. Your melee attacks inflict strength damage for 1 round.
Sudden Strike: 6th, Counter. Make a melee attack or use a standard action strike.
Fatal Opening: 7th, Counter. Render target flat-footed against attack of opportunity and deal +8d6 damage.
Qi Burning Technique: 7th, Strike. Deal +4d6 damage and inflict 1d3 negative levels.
Body Freezing Strike: 8th, Strike. Deal +8d6 damage and target is stunned for 1 round.
Vicious Viper Stance: 8th, Stance. Attacks against you provoke AoOs.
Qi Destroying Blow: 9th, Stance. +6d6 damage and 2d4 negative levels.



Darting Viper Feats

Viper's Fang:
You capitalize on any moment of weakness, striking hard and unexpectedly against foes who leave themselves open in the slightest.
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes, Darting Viper maneuver.
Benefit: While wielding a Darting Viper weapon or in a Darting Viper stance you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls for attacks of opportunity and add your Dexterity modifier (if positive) as a bonus to damage with attacks of opportunity.

Viper's Precision
Your knowledge of anatomy extends beyond the minimum necessary to perform the attacks in the way of the Darting Viper allowing you to capitalize on it to make them even more crippling.
Prerequisite: Heal 8 ranks, 1 Darting Viper maneuver.
Benefit: Darting Viper maneuvers you use have their save DCs increased by 2. In addition for every 3 ranks in Heal beyond 8 you possess they gain an additional +1 to their save DC up to +1 per level below the highest level maneuver you have available it is (for example if you had 23 ranks in Heal and access to 9th level maneuvers your 4th level or lower Darting Viper maneuvers would gain +7 to their save DCs, while those above 4th level would gain 1 less per level above to a minimum of +2 for level 9 maneuvers; if instead you had 11 ranks all maneuvers level 8 or lower would gain +3 and level 9 merely +2).

Viper's Venom [Tactical]
The Darting Viper is a style of patiently biding one's time followed by a flurry of activity in which you strike fast and hard against opponents. As a skilled practitioner you have learned how to conserve and concentrate your power to trap your prey with a flurry of devastating strikes.
Prerequisites: Viper's Fang, BAB +6, 2 Darting Viper maneuvers.
Benefit: The Viper's Venom feat enables the use of three tactical options.
Watching Serpent Seizes Prey To use this option you must spend a move action to do nothing. On your next turn you must charge an opponent. For 1 round any attack or movement from that target, including 5-ft steps and the withdraw action, provokes attacks of opportunity from you.
Conserve Venom To use this option you must refrain from taking one or more attacks of opportunity against a single opponent. On your next turn your first attack against that opponent gains a +2 bonus to hit and deals 2 points of Strength damage in addition to its normal damage for each attack of opportunity you forewent against them.
Strike the Enfeebled Prey To use this option you must deal ability damage to a target with a melee attack or strike, or through poison delivered with one. On your next turn you gain a +4 bonus to hit and a +4 bonus on opposed Strength and Dexterity rolls against that opponent.

Zaydos
2015-03-07, 02:18 PM
Darting Viper Maneuvers

Sorted by level and alphabetically.

1st Level Maneuvers

Hamstringing Blow
Darting Viper (Strike)
Level: 1st
Initiation Action: Standard.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
Duration: 1 minute.
Saving Throw: Fort negates.
Your strike cripples the target’s leg reducing it to a hobble.
As part of this martial maneuver make a melee attack. If you hit you deal normal damage and the target must make a Fortitude save or have their land speed reduced to ½ for 1 minute. This maneuver may affect creatures without Constitution scores, but legless creatures, or those with more than 8 legs, are immune.

Hemorrhaging Blow
Darting Viper (Strike)
Level: 1st
Initiation Action: Standard.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
Duration: 1 minute.
You strike your foe causing their body to rupture internally.
When you initiate this maneuver make a single melee attack. If the attack hits in addition to its normal damage the target, if they are a living non-amorphous creature, takes 1 damage a round for 1 minute.

