Clambering Wolverine [was Bulldog Tooth] (climbing-based ToB school)

[lunaramblings]

Critiqued in line.

Details

Climb like an Ape
Bulldog Tooth (Stance)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action

You gain a climb speed equal to half your normal speed. This grants a +8 bonus to all climb checks and allows you to take 10 on them. It also means you are not flat-footed while climbing. Furthermore, you can climb while holding a light pick in one hand (you can use it to help climb).


Drop Attack
Bulldog Tooth (Boost)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action

Drop onto your enemy from a higher position. Make a climb check (dc 15 + 5 for every 10 ft dropped) to stop without hurting yourself. If you fail, you take normal falling damage, then fall again to the ground.

This is a bit confusing. How do you take normal falling damage before you fall to the ground? Also the DC of the climb check seems high.

High Strike
Bulldog Tooth (Strike)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action

Beginning on the ground, you grab a handhold on the enemy and then swing up to strike somewhere it thought was out of your reach. First make a touch attack to find the handhold, then the real attack against which the enemy is flat-footed. Afterward, you may choose to either drop to the ground or remain climbing the enemy.

How does say a Human climb a gnome? I mean the image I get is Hilarious. But this should probably have at least a size requirement of equal to your own.

Counter-Grapple
Bulldog Tooth (Counter)
Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action

When a creature at least one size category larger than you attempts to initiate grapple, including through the use of improved grab, you can climb the limb it tries to do it with instead. Make a touch attack and a climb check (against the normal DC for the enemy's skin). If both succeed, you are climbing the limb instead of grappled.

What exactly is the normal climb DC of someone's skin? Perhaps eliminate the touch attack, make it an Climb check vs their AC?

Dropping Charge
Bulldog Tooth (Strike)
Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 standard action

You charge straight downward at an enemy. Resolve this like a normal charge, except that it only requires a standard action. If you use power attack as part of the charge, increase the damage multiplier by one.

After resolving the attack, make a climb check (dc 15 + 5 for every 10 ft dropped) to stop without hurting yourself. If you fail, you take normal falling damage, then fall again to the ground.

Again the climb DC seems really high. And also again your taking damage before you hit the ground?

Spring-Strike
Bulldog Tooth (Strike)
Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 full round action

Climb across your enemy, making a single normal attack at any point of the climb.

So an inferior and limited version of spring attack?

Catch and Swing
Bulldog Tooth (Counter)
Level: 3
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action

When falling past something with handholds, you grab one and swing -- turning rather than canceling your velocity. You then fly off in a direction you choose. You can travel a horizontal distance this way up to the distance you fell, as well as traveling up or down by up to 5 ft. Make climb checks at -10 penalties both to perform the swing and to grab hold at the end of your horizontal movement.

Note sure this is really likely to come up often enough that the maneuver is really worth having? I don't think that this has every come up in any game I have played.

Climb like a Dire Ape
Bulldog Tooth (Stance)
Level: 3
Initiation Action: 1 swift action

You gain a climb speed equal to your normal speed. This grants a +8 bonus to all climb checks and allows you to take 10 on them. It also means you are not flat-footed while climbing. In addition, you can climb while holding something (such as a weapon) in one hand.

For a third level stance this seems incredibly weak.

High Critical Strike
Bulldog Tooth (Strike)
Level: 3
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Prerequisites: 1 Bulldog Tooth Maneuver

Beginning on the ground, you grab a handhold on the enemy and then swing up to strike somewhere particularly vulnerable that it thought was out of your reach. First make a touch attack to find the handhold, then the real attack against which the enemy is flat-footed. On the real attack, your critical threat range is doubled (this stacks with other crit-improving effects such as keen). Afterward, you may choose to either drop to the ground or remain climbing the enemy.

Ok. Again. Human uses this on a gnome. Hilarity ensues. Also again, I might suggest making this a single "attack" Climb vs AC, or even AC plus a small bonus or something?

Death from Above
Bulldog Tooth (Boost)
Level: 4
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Prerequisites: 1 Bulldog Tooth Maneuver

Drop onto your enemy from a higher position while holding a piercing weapon. The enemy takes damage equal to the weapon's base damage. Make a climb check (dc 15 + 5 for every 10 ft dropped) to stop without hurting yourself. If you fail, you take normal falling damage, then fall again to the ground.

Again with the really high DC and also the taking damage before you actually hit ground.

Swinging Dodge
Bulldog Tooth (Counter)
Level: 4
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Prerequisites: 1 Bulldog Tooth Maneuver

When the creature that you are climbing attacks you, you can use a climb check in place of AC.

This I like.

Climb like an Ape of War
Bulldog Tooth (Stance)
Level: 5
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Prerequisites: 1 Bulldog Tooth Maneuver

You gain a climb speed equal to half your normal speed. This grants a +8 bonus to all climb checks and allows you to take 10 on them. It also means you are not flat-footed while climbing. Furthermore, you gain a +4 dodge bonus to your AC against attacks from whatever you are climbing. In addition, you can climb while holding something (such as a weapon) in one hand and can hold on with no hands. Remember that you can carry (but not wield effectively) a two-handed weapon in one hand, and can shift to a proper grip as a free action.

I see no reason that as a 5th level Stance for this to be limited to half your speed.

