PairO'Dice Lost
2008-12-04, 01:33 AM
For my first homebrew contribution to the GitP boards, I believe a rather diabolical discipline is appropriate. Thus, I present the Ninefold Damnation, signature discipline for crusaders of the Nine Hells of Baator.
A few notes:
First, one of the higher-level stances makes use of the half-axiom template. No, you didn't miss it in one of the books; I was upset that there were half-celestials and half-fiends but no lawful or chaotic versions, so I made my own "half-axiom" and "half-anarch". Critique as you will; the template appears after the maneuvers list.
Second, instead of regular descriptive text, the flavor for the maneuvers are paraphrased quotations from Manual of the Planes and Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells. No particular reason; I just felt that it would be "cool" and that it could describe some things better than I could. If anything looks weird, or their are names you haven't seen before, chances are good that it's from FC2.
All feedback is appreciated. Without further ado....
Ninefold Damnation
The Nine Hells of Baator—five words that strike fear into the heart of every champion of morality and freedom. The discipline of Ninefold Damnation is the path of the Sublime Way invented by infernal martial adepts, drawing on the power of the Nine Hells of Baator and their inhabitants. Many of its maneuvers emphasize the similarity of its practitioners to devils—granting signature devil abilities or abilities of law and evil—while others emphasize the different layers of Baator and their archdukes.
The weapons associated with the Ninefold Damnation discipline are the glaive, whip, spiked chain, and claw, signature weapons of the barbazu, erinyes, kyton, and pit fiend, respectively. The key skill for Ninefold Damnation is Intimidate.
Ninefold Damnation Maneuver List
1st Level
Strike Strike of Avernus Deal extra piercing damage, and fire damage in an area.
Boost Bel’s Fury Gain bonuses versus good and chaotic creatures.
Counter Call of the Damned Inflict fear on opponents.
Stance Favor of the Dark Eight Gain one of eight possible benefits, determined each round.
2nd Level
Strike Tower of Dis Gain defense bonuses while you attack.
Counter Dispater’s Contingencies Reroll a save or opponent’s attack roll, or gain a readied action.
Boost Faustian Bargain Gain combat benefits immediately in exchange for greater penalties later.
3rd Level
Strike Corrosion of Minauros Deal extra acid and cold damage and knock back enemies.
Counter Mammon’s Curse Make your attacker temporarily turn on their allies.
Boost Festering Corruption Your attacks deal lingering damage and possibly disease.
4th Level
Strike Magma of Phlegethos Launch an orb of magma at an enemy.
Boost Belial’s Sadism Gain progressive bonuses when attacking and inflict pain with your strikes.
Stance Channel the Baatezu Take on petitioner traits.
5th Level
Strike Mindhammer of Stygia Inflict feeblemindedness and cause your target to lose some of its memories.
Misc. Legions of Hell Summon a baatezu to aid you.
Boost Levistus’s Prison Gain formidable protection in exchange for movement.
6th Level
Strike Avalanche of Malbolge Crush and knock prone several opponents, leaving difficult terrain.
Counter Glasya’s Vengeance Mutilate and transform an opponent.
Misc. Traitor’s Reward Turn nearby ground into the remains of the Hag Countess.
7th Level
Strike Decay of Maladomini Inflict despair and sloth on opponents.
Boost Aura of Baalzebul Surround yourself with a cloud of insects.
Stance Infernal Form Gain fiendish or axiomatic traits.
8th Level
Strike Frostburn of Cania Deal extra cold damage and freeze your opponents.
Boost Mephistopheles’s Hellfire Add damage to attacks in exchange for Constitution damage
Stance Infernal Exemplar Gain half-fiend or half-axiom traits, plus vulnerability to good spells and items.
9th Level
Strike Endless Depths of Nessus Deal vile damage to an enemy and send them to Hell.
1st Level
Bel’s Fury
Ninefold Damnation (Boost) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 1
Prerequisite: Lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial or None; see text
“A realist at heart, Bel knows that demonkind is infinite, and at best he can hope to do no more than contain the tanar’ri. Despite his calm demeanor, however, he can display flashes of volcanic rage when he’s thwarted.”
Your melee attacks become particularly effective against chaotic and good creatures as Bel’s particular hatred of the tanar’ri and general hatred of celestials courses through you. If the target of your next melee attack is good, he takes an extra 1d6 damage and must make a Fortitude save (DC 11 + your Cha modifier) or be entangled for one round. If the target of your next melee attack is chaotic, he takes an extra 2d6 damage and must make a Fortitude save (DC 11 + your Cha modifier) or be immobilized for one round. If the target of your next melee attack is both chaotic and good, he takes an extra 3d6 damage and must make a Fortitude save (DC 11 + your Cha modifier) or be stunned for one round.
Call of the Damned
Ninefold Damnation (Counter) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 1
Prerequisites: Evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Will partial
“The Maggot Pit is the most famous of Baator’s many facilities for converting the souls of the damned into wretched lemures. This mammoth crater radiates an almost palpable sense of evil and destruction.”
You force your attacker to feel the terror and despair of damned souls; as he strikes, he senses the darkness within you. If an opponent successfully strikes you, you may initiate this maneuver to fill him with fear. He must make a Will save (DC 11 + your Cha modifier) or become frightened for one round; if he successfully saves against this maneuver, he is instead only shaken for one round.
Favor of the Dark Eight
Ninefold Damnation (Stance) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 1
Prerequisites: Lawful alignment or evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
“The cruelly magnificent pit fiends known as the Dark Eight are the main infernal generals in the Blood War. Each of these generals commands the forces contributed by one layer of the Nine Hells….The Dark Eight conceal the fact that members of the Eight die quite regularly as a result of internecine struggle.”
While in this stance, you enjoy the favor of one of the Dark Eight, as they lend combat prowess to a prospective ally in the Blood War; however, as they are competitive rivals rather than brothers-in-arms, the particular member of the Dark Eight alive at any given time to show you favor will vary. Each time you enter this stance, roll 1d8 to determine the benefits you gain:
Furcas grants you a +1 profane bonus on attack rolls.
Zaebos grants you a +1 profane bonus to AC.
Zimimar grants you a +1 profane bonus on initiative rolls.
Dagos grants you a +1 profane bonus on damage rolls
Corzin grants you a +1 profane bonus on Reflex saves
Zapan grants you 3 temporary hit points.
Pearza grants you SR 9.
Baalzephon grants you DR 2/good.
Strike of Avernus
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Fire]
Level: Crusader 1
Prerequisite: Lawful alignment or evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: Creature attacked
“Fireballs careen through the atmosphere of Avernus, randomly incinerating those who are not immune to their effects. Toothy mountains loom on every side, offering fatal obstacles to those unwise enough to scale them, and sharp edges of crystalline rock tear at flesh and clothing.”
Channeling the power of Avernus, your melee attack deals an extra 1d4 piercing damage. In addition, any enemies adjacent to the target take 1d6 fire damage.
2nd Level
Dispater’s Contingencies
Ninefold Damnation (Counter) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 2
Prerequisites: 1 Ninefold Damnation maneuver, lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous or 2 rounds; see text
“Dispater, the ruler of both the city and layer of Dis, is famous as the most cautious and calculating of the archdukes. The ease with which Glasya eliminated the ruler of another layer has the already cautious Dispater double-checking his escape routes and quadrupling his guard.”
