New Discipline: Divine Muse PEACH [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

thegurullamen

2008-12-05, 10:32 PM

Divine Muse

http://th03.deviantart.com/fs11/300W/i/2006/205/5/9/__Paladin___by_el_kenshin.jpg

"O muse!
Sing in me, and through me tell the story
Of that man skilled in all the ways of contending... "

-Intro to Coen the Bard's retelling of an odyssey

Bards. Who doesn't have at least one complaint about them? Weak abilities, barely suitable as a fifth wheel and obsolete at higher levels. Since they're so focused on something as oxymoronic as "non-focused", why not just take the whole class a step farther and make it a subset of a long list of class abilities? It is along that aim that I present

The Bard: Martial Edition!
"It's not a class, it's a flavor!"

It's easy! Take one Crusader or Swordsage, add one Divine Muse discipline, and viola! It's a Bard! (Sorta...) Alternatively, you can replace the Bard's spells or class abilities with this and another disicipline to make a gish- or martial-oriented bard.

EDIT: Hmm...in hindsight, I seem to have broken the bard much more thoroughly than I'd intended. I've replicated each one of his class features that don't already replicate a spell on his spell list:
-I. Comp is in Spirited Dance
-I. Courage is in Font of Inspiration
-I. Heroics is in Spirited Dance
-I. Greatness is almost a part of Ballad of Serenity (except more useful)
-Song of Freedom is sort of in Ties That Bind (but already replicates Break Enchantment, which is a bard spell.)
-Suggestion's on the bard's list, too, as is Mass Suggestion[/i].

So, I guess I just gave us the Bard Redux. Just slap on the nice spell list and proficiencies and you have a non-suck Bard with just as much flavor. And it seems balanced on top of that. Who knew?

1st level
Font of Inspiration: Stance–Grant allies minor benefits.
Fortissimo: Strike–Attack causes flanked foe to incur additional penalties or an attack.
Rose Petal Strike: Strike–Attack deals +1d4 sonic damage, reveals target's desires.

2nd level
Disarming Smile: Counter–You may attempt to disarm a foe with your Charisma.
Glimpse of White, Glimpse of Red: Strike–Attack deals +1d12 damage and allows you to learn foe's alignment.
Moving Performance: Counter–You may make a Perform check instead of any one saving throw.

3rd level
Allegrissimo: Boost–You are affected by Haste for two rounds and gain more benefits from it.
Darkest Corners of the Mind: Strike–You learn your foe's deepest fear and use it against him.
Spirited Dance: Stance–You dance around blows and difficult terrain.

4th level
Fable's Lessons: Strike–You rob your opponent of their convictions--or their limbs.
Missed a Beat: Counter–You either deny a foe their critical or automatically confirm your own.
Severing the Links: Strike–Make a Perform check to implant unsettling thoughts about your target in his allies' minds.

5th level
Come Fly With Me: Boost–You and a small number of allies gain a fly speed for as long as you perform.
Con Bravura: Stance–Your bold movements draw the admiration of those around you--including bewildered foes.
Rose Thorn Strike: Strike–When you strike, your target must make a Will save or lose a cherished memory and take 8d6 damage and a point of Wisdom burn.
Well of White Roses: Boost–Maximizes allies' healing and shortens negative effects' durations.

6th level
Crimson Rose Curse: Strike–Deal +10d6 damage with a strike and enemy must make a Will save or earn the enmity of his closest ally.
Capture the Voice: Counter–When targeted by a spell, you silence the caster and may make a Perform check to disrupt or reflect the spell.
Strum the Strings of the Willess: Strike–Make a Perform check to Dominate a creature for one round.
White Rose Slash: Strike–Deal +10d6 damage and prevent foe from hiding.

7th level
Ballad of Serenity: Boost–A barrier of positive energy protects you and your allies from death effects or may be used to save one ally's life.
Glammer of the Seventh Heaven: Strike–You stun a foe with the illusion of joy, dealing +10d8 damage.
Vile Crescendo: Strike–Make a Perform check to force an enemy to destroy himself.