Greater High Critical Strike
Bulldog Tooth (Strike)
Level: 5
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Prerequisites: 2 Bulldog Tooth Maneuvers


Beginning on the ground, you grab a handhold on the enemy and then swing up to strike somewhere particularly vulnerable that it thought was out of your reach. First make a touch attack to find the handhold, then the real attack against which the enemy is flat-footed. On the real attack, your critical threat range is doubled (this stacks with other crit-improving effects such as keen) and your critical multiplier is increased by 1. Afterward, you may choose to either drop to the ground or remain climbing the enemy.[/quote]

See all the similar ones about.

Jointlock
Bulldog Tooth (Strike)
Level: 5
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Prerequisites: 1 Bulldog Tooth Maneuver

Grapple a single limb of a creature you are climbing as if it were a creature in its own right. Adjust its size modifier appropriately, and decrease its effective strength by 8 for every size category smaller it is. You must be within reach of but not on the limb in order to do this.

This doesn't actually do anything. The limb is grappled... so you are incredibly more vulnerable to the rest of the body, and at best, have limited the use of that one limb. Not a good trade off.

Eye-gouge
Bulldog Tooth (Strike)
Level: 6
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Prerequisites: 1 Bulldog Tooth Maneuver

When climbing an enemy and within reach of its eyes, make a single normal attack. If it hits, the creature is also blind until it receives magical healing.

Not bad. I kinda like this. Though since you are sharing a creatures square when climbing on it, I am pretty sure that you are always going to technically be within reach of their eyes from a RAW perspective.

Raking Drop
Bulldog Tooth (Boost)
Level: 6
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Prerequisites: 2 Bulldog Tooth Maneuvers

Drop onto your enemy from above while holding a piercing weapon, then drive the weapon into the enemy's side and use the tearing action to slow your fall. Because of the velocity on arrival, you only need a touch attack to succeed. You then deal 2d6 damage for every 10 ft fallen. If your touch attack fails, you continue falling.


Arterial Strike
Bulldog Tooth (Strike)
Level: 7
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Prerequisites: 2 Bulldog Tooth Maneuvers

When climbing an enemy and within reach of a major artery, you leave a wound that will bleed. Make a single attack normally. If it succeeds, deal half as much damage on the start of your turn until the creature dies, receives magical healing, or receives a dc 15 heal check.

See Eye-Gouge

Esophagus Climb
Bulldog Tooth (Counter)
Level: 7
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Prerequisites: 1 Bulldog Tooth Maneuver

When an enemy swallows you whole, you climb back up the esophagus into the back of the mouth. This requires a dc 30 climb check. In the back of the mouth you are immune to bite attacks, but automatically fail saves against the mouth's breath weapon (if any). Furthermore, the enemy is flat-footed and denied any armor or natural armor bonus, and all successful hits are critical. On the creatures subsequent turns, it can try to swallow you (its str vs your climb) or spit you out (its str vs your str) as a swift action.[/quote]

Not sure that an immediate action counter should give you multiple rounds of benefit like this.

Tendon Strike
Bulldog Tooth (Strike)
Level: 7
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Prerequisites: 2 Bulldog Tooth Maneuvers

Incapacitate a limb
When climbing an enemy and within reach of a tendon, you can try to sever it. Make a normal attack. If successful, the joint served by the tendon becomes inoperative until the creature receives magical healing. While some tendons are visible, others require knowledge(nature) checks to deduce the locations of (regardless of creature type).

Knowledge Nature? Seems like Heal would be far more appropriate.

Bloody Raking Drop
Bulldog Tooth (Boost)
Level: 8
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Prerequisites: 3 Bulldog Tooth Maneuvers

Drop onto your enemy from above while holding a piercing weapon, then drive the weapon into the enemy's side and use the tearing action to slow your fall. Because of the velocity on arrival, you only need a touch attack to succeed. You then deal 2d6 damage for every 10 ft fallen. At the start of your turn on every supsequent round, deal half this damage again until the creature dies, receives magical healing, or receives a dc 15 heal check. If your touch attack fails, you continue falling.



Nerve Strike
Bulldog Tooth (Strike)
Level: 8
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Prerequisites: 3 Bulldog Tooth Maneuvers

When climbing a one-headed enemy and within reach of its spine, you may attempt to sever its motor nerves. Make a normal attack. The creature must then make a fort save (dc 18 + your str mod) or become paralyzed from the neck down.

You can also attempt this maneuver against a multi-headed creature, but the results will vary by the creature's exact neuroanatomy. A dc 40 relevant knowledge check will reveal the effect.

Again I think Heal would be a more appropriate skill to understanding the inner workings of a living being. Also size issues. Human vs. Gnome and all.

Vital Strike
Bulldog Tooth (Strike)
Level: 9
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Prerequisites: 4 Bulldog Tooth Maneuvers

Ignoring what's accessable, you climb to the single most vulnerable part off your enemies anaotomy. Make a single attack. If successful, it is automatically a critical hit and then the damage is tripled on top of that.

Really clunky wording. Not sure how exactly to fix that due to the way multipliers work in DnD Math, but this wording is kinda off. Say I crit for 20, do I then add 60 more? That would be how I read this, though I think, and I could be wrong that what you were saying it to triple the damage you would have done, which means it would be 60 total.

Overall a lot of this school seems incredibly situational. And there are a few things I think you should change. But good start.