Tainted Soul Discipline (PEACH)

[ArchangelAzrael]

Level 8

Spoiler

Show

Perfection in Taint
Tainted Soul (Stance)
Prerequisite: 3 Tainted Soul Maneuver
Actions: Swift Action
Range:Personal
Target: Self
Duration:Stance, Varies see in description

When you enter this stance your very essence is changed to closer resemble those of a evil outsider. You seem to somehow bleed out a darkness that dims your immediate vicinity and your eyes glow in a golden light making you almost seem like a Reaver. You may only enter this stance if you have at least one Corruption or Depravity. When you are in this stance you gain the following penalties and abilities

-You are considered to be effected by the Severe Tainted Brand Maneuver with the exception that it ends as soon as you exit this Stance

-You lose all of your Corruption and Depravity and gain an equal number of 'Taint' points which you can hold up to the combine total of the total of your maximum possible Corruption before you die and your maximum Depravity before you go insane. If you exceed this amount you're dragged into the infinite realm of taint by tendrils of Corruption where you will become one with it. You cannot be revived if this events happens as your very soul is devoured by the taint. For all this though, for the purposes of Spells and abilities that use your Corruption and Depravity, your Taint Score substitutes those. When you exit this stance you distribute your Taint score into Corruption and Depravity in any way you choose. Also if for whatever reason you lose all of your Taint points you immediately are forced out of this stance.

- You are considered to have Severe amount of Corruption and Depravity, no matter how much or little taint points you have. Meaning you have all the flaws of your Corruption and Depravity line even with a single taint point.

- If you enter this Stance with a total of 108 or greater sum of both corruption and depravity you may enter this stance with the taint points as Vile (As described in the maneuver The Vilest of Taint). When you enter this stance in such a way, instead of having a strange bleeding a darkness around you, you literally are merely a silhouette of yourself with glowing golden beads where your eyes should be. Using this version of Perfection in Taint has the added following effects.

-While you are in this stance any taint points you receive or give to others is consider Vile taint.

- This Stance is now a permanent aspect of your being and you are not considered to be using a stance while this is in effect (Meaning you can enter other stances in this form.). Further more the only possible way to exit this version of Perfection in Taint is to lose all of you vile taint points. You cannot lose your Vile taint points without your non-mind controlled consent. (Although you can very much gain more taint without it.)

- If you use Purity of Self, Taint to All Else (You must do it either with the Pure Soul Feat or on Ground that is considered sacred and holy.) to exit this stance, if you do not have the Pure Soul Feat (pg. 124, Heroes of Horror) then when you gain Corruption or Depravity you instead roll two dice (re-rolling doubles) and gain both of the flaw lines.

Ok this one seems to me to be strong as it interacts with maneuvers that count your points in taint for damage. Let’s say i have just 1 point in depravity. I am consider to be in severe range for both of them so when i use Soul Straining Strike for every one point of taint i get i add 1 damage ... this easily translates to 200-250 extra damage... that twice as a level 9 maneuver. I don’t know if that intended but i think it reaches ubercharger silliness and although for some game this might be cool I fear many will turn it down as "broken". It does come with the negative of risking death by nearly capping taint but a dead enemy can’t hurt you. Have you considered the rules about getting more taint than your ability score and how it interacts in general with your discipline? If you take it into account this maneuver loses some steam but still the damage is a tad overwhelming. Now to the more problematic part the second part of this stance. Can a character have pure of soul feat and use this discipline. I think not. Basically if you enter this stance with the second option and get a vile taint you can’t leave it unless you find a holy ground which can be as easy /as hard as the DM wants it to be. How do you wanted it to work, would help me better understand the mechanics that you aimed for.

Tainted Soul Defense
Tainted Soul (Counter)
Prerequisite: 3 Tainted Soul Maneuver
Action: immediate Action
Range: Personal
Target: Self
Duration: Instantaneous ,Varies see in description

Activate this maneuver when you must make a saving throw. When you activate this maneuver you choose a amount of Corruption and Depravity to gain. You gain a Corruption bonus to your saving throw until the end of the duration.

If you have a Severe amount of depravity when you start this maneuver then you do not automatically fail a save on a roll of one and the duration lasts until the start of your next turn.

If you have a Severe amount of corruption then if a spell or ability would have a partial effect even if you succeeded the save, it is instead negated and if a non HP-damage effect from a spell or ability doesn't have a save you get a save anyway to negate that effect with the DC of 10+plus the opponents HD+ their lowest ability modifier.

Solid option if a tad too late. I like it. It gives you a reason not to run on full taint score.

Level 9

Spoiler

Show

To Look Upon the Ebon Mirror
Tainted Soul (Strike)
Prerequisite: 4 Tainted Soul Maneuver
Action: Full Round action
Target: 100ft plus 10ft per Iniator level
Duration: Instantaneous

You must have both Severe corruption and depravity in order to activate this maneuver. Although this oddly named maneuver which some masters have claimed involves the origin of this discipline, seems oddly simple for a style that has so much risk involve to oneself and to the unaware seems strangely friendly in it's execution. This is a lie, it is perhaps perhaps this discipline's darkest technique.

When one executes this maneuver all becomes peaceful and quiet no matter the previous circumstances, from a mayors speech to the harshest of battles. All stop to gaze at the martial adept in a instant, the martial adept opens his arms wide in a friendly gesture and asks all to join him in taint with a smile on his face (They can always tell he or she is smiling even if the adepts form shouldn't really allow one to be able to tell.) as the adepts skin and clothes turn into a oddly dark reflexive surface.

At this point all involved must make a Reflex save (DC=10+1/2 Initiator Level+ CON modifier) to divert their eyes away as their own souls scream to look away. If they make this save there is no effect on them, if they fail they must then make both a Will save (DC=10+1/2 Iniator level+ WIS modifier) and a Fort Save (DC=10+1/2 Initiator level+ CON modifier). If they fail the Will save their depravity score now equals yours including it being vile if yours is. If they fail their fort save their Corruption score now equals yours including it being vile if yours is.

If this causes them to be both Dead and Insane due to having too much corruption and depravity then they are dragged into the realm of taint as if they had too high of a taint score from Perfection in Taint.

A double save or die/suck maneuver it’s strong but appropriate for a level 9 maneuver. I am just afraid it could be spammed and have the dc of the ability scale too high with shenanigans and it’s an aoe attack. Against a party it could easily lead to TPK with unlucky rolls/poor optimization. Having said that I would probably allow it in one of my games as long as the party was optimizing a little. The fact that it seems to target friends as well makes it harder to use which is fine with me