You’ve learned from the master of backup plans that having nine contingencies for every situation is simply good tactics. You may initiate this maneuver for one of two benefits. Your first option it to initiate this maneuver to reroll a failed saving throw, skill check, or attack roll, taking the better of the two, or force an opponent to reroll a successful saving throw, skill check, or attack roll, taking the worse of the two. Alternately, you may initiate this maneuver to ready an action; this works like readying an action as normal, except that it does not consume a standard action to ready the action, and you do not need to specify the action you will take, only the condition(s) under which you will take the readied action. The readied action must be taken within two rounds or it is wasted.
Faustian Bargain
Ninefold Damnation (Boost) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 2
Prerequisites: 1 Ninefold Damnation maneuver, lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of encounter; see text
“In a Pact Insidious, a devil promises to provide certain benefits for a mortal signatory in exchange for specified reciprocal favors. A Pact Insidious allows a gullible mortal to believe he can gain the benefits of a flirtation with evil without suffering its consequences.”
You call out to infernal agents, promising them a portion or share of your soul in return for immediate aid. You may add a +9 profane bonus to any saving throw, skill check, initiative roll, or your AC for one round; however, each time you add the bonus, you gain one negative level immediately after the end of the encounter which persists for 8 hours, at which time you may make a DC 16 Fortitude save to remove it (it may not be magically removed before this time). If you accumulate negative levels sufficient to kill you, your soul goes to the Nine Hells and you may not be raised or resurrected unless you can persuade the devils to release you (see Fiendish Codex II, page 25).
Tower of Dis
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 2
Prerequisites: 1 Ninefold Damnation maneuver, lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 2 rounds
“The Archduke Dispater rules Dis from the Iron Tower, an impregnable fortress that reaches far into the sky and can be seen everywhere on this layer. Notorious for never venturing out of his fortress, Dispater sees only his most trusted advisors and issues commands through layers of intermediaries.”
Drawing confidence from your protector, you channel the strength and invulnerability of the Iron Tower to wade into combat without worrying about your opponents’ blows. When you initiate this maneuver, make a full attack; you gain a cumulative +1 profane bonus on attack and damage rolls for each previous melee attack you make during the duration of this maneuver. For each successful attack you make, including those made as part of the full attack, you gain a +3 profane bonus to AC and saves until the beginning of your second turn.
3rd Level
Corrosion of Minauros
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Acid] [Cold] [Air]
Level: Crusader 3
Prerequisites: 1 Ninefold Damnation maneuver, evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 15 feet
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half and Fortitude partial
“A constant oily, caustic rain pelts down on Minauros, pounding its black soil into a series of swamps, mires, and cesspools. The incessant rains are frequently augmented by skin-flaying hail, balls of polluted ice sometimes containing the still-sharp teeth of long departed devils, flung by perilous winds.”
You call down the foul rains and furious winds of Minauros on an enemy’s head, dealing 3d6 damage to one enemy within 15 feet. Half of the damage is acid damage and half is cold damage; your target may attempt a Reflex save (DC 13 + your Cha modifier) for half damage. In addition to the damage, your target must make a Fortitude save (DC 11 + your Cha modifier) or be flung 15 feet directly away from you. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Festering Corruption
Ninefold Damnation (Boost) [Law] [Evil] [Acid]
Level: Crusader 3
Prerequisites: 1 Ninefold Damnation maneuver, evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 3 rounds
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
“From the bubbling, unclean waters of Minauros issue stomach-turning stenches, each more foul than the last. The weapons of devils native to Minauros, forged in these poisonous fumes, deal festering wounds.”
You channel the putrid slime pools and disease-ridden filth of Minauros through your weapon. The targets of any melee attacks you make for three rounds are affected as if by the Infernal Wound ability of barbazu and cornugons: They lose 2 hit points per round, which resist being healed; the targets must be treated with a DC 16 Heal check, or must have a healing spell cast on them accompanied by a DC 16 caster level check, to stop the hemorrhaging. In addition, the target(s) must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 13 + your Cha modifier) or contract devil chills immediately (DC 14, damage 1d4 Str; they must succeed on 3 consecutive saves to recover).
Mammon’s Curse
Ninefold Damnation (Counter) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 3
Prerequisites: 1 Ninefold Damnation maneuver, evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 3 rounds
Saving Throw: Will negates
“Mammon is a two-faced, insecure, vindictive being, a turncoat’s turncoat. His gnawing need for absolute loyalty prompts him to surround himself with underlings.”
You gain some of Mammon’s persuasive nature, allowing you to coerce others to your point of view. If you are attacked in melee, you may initiate this maneuver to convince your attacker that he is wrong to attack you, and the two of you are actually the staunchest of allies. Unless he succeeds on a Will save (DC 13 + your Cha modifier), he does not follow through on his attack against you, regards you and your allies as his friends (as if charmed), and obeys your orders to the letter as if dominated, even attacking former allies. He obeys you for three rounds; after the end of his third turn, however, he realizes what he has done and, like Mammon, commits a second betrayal. He is freed from your influence and gains a +4 morale bonus on attack rolls against you for the duration of the encounter. Even if your attacker succeeds on his save, he must reroll his attack against you with a -2 penalty as he has momentary second thoughts about attacking someone as close to him as you are. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
4th Level
Belial’s Sadism
Ninefold Damnation (Boost) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 4
Prerequisites: 2 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 4 rounds
Saving Throw: Will partial
“Am ambitious schemer, Belial was demoted to unofficial ruler of Phlegethos after the Reckoning of Hell, though he remains the lord of pain and suffering.”
You learn from Belial the ways to inflict the most excruciating pain, and you find you enjoy doing so. Every time you make a successful melee attack, you gain a cumulative +1 bonus to attack or damage rolls (your choice with each attack) for the duration of this boost. In addition, unless they succeed on a Will save (DC 14 + your Cha modifier), the targets of your strikes are transfixed with pain and may only take a single move or standard action on their next turn. If they succeed, they are still racked with less intense pain, and must make a Concentration check (DC 14 + your Cha modifier) to cast spells or use spell-like abilities for the duration of this maneuver.
Channel the Baatezu
Ninefold Damnation (Stance) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 4
Prerequisites: 3 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful alignment or evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
“Evil, proud, ambitious souls, unconcerned with others and bereft of empathy, find their way to the Nine Hells. Most fiends inhabiting Baator are baatezu; because they come from such a regimented plane, all baatezu have a number of traits in common.”
Forging a connection between yourself and an infernal patron, you take on some of the traits common to all baatezu. You gain immunity to fire and poison, as well as resistance 20 to acid and cold damage. You also gain the ability to see perfectly in normal or magical darkness and the immunity to mind-affecting effects possessed by infernal petitioners. The vision in magical darkness granted by this stance is a supernatural ability.
Magma of Phlegethos
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Fire]
Level: Crusader 4
Prerequisites: 2 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful alignment or evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 30 feet
Area: Line
Duration: 4 rounds
Saving Throw: Reflex partial; see text
“In the layer of Phlegethos, the lakes and streams run with bubbling molten lava and jets of flame spout from a million fissures in the red-hot, crystalline earth; the streets of the cities of this layer are constructed inside active volcanoes.”