Lunging Strike
Darting Viper (Counter)
Level: 1st
Initiation Action: Immediate.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Until next turn or attack.
A viper waits coiled and readied before lunging forward to strike its foe unaware. Like the viper, a practitioner of the way of the Darting Viper waits for an opening and then strikes at their foe from a surprising distance.
Your melee reach increases by 5-ft for the purposes of attacks of opportunity until the start of your next turn or you make an attack. This reach increase is not doubled by reach weapons and does not stack with other Darting Viper maneuvers.

Metabolic Control
Darting Viper (Stance)
Level: 1st
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Stance.
Your body is the tool of your mind. Your knowledge and control of your own body allows you to hold back a variety of horrors that may befall your body and even control the flow of your blood and produce antitoxins.
While in this stance you gain a competence bonus on Fortitude saves based upon your ranks in the Heal skill as shown in the table below. This bonus is increased against poison, becoming total immunity at 15 ranks.

Heal RanksFort bonusBonus against Poison
4-6 ranks+1+4
7-10 ranks+2+6
11-14 ranks+2+8
15+ ranks+3Immunity

2nd Level Maneuvers

Deafening Blow
Darting Viper (Strike)
Level: 2nd
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
Duration: 1 minute.
Saving Throw: Fort partial.
You strike your foe in the head the blow jarring their ear leaving a loud ringing in their head.
This attack deals +2d6 damage and the target must make a Fortitude save (DC 12 + Int). On a failure they are deafened for 1 round and suffer a -4 penalty to Listen checks for 1 minute. On a success they merely suffer a -4 penalty to Listen checks for 1 round.

Exploit Opening
Darting Viper (Counter)
Level: 2nd
Initiation Action: Immediate action.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Start of turn or until expended.
Like a lurking viper you strike out against your foes, striking hard with even the least opening.
Your next attack of opportunity made before the start of your next turn deals +2d6 damage and you may make a feint attempt to render the target flat-footed against the attack.

Nerve Stab
Darting Viper (Strike)
Level: 2nd
Prerequisites: 1 Darting Viper maneuver
Initiation Action: Standard.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
Duration: 1 round.
Your strike is calculated to cause excruciating pain in the target, momentarily driving them to distraction.
This attack deals +2d6 damage and if damaged by it the target suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls for one round and must make a Concentration check to perform anything that requires Concentration (DC 15 + ½ damage dealt by this attack + Spell level or equivalent as appropriate) due to the agonizing pain. Non-living creatures still take the extra damage from this attack but do not suffer the effects of agonizing pain.

3rd Level Maneuvers

Muscle Tearing Strike
Darting Viper (Strike)
Level: 3rd
Prerequisites: 1 Darting Viper maneuver.
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Targets: 1 creature.
Your weapon strikes into your target, tearing at their musculature, ripping through it like so many spider webs
As part of this maneuver make a melee attack. This attack deals +2d6 damage and 2 points of Strength damage.

Sickening Blow
Darting Viper (Strike)
Level: 3rd
Prerequisites: 1 Darting Viper maneuver.
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Targets: 1 creature.
Duration: 1 round.
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates.
You strike your target in such a way to cause a wave of disruptive Ki to flow through their body, temporarily weakening them.
As part of this maneuver make a melee attack. The target of this attack must make a Fortitude save (DC 13 + Int) or be sickened for 1 minute, even on a success they are sickened for 1 round.

Stopping Blow
Darting Viper (Strike)
Level: 3rd
Prerequisites: 1 Darting Viper maneuver.
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Targets: 1 creature.
Duration: 1 round.
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial.
You strike your target in a pressure point partially immobilizing their body, preventing them from moving easily.
As part of this maneuver make a melee. This attack deals +2d6 damage, and must make a Fortitude save (DC 13 + Int) or be immobilized (speed reduced to 0) for 1 round.

Weaving Viper
Darting Viper (Stance)
Level: 3rd
Prerequisites: 1 Darting Viper maneuver.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Stance.
The Darting Viper teaches its practitioners to slowly wear down a foe, whittling away at them piece by piece. To do that they must be able to avoid the blows of their enemies and like the serpent they weave to and fro to dodge and avoid their strikes.
While in this stance you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC.