8th level
Do It With Style: Stance–You add your Charisma modifier to all melee attack and damage rolls. In addition, all save DCs for adjacent allies' abilities are increased by 2.
Ties That Bind: Boost–You mentally link yourself with your allies and re-apportion damage and effects between yourselves.

9th level
Scarlet Rose Damnation: Strike–You turn a creature's memories and dreams on itself, causing immense damage.
White Rose Salvation: Strike–You force a foe to redeem itself or die.

thegurullamen

2008-12-05, 10:33 PM

1st Level

Font of Inspiration
Divine Muse (Stance)
Level: Crusader 1, Swordsage 1
Initiation Action: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: All allies within 30 feet
Duration: Stance

Calling on your faith, you begin to dance and through your movements, you pass strength to your allies. While in this stance, your allies gain a +1 sacred bonus to all saves against Fear and Enchantment effects, strength checks and attack and damage rolls. If you make a successful Perform check (DC equal to 10 plus your initiator level), this bonus increases to +1 per five levels you possess (maximum: +4 at 20th level). This is a supernatural ability.

Fortissimo
Divine Muse (Strike)
Level: Crusader 1, Swordsage 1
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Range: Melee attack
Target One creature you flank
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None

With a series of intimidating grunts, quick jabs and fancy footwork, you back an opponent into a corner--or onto your ally's blade. When you initiate this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If you hit, allies flanking the target gain a +4 bonus to hit him instead of the normal +2. If you miss, one ally flanking the opponent may make an attack of opportunity on him.

Song of the Heart
Divine Muse (Strike) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Crusader 1, Swordsage 1
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Range: Melee attack
Target One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None

As you drive the blade into your foe, you catch the barest glimpse of his soul. When you initiate this maneuver, you make a single melee attack. If you hit, you deal an additional 1d4 sonic damage and vaguely divine the target's motivations. Consult the table for the exact effect. This is a supernatural effect.

{table=head]Level|Information Gained

1-5|Vaguest motivations for fighting (greed, survival, malice, etc.)

6-10|More detailed motivations (ordered to, greed for money, powerlust, etc.)

11-15|What target hopes to accomplish in the near future

16-20|What target hopes to accomplish over a long period[/table]

2nd Level

Disarming Smile
Divine Muse (Counter)
Level: Crusader 2, Swordsage 2
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: An opponent attacking you with a melee weapon
Duration: Instantaneous

As his blade draws near, you notice your opponent waver. Stepping into the weapon's path, you smile and in a moment of confusion, knock your opponent's weapon free. When an opponent tries to strike you with a melee weapon, you may attempt to disarm him without provoking an attack of opportunity or risk being disarmed yourself. If the opponent can be affected by Mind-Affecting effects, you may use your Cha instead of your Dex or Str modifier for the disarm attempt.

Glimpse of White, Glimpse of Red
Divine Muse (Strike)
Level: Crusader 2, Swordsage 2
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Range: Melee attack
Target One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: Will partial (negates divination)

After toying with your opponent for a few seconds, you draw out his true character with a single, vicious strike. If you hit with this maneuver, you deal an extra 1d12 damage and force the opponent to make a Will save. If he fails, you learn his exact alignment unless it is concealed by a higher level effect. This is a supernatural ability.

Moving Performance
Divine Muse (Counter)
Level: Crusader 2, Swordsage 2
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You

Drawing from your vast repertoire of music and stories, you select one of personal meaning, using its power to sustain you through terror and harmful encounters. If you are targeted by an effect that requires a saving throw, you may initiate this maneuver to make a Perform check instead and use that result as your saving throw.