Drawing upon the volcanic wrath of Phlegethos, you launch a glob of magma in a 30-foot line against your enemies. The magma deals 4d6 fire damage to creatures in the line and 2d6 fire damage to creatures in spaces adjacent to the line (no save). The stream of magma is not the most dangerous part, however—at the end of the line, the magma pools into the last square in range, and any creatures passing through the square must make a Reflex save (DC 14 + your Cha modifier) or fall into the lava and be submerged in it for one round. The lava remains for four rounds before dissipating. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
5th Level
Legions of Hell
Ninefold Damnation [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 5
Prerequisites: 3 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action or 5 minutes
Range: 10 feet
Effect: 1 devil
Duration: End of encounter or 45 minutes; see text
“More informed mortals sometimes actively seek to enslave devils and use them as tools to serve their own ends. Perhaps initial attempts go well enough, emboldening the seeker to continue. But the deeper such an amateur goes, the greater the risk of attracting infernal attention, and the hubris of the act has a way of catching up with such mortals.”
Your dedication to the forces of order and corruption has gained you the assistance of the baatezu. You may initiate this maneuver in two ways. If you wish to initiate this in the midst of combat, you may simply cry out a supplication to the Lords of the Nine asking them to send you a servant and offering a part of your soul. This method takes a full-round action and calls a devil to serve you for the duration of the battle. The devil collects on your offer, dealing you two negative levels at the end of the encounter as it claims part of your soul; they persist for 8 hours, at which time you may make a DC 16 Fortitude save to remove them (they may not be magically removed before this time). You can drive a harder bargain given more time; if you spend five minutes bartering with a devil instead of a full-round action, the devil serves for 45 minutes but deals you three negative levels at the close of the contract, which may be removed as described above.
The summoned devil will obey general commands (such as “attack my enemies” or “fetch the treasure chest”) and will not attack you or anyone you designate as an ally, but otherwise it is free to act as it wishes. You may summon any devil in the following list, which appears in a square within 10 feet of you:
CR 1—Lemure
CR 2—Imp
CR 3—Nupperibo*
CR 4—Spinagon*
CR 5—Barbazu
CR 6—Kyton
CR 7—Excruciarch*
CR 8—Legion Devils (4)*
CR 9—Orthon*
* Fiendish Codex II
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Levistus’s Prison
Ninefold Damnation (Boost) [Law] [Evil] [Cold]
Level: Crusader 5
Prerequisites: 3 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful neutral/lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Area: 5 foot radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: 5 rounds
“Reviled and mocked by his fellow archdukes, Levistus rules his layer from a condition of humiliating imprisonment. Millennia ago, Asmodeus encased him inside the layer’s biggest glacier. Conscious but unable to act, Levistus wasted away for eons, until Asmodeus displaced Geryon, the formerly loyal ruler of Stygia, and handed the reins of power to Levistus.”
A tangible glacial chill surrounds and protects you as Levistus lends you the essence of his frosty prison. Initiating this boost grants several benefits. First, you gain a +5 deflection bonus to AC, DR 5/—, and an immunity to sneak attacks and critical hits. Secondly, your square and squares adjacent to you are covered in a silence effect, while you gain the ability to communicate telepathically to any creature within 25 feet with which you share a language. Finally, your attacks deal an extra 5 cold damage. However, your cold aura is as restrictive as it is empowering, just like the freezing prison of Levistus: While this boost is in effect, you may not move from your current square and automatically fail Reflex saves. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Mindhammer of Stygia
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Mind-affecting]
Level: Crusader 5
Prerequisites: 3 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful neutral/lawful evil/neutral evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Melee touch attack
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Until cured; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
“The River Styx bubbles with grease, foul flotsam, and the putrid remains of battles fought along its banks. Those who taste or touch its water suffer total forgetfulness.”
You draw power from the River Styx to rob your target of his memories. When you initiate this strike, make a melee touch attack against an adjacent creature. The creature must make a DC 17 Fortitude save or suffer the effects of a feeblemind spell, which lasts until cured. If your target succeeds on its save, it still suffers partial amnesia, losing its memories of the previous 8 hours. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
6th Level
Avalanche of Malbolge
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Earth]
Level: Crusader 6
Prerequisites: 4 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful neutral/lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Melee attacks
Target: One or more creatures
Saving Throw: Reflex partial
“Until recently, Malbolge was the hardest layer of Baator to traverse—a never-ending slope bouncing with eternally rolling boulders. One morning, the Hag Countess had just dodged an oncoming boulder when she collapsed to the eternal slope, shrieking in agony. Then the land, too, began to convulse with earthquakes, and the Hag Countess’s most loyal lieutenants were crushed by falling rocks.”
The essence of the last of Malbolge’s boulders is infused into your weapon, allowing you to make deadly, crushing strikes. As a full-round action, you make one melee attack at your highest base attack bonus against each opponent you threaten and end with a single powerful blow to the ground at your feet. Each creature you successfully strike takes an additional 6d6 bludgeoning damage, and must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 16 + your Cha modifier) or fall prone. Additionally, your square and all squares adjacent to it become difficult terrain.
Glasya’s Vengeance
Ninefold Damnation (Counter) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 6
Prerequisites: 4 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, neutral evil/lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Melee touch attack
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 6 rounds
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
“Through her transformation, the Hag Countess screamed and screamed, even after her death should have been a certainty. Then a golden litter floated up from the layers below; lounging on silken pillows was Glasya, the new ruler of Malbolge. When the Hag Countess’s chancellor, Axacrusis, dared to challenge the newcomer’s presence, Glasya demanded that it eviscerate itself.”
You mutilate any who would dare attack you, mimicking the torment Glasya inflicted upon the Hag Countess and Axacrusis. If you are struck in melee, you may initiate this maneuver and make a melee touch attack against your opponent. If you are successful, your opponent takes a cumulative -1 penalty each to Constitution and Charisma every round for six rounds as its flesh warps and its skeleton deforms. Your opponent may make a Fortitude save (DC 16 + your Cha modifier) each round to negate the Constitution damage that round, but it always takes the Charisma damage. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Traitor’s Reward
Ninefold Damnation [Law] [Evil] [Acid] [Death]
Level: Crusader 6
Prerequisites: 4 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Area: 60-foot-radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: 6 rounds
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
“The Hag Countess grew as large as a giant, then as big as a titan. Her ribs became a weird, arching pair of mountain ranges that encircled Malbolge, while her innards were buried beneath, forming a twisting maze of subterranean passageways.”
For a short time, you turn the surrounding earth into a patch of the Hag Countess’s remains. The area of ground within 60 feet of you begins to roil, dealing 1d6+4 acid damage to any creatures in the area at the beginning of your turn (no save). Also, each round, any creature in the area with a negative hit point total must make a DC 25 Fortitude save or die without possibility of raising or resurrection. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
7th Level
Aura of Baalzebul
Ninefold Damnation (Boost) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 7
Prerequisites: 4 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful neutral/lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Area: 10-foot-radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: 7 rounds
Saving Throw: Reflex half
“Next to Asmodeus, the most famous archduke is Baalzebul, widely reviled and celebrated as Lord of the Flies.”
