The Swordmaster: Advanced and Fluid Martial Combat!

[Scowling Dragon]

Anybody know about the Swordmaster? (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/107865/Swordmaster)

Its a more advanced martial class thats based around combo moves you can do with special attacks called Sword Arts. You also get a magic blade that becomes more powerful as it eats magic but thats the less interesting part.

Anybody checked it out before? Its a pretty fantastic way to make martial combat more interesting!

How it works is that attacks are separated into three parts. The opener, middle and Finisher.

So as an example as a move action you set up your opponent with a feint, which allows you to deal dex damage with your middle, which finally allows you to finish with an attack that deals double dex damage to the target. And thats what you get at level 1!

I think this is the example of stuff that people want for more advanced martial combat.

Check it out!

[EugeneVoid]

Mfw 5 bucks for a prestige class. I think this is the wrong place to post this. Maybe homebrew section?

[Roadie]

At a glance, this just doesn't interest me that much. I don't see how it really helps with the important part of martial power level issues (e.g. things that aren't just damage or combat maneuvers), and I don't feel like ponying up $5 for material from a company I know nothing about just to see if my suspicions are correct. Sorry.

[Scowling Dragon]

This isn't my product. I just hear so much complaining about how boring Martial characters are, and how all attacking is just "I hit" I thought people would be exited by a more dynamic attack system.

[Vhaidara]

Hang on. The op sounded like it was a base class. If it's a prc, I have no interest in it. This isn't something that should be delayed until level 6. What, you spend a quarter of your career fighting in a style you don't plan on continuing?

Also, wish it was on the srd so I could get a sample before deciding to support.

[Oberon Kenobi]

The product page describes it as a base class, and the preview (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/download_preview.php?pid=107865) on the product page confirms that.

Separating attacks into three parts sounds intriguing. I'm not playing (certainly not running) enough Pathfinder to justify another sourcebook, but $5 for a whole new combat system sounds like a reasonable purchase to me. I wonder if you could tease the sword arts out into a universal system, so you could use it with other martial classes. If there's enough meat to it, that could be very interesting; I'd like to see a system that's more interesting than base while being easier to dole out than martial maneuvers.

I agree that I would like more of a window into what to expect. The preview doesn't offer much insight; the only three arts listed basically boil down to a feint, standard attack action and full attack.

[Scowling Dragon]

Its a full class

Here is the preview of it (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/download_preview.php?pid=107865)

The basic example they give would be:

As a move action you feint a creature, and follow it up with a Incisive strike which applies your dex damage on your next strike.

You may repeatedly attack then with Incisive strikes (Or feints if you so wish) or you can end the combo with a Deadly Arc which applies twice your Dexterity to your attack.

Thats a basic example. A more advanced one would for example be:

You use Invite Opening, which forces a creature to attack you with an AOO, and if it misses you can continue with a combo. This allows your Wizard pal to slink away, after which you follow it up with a Shallow cut attack, which forces the target to move away, but also grant you a +4 bonus to hit the target and avoid the target, and you end it with a Dance of Flame which is a Full attack action with each hit granting a cumulative +2 bonus to melee damage rolls until the end of my turn which because of the set up hits more often and sets up more damage.

Edit:

And no, your not more powerful. If you want Damage Dealing power take the Martial Maneuvers from the Path of War or the like.

But what I always disliked it how they still where just a different flavor of Spell. Spells Stapled into attacks. "Attack and Heal", "Attack and Summon an Elemental" "Attack and Do a fireball". This system just feels better to me in a sense.

[Oberon Kenobi]

Martial maneuvers aren't all crazy magical stuff; most of the disciplines are actually pretty... well, not mundane, because bodily throwing a tyrannosaur or using your shield as a weapon like Captain America are too cool to be called mundane, but I wouldn't call them magic-by-another-name.

Back on-topic, I picked up the class instead of going to Dairy Queen. I'll give it a read, see if I can find a game to play it in before extracting it into general martial usage.

Also I lied, I'm still gonna go to Dairy Queen.

[Scowling Dragon]

I found that personally the amount of effects that felt truly different to me as opposed to just "Do an Attack-Your attack gains + _D6 damage and +_ to your ____" where too small and so it wasn't to my taste.

My taste, and thats all it is.

I do wish the Swordmaster related stuff got expansions and support for different variations. Which is why Im putting the word out.

[Vhaidara]

Check out Iron Tortoise for things you should be able to do anyways (I block it with my shield)

To be honest, I wouldn't get too many hopes up for more from the company. The book is over 2 years old and the class is so obscure it never reached the PFSRD.

[Oberon Kenobi]

Yeah... And it looks like the company hasn't tweeted anything in over two years either.

That's the indie scene, man. Darn shame.

[Totema]

Anything that uses its own unique action structure automatically gets a leery eye from me. :smallconfused:

[Scowling Dragon]

Well I guess the company is dead. Damn Shame.

[Scowling Dragon]

So Dreadfox Became Forest Guardian press?

[Ssalarn]

So Dreadfox Became Forest Guardian press?


I thought so, but a quick inquiry to someone who would know betyer than I indicates I was wrong. So.... Dreadfox may in fact be dead and the only thing the two companies had in common was some shared freelancers ;P

My bad.

Still, the Swordmaster is a pretty slick base class. I like it for its balance, theme, and mechanics, though it may feel a bit under-tuned if you're already using Path of War for your martials.

[Oberon Kenobi]

Anything that uses its own unique action structure automatically gets a leery eye from me. :smallconfused:Reading over it, I wouldn't really say that it has a unique action structure; it just gives you more things to do with the actions you have, and those things are designed to combo well together.

E.g., Feinting as a move action as an opener, making an attack as a standard action as a sequitor, then making a full attack for double damage in the following round as a finisher doesn't strike me as any inherently weirder than feinting, tripping an opponent and then taking the AoO when they stand up with the base rules.

More I look at it, I would pretty much definitely allow non-maneuver martial classes to take a new sword art whenever they level up. It's a cool idea, and gives you more interesting tactical options, which is something that those classes could definitely use more of.

And all the rules text is OGL, too. Hmm.