3rd Level

Allegrissimo
Divine Muse (Boost)
Level: Crusader 3, Swordsage 3
Initiation Action: Swift action
Prerequisites: 1 Divine Muse maneuver
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 2 rounds

In the heat of battle you stop to assess and listen for the voices telling you that victory is inevitable. This brief rest lets you return to the fight with a newfound vigor. While under the effects of this boost, you are affected by the Haste spell except you may use your Cha modifier in place of the flat +2 as the dodge bonus to your AC. This is a supernatural ability.

Darkest Corners of the Mind
Divine Muse (Strike) [Mind-Affecting, Fear]
Level: Crusader 3, Swordsage 3
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Range: Melee attack
Target One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: Will negates

With blind hatred, you lash out at your foe, taunting him with techniques learned from years of studying people. If your opponent fails his Will save, you learn one of his worst fears and if you succeed at your attack, you implant a seed of that fear in his mind, causing him to be shaken for the rest of the encounter.

Spirited Dance
Divine Muse (Stance)
Level: Crusader 3, Swordsage 3
Initiation Action: Swift action
Prerequisites: 1 Divine Muse maneuver
Range: Personal
Duration: Stance

Your love of dance has evolved into a series of intuitive combat steps allowing you to dodge swings and sidestep difficult barriers with ease. While in this stance, you ignore the effects of difficult terrain. During a full defensive action, you gain 20% concealment and at the beginning of your turn, you may convert any armor bonus you have to a dodge bonus instead. Finally, you may make a Perform check (DC equals 16 plus your level) to grant a competence bonus to an ally on one skill check. You may only grant such a bonus once every five rounds.

4th Level

Fable's Lessons
Divine Muse (Strike) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Crusader 4, Swordsage 4
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Prerequisite: 1 Divine Muse maneuver
Range: Melee attack
Target One creature
Duration: Encounter/1 round
Save: Will partial (negates primary effect), Fort partial (negates penalties)

You channel the lessons from the tales you've heard your entire life into your enemy, damaging his will. If you hit, your opponent must make a Will save or take a -4 penalty to all attack and damage rolls for the rest of the encounter as he loses his confidence in his abilities. Regardless of the success of this roll, he must also make a Fort save or lose use of one of his limbs, imposing either another -1 penalty to all attack and damage rolls for a round as you maim an arm or preventing him from taking a move action next turn as you cripple his leg. This is a supernatural ability.

Severing the Links
Divine Muse (Strike) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Crusader 4, Swordsage 4
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Prerequisite: 1 Divine Muse maneuver
Range: Melee attack
Target One creature
Duration: Encounter
Save: Will partial (negates secondary effect)

You strum a few notes and plant the seeds of doubt in your target's allies heads. Make a Perform check against your opponent's armor class. If you succeed, you deal 4d6 damage and the target must make a Will save or be regarded as a neutral party (or hostile if already neutral) by his allies. This mistrust lasts for the rest of the encounter. This is a supernatural ability.

Missed a Beat
Divine Muse (Counter)
Level: Crusader 4, Swordsage 4
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Prerequisite: 1 Divine Muse maneuver
Range: Personal
Target: An opponent or yourself
Duration: Instantaneous

You have a feel for the pulse of combat and know when to dodge and when to swing for the fences. It doesn't make sense a lot of the time, but you know better than to question it. Whenever your opponent scores a critical threat, you can initiate this maneuver to negate it. Alternatively, you can initiate it to confirm a critical threat of your own.

5th Level

Come Fly With Me
Divine Muse (Boost)
Level: Crusader 5, Swordsage 5
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Prerequisites: 2 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: 30 feet
Target: You and one ally per initiator level
Duration: Special

...let's fly, let's fly away. With a simple performance, you uplift your allies and grant them the gift of flight. When you initiate this maneuver, you and your allies are all affected as if the Fly spell had been cast on you. This effect lasts as long as you perform each round and for another five rounds thereafter. If any of your allies leaves the 30 foot radius, he or she is still affected by this ability, but only for three rounds. After those rounds have passed, they immediately plummet if still aloft. This is a supernatural ability.