You can surround yourself with a cloud of Baalzebul’s “subjects”: irritating, biting flies; the cloud extends out to a 10-foot radius around you and follows you as you move. You gain several benefits from this cloud. First, you gain concealment against melee attacks made by creatures within the cloud and a +7 deflection bonus to AC against ranged attacks. Secondly, any creature within the cloud must succeed on a Concentration check (DC 17 + your Cha modifier) to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability. Finally, any creatures within the swarm at the beginning of your turn take 1d6 piercing damage; the flies overcome damage reduction as if they were lawful- and evil-aligned. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Decay of Maladomini
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Mind-affecting]
Level: Crusader 7
Prerequisites: 4 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, neutral evil/lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 7 rounds
Saving Throw: Will partial and Fortitude partial; see text
“Crumbling cities dot the pitted expanses of Maladomini. Sludge-choked rivers wend their way past endless strip mines, and sentient chunks of polluted matter crawl up onto the riverbanks only to gasp and die upon inhaling the toxic air. Like a wounded beast clinging hopelessly to life, the layer constantly shudders, moans, and weeps a foul, black ichor.”
Like the inhabitants of the seventh layer, the target of your attack is struck by absolute despair at the hopelessness of life and is afflicted by the wretched decay of Maladomini. The target of your strike must succeed on a Will save (DC 17 + your Cha modifier) or take 7 points of Wis damage as their will to live seeps out of them, and must make a Fortitude save (DC 17 + your Cha modifier) or become nauseated.
Infernal Form
Ninefold Damnation (Stance) [Law] or [Evil] (see text)
Level: Crusader 7
Prerequisites: 4 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
“Fiendish creatures dwell on the lower planes, the realms of evil; they are more fearsome in appearance than their material counterparts. Axiomatic creatures dwell on planes of order, the realms of law; they are more perfectly formed than their material counterparts.”
You meditate on the ideals of Law and Evil, internalizing their principles; in a few moments, your features seem to be more refined and precise, or more frightening and terrible. While you are in this stance, you take on either the fiendish or the axiomatic template (your choice).
8th Level
Frostburn of Cania
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Cold]
Level: Crusader 8
Prerequisites: 5 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful neutral/lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 8 rounds
Saving Throw: Reflex partial
“Mile-thick glaciers grind across the forbidding landscape of Cania, and screaming snowstorms pelt the white expanse of wilderness. Dotted across the land like so many signposts are the half-buried, icy corpses of foolish intruders who thought they could survive Cania’s arctic rigors.”
You channel the essence of absolute cold into your weapon. When you initiate this maneuver, make a single melee attack, which deals an extra 8d6 cold damage. The target of your strike must then make a Reflex save (DC 18 + your Cha modifier) or take a -8 penalty to Dexterity for the duration of this maneuver as its skin becomes frostbitten and frozen. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Infernal Exemplar
Ninefold Damnation (Stance) [Law] or [Evil] (see text)
Level: Crusader 8
Prerequisites: 5 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
“No matter its form, a half-fiend is always hideous to behold, having dark scales, horns, glowing red eyes, bat wings, a fetid odor, or some other obvious sign that it is tainted with evil, and a half-axiom is always glorious to behold, having a metallic sheen, smooth lines, solid violet eyes, sail-like wings, an aura of calm, or some other obvious sign that it is infused with order.”
You meditate on the ideals of Law and Evil, internalizing their principles; in a few moments, you undergo a dramatic transformation, growing wings as your skin breaks out in either dark or silver scales and your eyes change color. While you are in this stance, you take on the half-fiend or half-axiom template (your choice; the half-axiom template can be found below the maneuver descriptions). However, your connection to Baator is tenuous, and if you take damage from a weapon that is chaos-aligned (if you have the half-axiom template) or good-aligned (if you have the half-fiend template), this stance ends immediately. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Mephistopheles’s Hellfire
Ninefold Damnation (Boost) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 8
Prerequisites: 5 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, neutral evil/lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 8 rounds
“Hellfire is the creation of the archduke of Cania. Hotter than the hottest flames of any world, hellfire burns with a white-hot glow and is capable of burning through even the hardest of substances.”
Your devotion to Mephistopheles persuades him to let you in on his secret hellfire project. At any time during the duration of this boost, you may choose to have an attack deal an extra 8d6 hellfire damage; however, each time you add hellfire to an attack, you take 1 point of Constitution damage that may not be healed until the duration of this maneuver expires. The hellfire damage ignores the hardness of any objects struck, even if the rest of the damage from the attack does not. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
9th Level
Endless Depths of Nessus
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Crusader 9
Prerequisites: 5 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates or None (see text)
“Upon reaching the plain of Baator, Asmodeus plunged through the nascent layers of the Nine Hells. At last he hit solid ground but continued to fall, spiraling through rock and soil. Still he fell, until he could fall no further. The point where he finally stopped was the deepest part of Baator—the Pit.”
You channel Asmodeus’s rage at his fall, meting out the same punishment on your opponent. When you initiate this maneuver, make a single melee attack. The target of your strike must make a Will save (DC 21 + your Cha modifier) or die of fright, believing it has been sent to Nessus. If it succeeds on its save, it takes regular melee damage plus an extra 9d6 damage; all of the damage, extra and weapon, is all vile damage. A creature immune to mind-affecting effects is affected as if it succeeded on its Will save, with no save allowed to negate the vile damage. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
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Half-Axiom Template
Creating a Half-Axiom
"Half-axiom" is an inherited template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature with an Intelligence score of 4 or higher and nonchaotic alignment (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A half-axiom uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type
The creature’s type changes to outsider. Do not recalculate Hit Dice, base attack bonus, or saves. Size is unchanged. Half-axioms are normally native outsiders.
Speed
A half-axiom has draconic wings. Unless the base creature has a better fly speed, the creature can fly at the base creature’s base land speed (good maneuverability).
Armor Class
A half-axiom gains a +3 deflection bonus to armor class (this stacks with any deflection bonuses the base creature has).
Special Attacks
A half-axiom retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains the following special attack.
Smite Chaos (Su)
Once per day the creature can make a normal melee attack to deal extra damage equal to its HD (maximum of +20) against a chaotic foe.
Spell-Like Abilities
A half-axiom with an Intelligence or Wisdom score of 8 or higher has spell-like abilities depending on its Hit Dice, as indicated on the table below. The abilities are cumulative. Unless otherwise noted, an ability is usable once per day. Caster level equals the creature’s HD, and the save DC is Charisma-based.
Special Qualities
A half-axiom has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities:
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Immunity to poison, disease, polymorph, and petrification.
Resistance to cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10, and sonic 10.
Damage reduction 10/magic.
Natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Spell resistance equal to double creature’s HD (maximum 35).
Abilities
Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +2, Dex +4, Con +4, Int +4, Wis +2, Cha +4.
Skills
A half-axiom gains skill points as an outsider and has outsider skill points equal to (8 + Int modifier) × (HD + 3). The half-axiom gains outsider skill points only for its racial Hit Dice. Treat skills from the base creature’s list as class skills, and other skills as cross-class.
Challenge Rating
HD 4 or less, as base creature +1; HD 5 to 10, as base creature +2; HD 11 or more, as base creature +3.
Alignment
Always lawful (any)
Level Adjustment
+4.
Half-Axiom Spell-Like Abilities
{table]HD|Abilities
1-2|Protection from Chaos 3/day, detect chaos
3-4|Calm emotions
5-6|Order’s wrath
7-8|Freedom of Movement 3/day
9-10|Programmed Image
11-12|Charm Monster
13-14|Shield of Law 3/day, Dictum
15-16|Mass Hold Monster
17-18|Summon monster IX (lawful creatures only)
19-20|Imprisonment[/table]
A few notes:
First, one of the higher-level stances makes use of the half-axiom template. No, you didn't miss it in one of the books; I was upset that there were half-celestials and half-fiends but no lawful or chaotic versions, so I made my own "half-axiom" and "half-anarch". Critique as you will; the template appears after the maneuvers list.