4th Level Maneuvers

Crippling Fang
Darting Viper (Strike)
Level: 4th
Prerequisites: 1 Darting Viper maneuver.
Initiation Action: Standard Action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
Duration: 1 minute.
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial.
You strike your foe freezing its pressure point, leaving their movements awkward and wracked with occasional spasms temporarily.
When you initiate this maneuver make a single melee attack. If the attack hits in addition to its normal damage the target, if they are a living non-amorphous creature, they must make a Fort save (DC 14 + Int) or be entangled for 1 minute. Even on a successful save they are entangled for 1 round.

Qi Interrupting Technique
Darting Viper (Counter)
Level: 4th
Prerequisites: 1 Darting Viper maneuver.
Initiation Action: Standard Action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
Duration: 1 minute.
All animate creatures have some form of animating force which flows through them and allows them to move. You strike in such a way as to interrupt and impede it’s flow.
When you initiate this maneuver make a single melee attack. If the attack hits in addition to its normal damage the target the target suffers 1 negative level. This negative level lasts for only 1 minute before fading away and never becomes permanent level loss. This negative level is not the result of negative energy or similar and may affect Undead and Constructs as well as creatures protected by effects such as Death Ward.

Striking Viper
Darting Viper (Boost)
Level: 4th
Prerequisites: 1 Darting Viper maneuve.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Start of turn.
Resting on your heels you rock back and forth lunging and springing to strike at creatures from surprising distances.
Your reach increases by 5-ft until the start of your next turn. This reach increase does not double with reach weapons and does not stack with other Darting Viper maneuvers.

Vessel Bursting Blow
Darting Viper (Strike)
Level: 4th
Prerequisites: 1 Darting Viper maneuver.
Initiation Action: Standard Action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
Duration: 1 minute.
Your blow causes disruptions throughout the flow of vital fluids through your target, rupturing internal passages and organs.
When you initiate this maneuver make a single melee attack. If the attack hits in addition to its normal damage the target, if they are a living non-amorphous creature, takes 1 damage a round for 1 minute.

5th Level Maneuvers

Serpent Dodge
Darting Viper (Counter)
Level: 5th
Prerequisites: 2 Darting Viper maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Immediate action.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Instantaneous.
The snake weaves to the side to avoid its foe even as it strikes. In emulation you have learned to use the momentum of your dodge to launch your own attack against a foe.
When you activate this maneuver you gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against a single attack. If that attack misses you may make a single melee attack against your attacker if they are within range.

Stomach Churning Strike
Darting Viper (Strike)
Level: 5th
Prerequisites: 2 Darting Viper maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
Saving Throw: Fort partial.
You strike your foe disrupting their Ki in such a way as to cause it to flow against itself nauseating them.
As part of this maneuver make a charge attack. If you hit your target you deal +4d6 damage and they must make a Fortitude save (DC 15 + Int) or be nauseated for 1 round.

Waiting Serpent
Darting Viper (Stance)
Level: 5th
Prerequisites: 2 Darting Viper maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Stance.
Sitting coiled, the serpent is careful and watches every movement of its foes, exploiting the least opening. Like the serpent you steady yourself in place, ready to strike down your foe from your chosen ground.
While in this stance as long as you have not moved more than 5-ft since the start of your last turn movement into a square you threaten provokes attacks of opportunity if the movement would provoke attacks of opportunity, as do 5-ft steps and withdraw actions. In addition, as long as you have not moved more than 5-ft since the start of your last turn, checks made to tumble past you have their DC increased by ½ your initiator level.

6th Level Maneuvers

Disrupt the Heart
Darting Viper (Strike)
Level: 6th
Prerequisites: 3 Darting Viper maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
You strike your foe in such a way as to momentarily send the flow of vital energy through their body into chaos. In most creatures this means stopping part of their heart but not the rest inducing a minor heart-attack.
When you use this maneuver make a melee attack. In addition to the normal damage of the attack the target suffers 4 Constitution damage.