Con Bravura
Divine Muse (Stance)
Level: Crusader 5, Swordsage 5
Initiation Action: Swift action
Prerequisites: 2 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: Personal
Duration: Stance

You can make the most daring leaps, swings and balancing acts look easy. While in this stance, you can take 20 on any Balance, Tumble or Jump check made in a cinematic or daring fashion (but not to avoid attacks of opportunity or initiate maneuvers) or you may take 10 on the same checks while threatened. Furthermore, any foes watching as you make such a move must make a Will save or take 2d6 non-lethal damage from sheer awe. Finally, maneuvers initiated after such a move in the same turn gain a +2 to their save DCs and automatically confirm their critical threats.

Rose Thorn Strike
Divine Muse (Strike) [Mind-Affecting, Evil]
Level: Crusader 5, Swordsage 5
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Prerequisite: 2 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: Melee attack
Target One creature
Duration: Permanent
Save: Will negates

When you strike, you destroy your opponent in a very deep way. If you hit with this maneuver, your opponent must make a Will save or lose one of his most precious memories, taking 8d6 damage and 1 point of Wisdom burn. This is a supernatural ability.

Well of White Roses
Divine Muse (Boost) [Good]
Level: Crusader 5, Swordsage 5
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Prerequisites: 2 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: 30 feet
Target: You and one ally per initiator level
Duration: 3 rounds

A story tells of a priest who cured a country of a vile disease through simple meditation. Taking this to heart, you build up a wave of positive energy in yourself and unleash it as a helpful if short-lived aura. After you initiate this maneuver, any healing effects affecting you or your allies are automatically maximized. In addition, any negative effects that can be measured in rounds affecting your allies immediately end at the end of this maneuver.

6th Level

Crimson Rose Curse
Divine Muse (Strike) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Crusader 6, Swordsage 6
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Prerequisite: 2 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: Melee attack
Target One creature
Duration: Encounter
Save: Will negates

When you strike, you invoke a curse of treason and mark an enemy for death--at the hands of his allies. If you hit with this ability, you deal an additional 10d6 damage and your opponent must make a Will save or instantly become hated by his most loyal ally. This is a supernatural ability.

Capture the Voice
Divine Muse (Counter)
Level: Crusader 6, Swordsage 6
Initiation Action: Immediate action
Prerequisite: 2 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: 60 feet
Target: Opponent casting a spell on you
Duration: 3 rounds

You are the master of sound and can silence those who seek to harm you. When a creature casts a spell at you, you may silence them for three rounds as an immediate action by making a Perform check. They must make a Spellcraft check with your Perform check as the DC or their current spell fails (if it requires verbal components.) If they fail by 10 or more, their spell turns on them and they become the spell's new target. Finally, when you speak, you may either use your voice or a voice you have captured.

Strum the Strings of the Willess
Divine Muse (Strike) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Crusader 6, Swordsage 6
Initiation Action: Full-round Action
Prerequisite: 2 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: 60 feet
Target One creature
Duration: 1 round
Save: Will negates

Do a little dance, make a little love and slaughter in my name. When you initiate this maneuver, you target a creature and spend a full round making a Perform check. On your next turn, the targeted creature must make a Will save with your Perform check as the save DC or become dominated for one round. This is a supernatural ability.

White Rose Slash
Divine Muse (Strike) [Mind-Affecting, Good]
Level: Crusader 6, Swordsage 6
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Prerequisite: 2 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: Melee attack
Target One creature
Duration: Encounter
Save: Will negates

When you strike, you project a mote of purity into your opponent's soul, revealing him no matter where he goes. If you hit with this ability, you deal an additional 10d6 damage and your opponent must make a Will save or suffer a -40 penalty to all Hide and Move Silently checks. In addition, if he flees via magical transportation, you and your allies automatically know where he went. (It is important to note that once he has fled in such a way, the curse's effect ends and he may flee again unhindered.) This is a supernatural ability.