Second, instead of regular descriptive text, the flavor for the maneuvers are paraphrased quotations from Manual of the Planes and Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells. No particular reason; I just felt that it would be "cool" and that it could describe some things better than I could. If anything looks weird, or their are names you haven't seen before, chances are good that it's from FC2.
All feedback is appreciated. Without further ado....
Ninefold Damnation
The Nine Hells of Baator—five words that strike fear into the heart of every champion of morality and freedom. The discipline of Ninefold Damnation is the path of the Sublime Way invented by infernal martial adepts, drawing on the power of the Nine Hells of Baator and their inhabitants. Many of its maneuvers emphasize the similarity of its practitioners to devils—granting signature devil abilities or abilities of law and evil—while others emphasize the different layers of Baator and their archdukes.
The weapons associated with the Ninefold Damnation discipline are the glaive, whip, spiked chain, and claw, signature weapons of the barbazu, erinyes, kyton, and pit fiend, respectively. The key skill for Ninefold Damnation is Intimidate.
Ninefold Damnation Maneuver List
1st Level
Strike Strike of Avernus Deal extra piercing damage, and fire damage in an area.
Boost Bel’s Fury Gain bonuses versus good and chaotic creatures.
Counter Call of the Damned Inflict fear on opponents.
Stance Favor of the Dark Eight Gain one of eight possible benefits, determined each round.
2nd Level
Strike Tower of Dis Gain defense bonuses while you attack.
Counter Dispater’s Contingencies Reroll a save or opponent’s attack roll, or gain a readied action.
Boost Faustian Bargain Gain combat benefits immediately in exchange for greater penalties later.
3rd Level
Strike Corrosion of Minauros Deal extra acid and cold damage and knock back enemies.
Counter Mammon’s Curse Make your attacker temporarily turn on their allies.
Boost Festering Corruption Your attacks deal lingering damage and possibly disease.
4th Level
Strike Magma of Phlegethos Launch an orb of magma at an enemy.
Boost Belial’s Sadism Gain progressive bonuses when attacking and inflict pain with your strikes.
Stance Channel the Baatezu Take on petitioner traits.
5th Level
Strike Mindhammer of Stygia Inflict feeblemindedness and cause your target to lose some of its memories.
Misc. Legions of Hell Summon a baatezu to aid you.
Boost Levistus’s Prison Gain formidable protection in exchange for movement.
6th Level
Strike Avalanche of Malbolge Crush and knock prone several opponents, leaving difficult terrain.
Counter Glasya’s Vengeance Mutilate and transform an opponent.
Misc. Traitor’s Reward Turn nearby ground into the remains of the Hag Countess.
7th Level
Strike Decay of Maladomini Inflict despair and sloth on opponents.
Boost Aura of Baalzebul Surround yourself with a cloud of insects.
Stance Infernal Form Gain fiendish or axiomatic traits.
8th Level
Strike Frostburn of Cania Deal extra cold damage and freeze your opponents.
Boost Mephistopheles’s Hellfire Add damage to attacks in exchange for Constitution damage
Stance Infernal Exemplar Gain half-fiend or half-axiom traits, plus vulnerability to good spells and items.
9th Level
Strike Endless Depths of Nessus Deal vile damage to an enemy and send them to Hell.
1st Level
Bel’s Fury
Ninefold Damnation (Boost) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 1
Prerequisite: Lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial or None; see text
“A realist at heart, Bel knows that demonkind is infinite, and at best he can hope to do no more than contain the tanar’ri. Despite his calm demeanor, however, he can display flashes of volcanic rage when he’s thwarted.”
Your melee attacks become particularly effective against chaotic and good creatures as Bel’s particular hatred of the tanar’ri and general hatred of celestials courses through you. If the target of your next melee attack is good, he takes an extra 1d6 damage and must make a Fortitude save (DC 11 + your Cha modifier) or be entangled for one round. If the target of your next melee attack is chaotic, he takes an extra 2d6 damage and must make a Fortitude save (DC 11 + your Cha modifier) or be immobilized for one round. If the target of your next melee attack is both chaotic and good, he takes an extra 3d6 damage and must make a Fortitude save (DC 11 + your Cha modifier) or be stunned for one round.
Call of the Damned
Ninefold Damnation (Counter) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 1
Prerequisites: Evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Will partial
“The Maggot Pit is the most famous of Baator’s many facilities for converting the souls of the damned into wretched lemures. This mammoth crater radiates an almost palpable sense of evil and destruction.”
You force your attacker to feel the terror and despair of damned souls; as he strikes, he senses the darkness within you. If an opponent successfully strikes you, you may initiate this maneuver to fill him with fear. He must make a Will save (DC 11 + your Cha modifier) or become frightened for one round; if he successfully saves against this maneuver, he is instead only shaken for one round.
Favor of the Dark Eight
Ninefold Damnation (Stance) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 1
Prerequisites: Lawful alignment or evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
“The cruelly magnificent pit fiends known as the Dark Eight are the main infernal generals in the Blood War. Each of these generals commands the forces contributed by one layer of the Nine Hells….The Dark Eight conceal the fact that members of the Eight die quite regularly as a result of internecine struggle.”
While in this stance, you enjoy the favor of one of the Dark Eight, as they lend combat prowess to a prospective ally in the Blood War; however, as they are competitive rivals rather than brothers-in-arms, the particular member of the Dark Eight alive at any given time to show you favor will vary. Each time you enter this stance, roll 1d8 to determine the benefits you gain:
Furcas grants you a +1 profane bonus on attack rolls.
Zaebos grants you a +1 profane bonus to AC.
Zimimar grants you a +1 profane bonus on initiative rolls.
Dagos grants you a +1 profane bonus on damage rolls
Corzin grants you a +1 profane bonus on Reflex saves
Zapan grants you 3 temporary hit points.
Pearza grants you SR 9.
Baalzephon grants you DR 2/good.
Strike of Avernus
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Fire]
Level: Crusader 1
Prerequisite: Lawful alignment or evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: Creature attacked
“Fireballs careen through the atmosphere of Avernus, randomly incinerating those who are not immune to their effects. Toothy mountains loom on every side, offering fatal obstacles to those unwise enough to scale them, and sharp edges of crystalline rock tear at flesh and clothing.”
Channeling the power of Avernus, your melee attack deals an extra 1d4 piercing damage. In addition, any enemies adjacent to the target take 1d6 fire damage.
2nd Level
Dispater’s Contingencies
Ninefold Damnation (Counter) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 2
Prerequisites: 1 Ninefold Damnation maneuver, lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous or 2 rounds; see text
“Dispater, the ruler of both the city and layer of Dis, is famous as the most cautious and calculating of the archdukes. The ease with which Glasya eliminated the ruler of another layer has the already cautious Dispater double-checking his escape routes and quadrupling his guard.”