Muscle Rending Blows
Darting Viper (Boost)
Level: 6th
Prerequisites: 2 Darting Viper maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: 1 round.
Your blows strike and rend at your foes’ muscles, shredding them with every strike.
For the duration of this maneuver your melee attacks deal 1 point of Strength damage.

Sudden Strike
Darting Viper (Counter)
Level: 6th
Prerequisites: 2 Darting Viper maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Immediate action.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Like the serpent you strike when it is not expected, a crippling blow against an unsuspecting enemy.
When you use this maneuver you may immediately make an attack action or use a standard action strike (if you do so the strike is expended).

7th Level Maneuvers

Fatal Opening
Darting Viper (Counter)
Level: 7th
Prerequisites: 3 Darting Viper maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Immediate action.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Start of turn or until expended.
The viper does not perform minor strikes at small openings, but in even the smallest opening performs fatal blows.
Your next attack of opportunity made before the start of your next turn deals +8d6 damage and treats the target as flat-footed.


Qi Burning Technique
Darting Viper (Strike)
Level: 7th
Prerequisites: 2 Darting Viper maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Standard Action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
Duration: 10 minutes.
Your blow causes the animating energies of the target to burn away, leaving them temporarily weakened.
When you initiate this maneuver make a single melee attack. If the attack hits it deals +4d6 damage and the target the target suffers 1d4 negative levels. This negative level lasts for only 1 minute before fading away and never becomes permanent level loss. This negative level is not the result of negative energy or similar and may affect Undead and Constructs as well as creatures protected by effects such as Death Ward.

8th Level Maneuvers

Body Freezing Strike
Darting Viper (Strike)
Level: 8th
Prerequisites: 3 Darting Viper maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Standard action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
You strike straight at the heart of your foe, your blow spreading pain and crippling numbness through them for a matter of moments.
As part of this maneuver make a melee attack. This attack deals +8d6 damage, and must make a Fortitude save (DC 18 + Int) or be stunned for 1 round.

Coiled Viper
Darting Viper (Stance)
Level: 8th
Prerequisites: 3 Darting Viper maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Swift.
Range: Personal.
Target: You.
Duration: Stance.
A serpent strikes hard and suddenly at even small openings. The Darting Viper teaches its practitioners to strike like the serpent, bringing forth vicious blows at the smallest opening of an opponent.
While in this stance you may use strikes with an initiation action of 1 standard action as attacks of opportunity.

9th Level Maneuvers

Qi Destroying Blow
Darting Viper (Strike)
Level: 9th
Prerequisites: 4 Darting Viper maneuvers.
Initiation Action: Standard Action.
Range: Melee attack.
Target: 1 creature.
Your blow causes the animating energies of the target to boil chaotically, their own life force turning against themselves.
When you initiate this maneuver make a single melee attack. If the attack hits it deals +6d6 damage and the target the target suffers 2d4 negative levels. The save to prevent these negative levels from becoming permanent level loss is DC 19 + your Int modifier. This negative level is not the result of negative energy or similar and may affect Undead and Constructs as well as creatures protected by effects such as Death Ward. Any creature killed by this maneuver is difficult to raise as its life force has been burnt away, and requires a True Resurrection, Wish, or Miracle spell to revive.

Tvtyrant
2015-03-10, 02:13 PM
Qi Destroying Strike and Qi burning strike seem redundant. Maybe if tge opponent dies to Qi burning they come back as a zombie under your control or something? They just need a little differentation.

Zaydos
2015-03-10, 05:29 PM
Qi Destroying Strike and Qi burning strike seem redundant. Maybe if tge opponent dies to Qi burning they come back as a zombie under your control or something? They just need a little differentation.

I like the idea, but doesn't work with the "destroy their animating essence" as opposed to negative energy based negative levels. I upped Qi Burning to 1d4 to make it better in comparison to the 4th level one, and made it so Qi Destroying prevented Resurrection requiring True Resurrection, Wish, or Miracle if it killed you. This also serves to incentivize using the 7th level one first which fits with the wearing down style. Really the purpose of having them both was so that you could use one then the other without refreshing maneuvers inflicting ~7.5 negative levels to a target if that was what you wanted.

I still like the zombie idea.