7th Level

Ballad of Serenity
Divine Muse (Boost)
Level: Crusader 7, Swordsage 7
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Prerequisites: 3 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: 30 feet
Target: You and one ally per initiator level
Duration: 3 rounds

You sing a song of love, loss and hard-won victory. A barrier of positive energy surrounds you and your allies, protecting you as per the Death Ward spell. If an ally falls to below 0 hp while under this Boost's effects, you may expend the effect to heal them back to 1 hp and grant them temporary hp equal to your initiator level. This is a supernatural effect.

Glammer of the Seventh Heaven
Divine Muse (Strike) [Mind-Affecting, Good]
Level: Crusader 7, Swordsage 7
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Prerequisite: 3 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: Melee attack
Target One creature
Duration: 1 round
Save: Will partial (negates stun)

You channel the illusion of exhilarating joy into your attack, incapacitating your foe for a short while with false pleasure. If you hit, you deal an additional 10d8 damage and force him to make a Will save. If your opponent fails, he is stunned for a round.

Vile Crescendo
Divine Muse (Strike) [Mind-Affecting, Evil]
Level: Crusader 7, Swordsage 7
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Prerequisite: 3 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: Melee attack
Target One creature
Duration: Encounter
Save: Will partial (negates secondary effect)

You perform a funerary rite, dooming an enemy to a painful death. When you intiate this maneuver, you make a Perform check. You deal vile damage to the target equal to the the result and force a Will save. If the target fails, he takes 2d6 vile damage each time he strikes one of your allies or 1d4 vile damage each round he does not attack a creature. This is a supernatural ability.

8th Level

Do It With Style
Divine Muse (Stance)
Level: Crusader 8, Swordsage 8
Initiation Action: Swift action
Prerequisites: 3 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: Personal
Duration: Stance

When you stand against your foes, you do not stand alone. While in this stance, you add your Cha modifier to all melee attack and damage rolls. In addition, all allies standing in squares adjacent to yours have all of thier abilities' saves (if applicable) increased by 2.

Ties That Bind
Divine Muse (Boost)
Level: Crusader 8, Swordsage 8
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Prerequisites: 3 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: 60 feet
Target: You and one ally per initiator level
Duration: 3 rounds

Opening your soul, you link yourself with your allies and communicate with them while tracking their well-being. While under this maneuver's effects, you are afftected by Rory's Telepathic Bond. In addition, whenever a linked ally is healed, you may reapportion the amount healed among any number of linked allies. Whenever a linked ally succumbs to a negative status effect, you may spend a move action to reallocate that effect to another ally, who may attempt to save against it at a -4 penalty. This is a supernatural ability.

9th Level

Scarlet Rose Damnation
Divine Muse (Strike) [Mind-Affecting, Evil]
Level: Crusader 9, Swordsage 9
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Prerequisite: 4 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Permanent
Save: Will partial (negates secondary effect)

Focussing all of your hatred and contempt into a forceful blow, you condemn your foe to a long-lasting torment born of their own hopes and love. If you hit with this maneuver, you deal an extra 100 damage and force a Will save. If your opponent fails, his Wisdom falls to 1 and he falls into an endless, nightmare-filled coma. This can only be countered by a White Rose Salvation strike or healed by a Limited Wish or greater effect. This is a supernatural ability.

White Rose Salvation
Divine Muse (Strike) [Mind-Affecting, Good]
Level: Crusader 9, Swordsage 9
Initiation Action: Standard Action
Prerequisite: 4 Divine Muse maneuvers
Range: Melee attack
Target One creature
Save: Will partial (Special)

You lock eyes with your opponent and for a split second, you can see the good in him. With one final blow, you force the decision upon him: renounce this path or die. When you initiate this maneuver, your opponent must make a Will save. If he succeeds, he takes 100 damage. If he fails, he stops fighting for one round to seriously contemplate your offer. If he decides to continue fighting, he takes 150 damage. This is a supernatural ability.