You’ve learned from the master of backup plans that having nine contingencies for every situation is simply good tactics. You may initiate this maneuver for one of two benefits. Your first option it to initiate this maneuver to reroll a failed saving throw, skill check, or attack roll, taking the better of the two, or force an opponent to reroll a successful saving throw, skill check, or attack roll, taking the worse of the two. Alternately, you may initiate this maneuver to ready an action; this works like readying an action as normal, except that it does not consume a standard action to ready the action, and you do not need to specify the action you will take, only the condition(s) under which you will take the readied action. The readied action must be taken within two rounds or it is wasted.
Faustian Bargain
Ninefold Damnation (Boost) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 2
Prerequisites: 1 Ninefold Damnation maneuver, lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of encounter; see text
“In a Pact Insidious, a devil promises to provide certain benefits for a mortal signatory in exchange for specified reciprocal favors. A Pact Insidious allows a gullible mortal to believe he can gain the benefits of a flirtation with evil without suffering its consequences.”
You call out to infernal agents, promising them a portion or share of your soul in return for immediate aid. You may add a +9 profane bonus to any saving throw, skill check, initiative roll, or your AC for one round; however, each time you add the bonus, you gain one negative level immediately after the end of the encounter which persists for 8 hours, at which time you may make a DC 16 Fortitude save to remove it (it may not be magically removed before this time). If you accumulate negative levels sufficient to kill you, your soul goes to the Nine Hells and you may not be raised or resurrected unless you can persuade the devils to release you (see Fiendish Codex II, page 25).
Tower of Dis
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 2
Prerequisites: 1 Ninefold Damnation maneuver, lawful alignment
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 2 rounds
“The Archduke Dispater rules Dis from the Iron Tower, an impregnable fortress that reaches far into the sky and can be seen everywhere on this layer. Notorious for never venturing out of his fortress, Dispater sees only his most trusted advisors and issues commands through layers of intermediaries.”
Drawing confidence from your protector, you channel the strength and invulnerability of the Iron Tower to wade into combat without worrying about your opponents’ blows. When you initiate this maneuver, make a full attack; you gain a cumulative +1 profane bonus on attack and damage rolls for each previous melee attack you make during the duration of this maneuver. For each successful attack you make, including those made as part of the full attack, you gain a +3 profane bonus to AC and saves until the beginning of your second turn.
3rd Level
Corrosion of Minauros
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Acid] [Cold] [Air]
Level: Crusader 3
Prerequisites: 1 Ninefold Damnation maneuver, evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 15 feet
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half and Fortitude partial
“A constant oily, caustic rain pelts down on Minauros, pounding its black soil into a series of swamps, mires, and cesspools. The incessant rains are frequently augmented by skin-flaying hail, balls of polluted ice sometimes containing the still-sharp teeth of long departed devils, flung by perilous winds.”
You call down the foul rains and furious winds of Minauros on an enemy’s head, dealing 3d6 damage to one enemy within 15 feet. Half of the damage is acid damage and half is cold damage; your target may attempt a Reflex save (DC 13 + your Cha modifier) for half damage. In addition to the damage, your target must make a Fortitude save (DC 11 + your Cha modifier) or be flung 15 feet directly away from you. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Festering Corruption
Ninefold Damnation (Boost) [Law] [Evil] [Acid]
Level: Crusader 3
Prerequisites: 1 Ninefold Damnation maneuver, evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 3 rounds
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
“From the bubbling, unclean waters of Minauros issue stomach-turning stenches, each more foul than the last. The weapons of devils native to Minauros, forged in these poisonous fumes, deal festering wounds.”
You channel the putrid slime pools and disease-ridden filth of Minauros through your weapon. The targets of any melee attacks you make for three rounds are affected as if by the Infernal Wound ability of barbazu and cornugons: They lose 2 hit points per round, which resist being healed; the targets must be treated with a DC 16 Heal check, or must have a healing spell cast on them accompanied by a DC 16 caster level check, to stop the hemorrhaging. In addition, the target(s) must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 13 + your Cha modifier) or contract devil chills immediately (DC 14, damage 1d4 Str; they must succeed on 3 consecutive saves to recover).
Mammon’s Curse
Ninefold Damnation (Counter) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 3
Prerequisites: 1 Ninefold Damnation maneuver, evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 3 rounds
Saving Throw: Will negates
“Mammon is a two-faced, insecure, vindictive being, a turncoat’s turncoat. His gnawing need for absolute loyalty prompts him to surround himself with underlings.”
You gain some of Mammon’s persuasive nature, allowing you to coerce others to your point of view. If you are attacked in melee, you may initiate this maneuver to convince your attacker that he is wrong to attack you, and the two of you are actually the staunchest of allies. Unless he succeeds on a Will save (DC 13 + your Cha modifier), he does not follow through on his attack against you, regards you and your allies as his friends (as if charmed), and obeys your orders to the letter as if dominated, even attacking former allies. He obeys you for three rounds; after the end of his third turn, however, he realizes what he has done and, like Mammon, commits a second betrayal. He is freed from your influence and gains a +4 morale bonus on attack rolls against you for the duration of the encounter. Even if your attacker succeeds on his save, he must reroll his attack against you with a -2 penalty as he has momentary second thoughts about attacking someone as close to him as you are. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
4th Level
Belial’s Sadism
Ninefold Damnation (Boost) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 4
Prerequisites: 2 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 4 rounds
Saving Throw: Will partial
“Am ambitious schemer, Belial was demoted to unofficial ruler of Phlegethos after the Reckoning of Hell, though he remains the lord of pain and suffering.”
You learn from Belial the ways to inflict the most excruciating pain, and you find you enjoy doing so. Every time you make a successful melee attack, you gain a cumulative +1 bonus to attack or damage rolls (your choice with each attack) for the duration of this boost. In addition, unless they succeed on a Will save (DC 14 + your Cha modifier), the targets of your strikes are transfixed with pain and may only take a single move or standard action on their next turn. If they succeed, they are still racked with less intense pain, and must make a Concentration check (DC 14 + your Cha modifier) to cast spells or use spell-like abilities for the duration of this maneuver.
Channel the Baatezu
Ninefold Damnation (Stance) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 4
Prerequisites: 3 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful alignment or evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
“Evil, proud, ambitious souls, unconcerned with others and bereft of empathy, find their way to the Nine Hells. Most fiends inhabiting Baator are baatezu; because they come from such a regimented plane, all baatezu have a number of traits in common.”
Forging a connection between yourself and an infernal patron, you take on some of the traits common to all baatezu. You gain immunity to fire and poison, as well as resistance 20 to acid and cold damage. You also gain the ability to see perfectly in normal or magical darkness and the immunity to mind-affecting effects possessed by infernal petitioners. The vision in magical darkness granted by this stance is a supernatural ability.
Magma of Phlegethos
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Fire]
Level: Crusader 4
Prerequisites: 2 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful alignment or evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 30 feet
Area: Line
Duration: 4 rounds
Saving Throw: Reflex partial; see text
“In the layer of Phlegethos, the lakes and streams run with bubbling molten lava and jets of flame spout from a million fissures in the red-hot, crystalline earth; the streets of the cities of this layer are constructed inside active volcanoes.”
Drawing upon the volcanic wrath of Phlegethos, you launch a glob of magma in a 30-foot line against your enemies. The magma deals 4d6 fire damage to creatures in the line and 2d6 fire damage to creatures in spaces adjacent to the line (no save). The stream of magma is not the most dangerous part, however—at the end of the line, the magma pools into the last square in range, and any creatures passing through the square must make a Reflex save (DC 14 + your Cha modifier) or fall into the lava and be submerged in it for one round. The lava remains for four rounds before dissipating. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
5th Level
Legions of Hell
Ninefold Damnation [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 5
Prerequisites: 3 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action or 5 minutes
Range: 10 feet
Effect: 1 devil
Duration: End of encounter or 45 minutes; see text
“More informed mortals sometimes actively seek to enslave devils and use them as tools to serve their own ends. Perhaps initial attempts go well enough, emboldening the seeker to continue. But the deeper such an amateur goes, the greater the risk of attracting infernal attention, and the hubris of the act has a way of catching up with such mortals.”
Your dedication to the forces of order and corruption has gained you the assistance of the baatezu. You may initiate this maneuver in two ways. If you wish to initiate this in the midst of combat, you may simply cry out a supplication to the Lords of the Nine asking them to send you a servant and offering a part of your soul. This method takes a full-round action and calls a devil to serve you for the duration of the battle. The devil collects on your offer, dealing you two negative levels at the end of the encounter as it claims part of your soul; they persist for 8 hours, at which time you may make a DC 16 Fortitude save to remove them (they may not be magically removed before this time). You can drive a harder bargain given more time; if you spend five minutes bartering with a devil instead of a full-round action, the devil serves for 45 minutes but deals you three negative levels at the close of the contract, which may be removed as described above.
The summoned devil will obey general commands (such as “attack my enemies” or “fetch the treasure chest”) and will not attack you or anyone you designate as an ally, but otherwise it is free to act as it wishes. You may summon any devil in the following list, which appears in a square within 10 feet of you:
CR 1—Lemure
CR 2—Imp
CR 3—Nupperibo*
CR 4—Spinagon*
CR 5—Barbazu
CR 6—Kyton
CR 7—Excruciarch*
CR 8—Legion Devils (4)*
CR 9—Orthon*
* Fiendish Codex II
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Levistus’s Prison
Ninefold Damnation (Boost) [Law] [Evil] [Cold]
Level: Crusader 5
Prerequisites: 3 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful neutral/lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Area: 5 foot radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: 5 rounds
“Reviled and mocked by his fellow archdukes, Levistus rules his layer from a condition of humiliating imprisonment. Millennia ago, Asmodeus encased him inside the layer’s biggest glacier. Conscious but unable to act, Levistus wasted away for eons, until Asmodeus displaced Geryon, the formerly loyal ruler of Stygia, and handed the reins of power to Levistus.”
A tangible glacial chill surrounds and protects you as Levistus lends you the essence of his frosty prison. Initiating this boost grants several benefits. First, you gain a +5 deflection bonus to AC, DR 5/—, and an immunity to sneak attacks and critical hits. Secondly, your square and squares adjacent to you are covered in a silence effect, while you gain the ability to communicate telepathically to any creature within 25 feet with which you share a language. Finally, your attacks deal an extra 5 cold damage. However, your cold aura is as restrictive as it is empowering, just like the freezing prison of Levistus: While this boost is in effect, you may not move from your current square and automatically fail Reflex saves. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Mindhammer of Stygia
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Mind-affecting]
Level: Crusader 5
Prerequisites: 3 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful neutral/lawful evil/neutral evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Melee touch attack
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Until cured; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
“The River Styx bubbles with grease, foul flotsam, and the putrid remains of battles fought along its banks. Those who taste or touch its water suffer total forgetfulness.”
You draw power from the River Styx to rob your target of his memories. When you initiate this strike, make a melee touch attack against an adjacent creature. The creature must make a DC 17 Fortitude save or suffer the effects of a feeblemind spell, which lasts until cured. If your target succeeds on its save, it still suffers partial amnesia, losing its memories of the previous 8 hours. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
6th Level
Avalanche of Malbolge
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Earth]
Level: Crusader 6
Prerequisites: 4 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful neutral/lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Melee attacks
Target: One or more creatures
Saving Throw: Reflex partial
“Until recently, Malbolge was the hardest layer of Baator to traverse—a never-ending slope bouncing with eternally rolling boulders. One morning, the Hag Countess had just dodged an oncoming boulder when she collapsed to the eternal slope, shrieking in agony. Then the land, too, began to convulse with earthquakes, and the Hag Countess’s most loyal lieutenants were crushed by falling rocks.”
The essence of the last of Malbolge’s boulders is infused into your weapon, allowing you to make deadly, crushing strikes. As a full-round action, you make one melee attack at your highest base attack bonus against each opponent you threaten and end with a single powerful blow to the ground at your feet. Each creature you successfully strike takes an additional 6d6 bludgeoning damage, and must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 16 + your Cha modifier) or fall prone. Additionally, your square and all squares adjacent to it become difficult terrain.
Glasya’s Vengeance
Ninefold Damnation (Counter) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 6
Prerequisites: 4 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, neutral evil/lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Melee touch attack
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 6 rounds
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
“Through her transformation, the Hag Countess screamed and screamed, even after her death should have been a certainty. Then a golden litter floated up from the layers below; lounging on silken pillows was Glasya, the new ruler of Malbolge. When the Hag Countess’s chancellor, Axacrusis, dared to challenge the newcomer’s presence, Glasya demanded that it eviscerate itself.”
You mutilate any who would dare attack you, mimicking the torment Glasya inflicted upon the Hag Countess and Axacrusis. If you are struck in melee, you may initiate this maneuver and make a melee touch attack against your opponent. If you are successful, your opponent takes a cumulative -1 penalty each to Constitution and Charisma every round for six rounds as its flesh warps and its skeleton deforms. Your opponent may make a Fortitude save (DC 16 + your Cha modifier) each round to negate the Constitution damage that round, but it always takes the Charisma damage. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Traitor’s Reward
Ninefold Damnation [Law] [Evil] [Acid] [Death]
Level: Crusader 6
Prerequisites: 4 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Area: 60-foot-radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: 6 rounds
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
“The Hag Countess grew as large as a giant, then as big as a titan. Her ribs became a weird, arching pair of mountain ranges that encircled Malbolge, while her innards were buried beneath, forming a twisting maze of subterranean passageways.”
For a short time, you turn the surrounding earth into a patch of the Hag Countess’s remains. The area of ground within 60 feet of you begins to roil, dealing 1d6+4 acid damage to any creatures in the area at the beginning of your turn (no save). Also, each round, any creature in the area with a negative hit point total must make a DC 25 Fortitude save or die without possibility of raising or resurrection. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
7th Level
Aura of Baalzebul
Ninefold Damnation (Boost) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 7
Prerequisites: 4 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful neutral/lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Area: 10-foot-radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: 7 rounds
Saving Throw: Reflex half
“Next to Asmodeus, the most famous archduke is Baalzebul, widely reviled and celebrated as Lord of the Flies.”
You can surround yourself with a cloud of Baalzebul’s “subjects”: irritating, biting flies; the cloud extends out to a 10-foot radius around you and follows you as you move. You gain several benefits from this cloud. First, you gain concealment against melee attacks made by creatures within the cloud and a +7 deflection bonus to AC against ranged attacks. Secondly, any creature within the cloud must succeed on a Concentration check (DC 17 + your Cha modifier) to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability. Finally, any creatures within the swarm at the beginning of your turn take 1d6 piercing damage; the flies overcome damage reduction as if they were lawful- and evil-aligned. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Decay of Maladomini
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Mind-affecting]
Level: Crusader 7
Prerequisites: 4 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, neutral evil/lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 7 rounds
Saving Throw: Will partial and Fortitude partial; see text
“Crumbling cities dot the pitted expanses of Maladomini. Sludge-choked rivers wend their way past endless strip mines, and sentient chunks of polluted matter crawl up onto the riverbanks only to gasp and die upon inhaling the toxic air. Like a wounded beast clinging hopelessly to life, the layer constantly shudders, moans, and weeps a foul, black ichor.”
Like the inhabitants of the seventh layer, the target of your attack is struck by absolute despair at the hopelessness of life and is afflicted by the wretched decay of Maladomini. The target of your strike must succeed on a Will save (DC 17 + your Cha modifier) or take 7 points of Wis damage as their will to live seeps out of them, and must make a Fortitude save (DC 17 + your Cha modifier) or become nauseated.
Infernal Form
Ninefold Damnation (Stance) [Law] or [Evil] (see text)
Level: Crusader 7
Prerequisites: 4 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
“Fiendish creatures dwell on the lower planes, the realms of evil; they are more fearsome in appearance than their material counterparts. Axiomatic creatures dwell on planes of order, the realms of law; they are more perfectly formed than their material counterparts.”
You meditate on the ideals of Law and Evil, internalizing their principles; in a few moments, your features seem to be more refined and precise, or more frightening and terrible. While you are in this stance, you take on either the fiendish or the axiomatic template (your choice).
8th Level
Frostburn of Cania
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Cold]
Level: Crusader 8
Prerequisites: 5 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful neutral/lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 8 rounds
Saving Throw: Reflex partial
“Mile-thick glaciers grind across the forbidding landscape of Cania, and screaming snowstorms pelt the white expanse of wilderness. Dotted across the land like so many signposts are the half-buried, icy corpses of foolish intruders who thought they could survive Cania’s arctic rigors.”
You channel the essence of absolute cold into your weapon. When you initiate this maneuver, make a single melee attack, which deals an extra 8d6 cold damage. The target of your strike must then make a Reflex save (DC 18 + your Cha modifier) or take a -8 penalty to Dexterity for the duration of this maneuver as its skin becomes frostbitten and frozen. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Infernal Exemplar
Ninefold Damnation (Stance) [Law] or [Evil] (see text)
Level: Crusader 8
Prerequisites: 5 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
“No matter its form, a half-fiend is always hideous to behold, having dark scales, horns, glowing red eyes, bat wings, a fetid odor, or some other obvious sign that it is tainted with evil, and a half-axiom is always glorious to behold, having a metallic sheen, smooth lines, solid violet eyes, sail-like wings, an aura of calm, or some other obvious sign that it is infused with order.”
You meditate on the ideals of Law and Evil, internalizing their principles; in a few moments, you undergo a dramatic transformation, growing wings as your skin breaks out in either dark or silver scales and your eyes change color. While you are in this stance, you take on the half-fiend or half-axiom template (your choice; the half-axiom template can be found below the maneuver descriptions). However, your connection to Baator is tenuous, and if you take damage from a weapon that is chaos-aligned (if you have the half-axiom template) or good-aligned (if you have the half-fiend template), this stance ends immediately. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Mephistopheles’s Hellfire
Ninefold Damnation (Boost) [Law] [Evil]
Level: Crusader 8
Prerequisites: 5 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, neutral evil/lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 8 rounds
“Hellfire is the creation of the archduke of Cania. Hotter than the hottest flames of any world, hellfire burns with a white-hot glow and is capable of burning through even the hardest of substances.”
Your devotion to Mephistopheles persuades him to let you in on his secret hellfire project. At any time during the duration of this boost, you may choose to have an attack deal an extra 8d6 hellfire damage; however, each time you add hellfire to an attack, you take 1 point of Constitution damage that may not be healed until the duration of this maneuver expires. The hellfire damage ignores the hardness of any objects struck, even if the rest of the damage from the attack does not. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
9th Level
Endless Depths of Nessus
Ninefold Damnation (Strike) [Law] [Evil] [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Crusader 9
Prerequisites: 5 Ninefold Damnation maneuvers, lawful evil alignment
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates or None (see text)
“Upon reaching the plain of Baator, Asmodeus plunged through the nascent layers of the Nine Hells. At last he hit solid ground but continued to fall, spiraling through rock and soil. Still he fell, until he could fall no further. The point where he finally stopped was the deepest part of Baator—the Pit.”
You channel Asmodeus’s rage at his fall, meting out the same punishment on your opponent. When you initiate this maneuver, make a single melee attack. The target of your strike must make a Will save (DC 21 + your Cha modifier) or die of fright, believing it has been sent to Nessus. If it succeeds on its save, it takes regular melee damage plus an extra 9d6 damage; all of the damage, extra and weapon, is all vile damage. A creature immune to mind-affecting effects is affected as if it succeeded on its Will save, with no save allowed to negate the vile damage. This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
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Half-Axiom Template
Creating a Half-Axiom
"Half-axiom" is an inherited template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature with an Intelligence score of 4 or higher and nonchaotic alignment (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A half-axiom uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type
The creature’s type changes to outsider. Do not recalculate Hit Dice, base attack bonus, or saves. Size is unchanged. Half-axioms are normally native outsiders.
Speed
A half-axiom has draconic wings. Unless the base creature has a better fly speed, the creature can fly at the base creature’s base land speed (good maneuverability).
Armor Class
A half-axiom gains a +3 deflection bonus to armor class (this stacks with any deflection bonuses the base creature has).
Special Attacks
A half-axiom retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains the following special attack.
Smite Chaos (Su)
Once per day the creature can make a normal melee attack to deal extra damage equal to its HD (maximum of +20) against a chaotic foe.
Spell-Like Abilities
A half-axiom with an Intelligence or Wisdom score of 8 or higher has spell-like abilities depending on its Hit Dice, as indicated on the table below. The abilities are cumulative. Unless otherwise noted, an ability is usable once per day. Caster level equals the creature’s HD, and the save DC is Charisma-based.
Special Qualities
A half-axiom has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities:
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Immunity to poison, disease, polymorph, and petrification.
Resistance to cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10, and sonic 10.
Damage reduction 10/magic.
Natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Spell resistance equal to double creature’s HD (maximum 35).
Abilities
Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +2, Dex +4, Con +4, Int +4, Wis +2, Cha +4.
Skills
A half-axiom gains skill points as an outsider and has outsider skill points equal to (8 + Int modifier) × (HD + 3). The half-axiom gains outsider skill points only for its racial Hit Dice. Treat skills from the base creature’s list as class skills, and other skills as cross-class.
Challenge Rating
HD 4 or less, as base creature +1; HD 5 to 10, as base creature +2; HD 11 or more, as base creature +3.
Alignment
Always lawful (any)
Level Adjustment
+4.
Half-Axiom Spell-Like Abilities
{table]HD|Abilities
1-2|Protection from Chaos 3/day, detect chaos
3-4|Calm emotions
5-6|Order’s wrath
7-8|Freedom of Movement 3/day
9-10|Programmed Image
11-12|Charm Monster
13-14|Shield of Law 3/day, Dictum
15-16|Mass Hold Monster
17-18|Summon monster IX (lawful creatures only)
19-20|Imprisonment[/table]