Have you ever heard of the Marquis de Fantailer? [Martial "Discipline"]

[Eldan]

Bloodstained Gutter School

Some people study the arts of fighting in sacred temples, on windswept mountaintops or ancient schools. Some just get in a lot of fights on a wet friday night. Some study pressure points, throws, parries and maneuvers. Some just kick their opponent in the family jewels.
These are the masters of the bloodstained gutter school, if there was ever such a thing. It is not regularly thought, and most people learn it either for themselves, or from observing others.
It is not a refined or elegant style. Instead, it is quick, hard and brutal. Disable your enemy before he disables you. That is the only lesson.


Associated Skill:
Bluff

Associated Weapons:
Club, Dagger, Kukri, Sai, Sap, Spiked Gauntlet, Unarmed Strike and Improvised Weapons. If in use, hidden weapons from Complete Adventurer and Complete Scoundrel also count as associated weapons for this school.


Feats:

Strike of Opportunity [General]

Prerequisites: Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes, at least three strikes of the Shadow Hand or Bloodstained Gutter disciplines.
Benefit: When making an attack of opportunity, you can choose to use a strike from the Shadow Hand or Bloodstained Gutter disciplines instead of a normal melee attack. The strike must be one that is resolved as a standard action and includes a melee attack against a single creature. This strike can make an opponent unable to complete the action which provoked the attack of opportunity in the first place, in which case it just fails.


Level 1:

Arterial Strike: Strike - Leave your foe bleeding
Run like Hell: Stance - Learn the first rule of combat
Sneak Attack: Boost - Deal extra damage to opponents denied their AC bonus, or opponent you are flanking.
Never unarmed: Boost -


Level 2:

Ringing Ears: Strike - Make your foes deaf
Searing Pain: Boost - Your enemy suffers excruciating pain
Stomach Punch Strike - Sicken your foe
Throat Strike: Strike - Take away your enemy's ability to speak


Level 3:

Assassin's Stance: Stance - You gain 2d6 sneak attack.
Blood in the eyes: Strike - Temporarily blind our enemy
Stunning Fist: Strike - Leave your foes stunned


Level 4:

Hamstring: Strike - Slow down your foes
Knee Hook: Counter - Trip a retreating foe
Rain of Pain: Stance - Your strikes inflict pain on enemies.
Unbalancing Strike - Opponent loses dexterity bonus to AC


Level 5:

Disembowel: Strike - Deal 1d4 extra constitution damage to your opponent.
Headshot: Strike - Confuse your opponent
Lacerate: Boost - Disarm opponent, he temporarily loses use of one hand


Level 6:

Harder Stomach Punch: Strike - Nauseate your foe


Level 9:

The Red Smile: - Strike: Kill your enemy with a single slash

[Eldan]

Level 1:

Spoiler

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Arterial Strike
Bloodstained Gutter (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One creature

You slash at your target's blood vessels, leaving a wound that refuses to stop bleeding. As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack against a creature. If the strike hits, the creature suffers 1 point of damage per round until it receives the benefit of a DC 15 Heal check or any cure spell or other magical healing.

Run like Hell
Bloodstained Gutter (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: 1 Swift action
Duration: Stance
Range: Personal
Target: You

You learn the first rule of combat: know when to fight, and when to run. If you can't win, get out of there as fast as you can.
While under the effects of this stance, you gain the benefits of the Run feat. Furthermore, while running, you gain the benefits of total defence (a +4 dodge bonus to AC) and a +5 ft. bonus to your land speed.

Sneak Attack
Bloodstained Gutter (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You

You know how to target an enemy's weak spots when they are distracted or unaware, dealing massive damage. Until the end of your turn, your attacks deal extra damage equal to your initiator level to all enemies denied their dexterity bonus to AC and all enemies you are flanking. Enemies immune to critical hits or to a rogue's sneak attack are immune to this bonus damage.


Never Unarmed
Bloodstained Gutter (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal or 5 ft.
Target: 1 weapon or improvised weapon

Even when surprised, your hands are never empty. You can use this counter during the first round of any combat, or during a surprise round, even if you are the one surprised and could not normally act. You may draw a weapon you have on you as part of this counter, or, if you have no weapon, grab a suitable item within five feet to use as an improvised weapon. If there is no such item around, this maneuver fails, but is still expended.

Level 2:

Spoiler

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Ringing Ears
Bloodstained Gutter (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One creature
Saving throw: Fortitude negates

You strike your enemy's ear, leaving him temporarily deafened. As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack against a creature. If the attack is successful, it must then make a fortitude save, DC 12+your dexterity modifier, or be deafened for one minute.

Searing Pain
Bloodstained Gutter (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You

Your blade hits the enemies pressure points in just the right way to deal enormous pain, weakening him. The next time you hit a living enemy able to feel pain this turn with a melee attack, he suffers a -2 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks for 1d4 rounds.

Stomach Punch
Bloodstained Gutter (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One creature
Saving throw: None

You strike your enemy's stomach, causing nausea and sickness. As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack against a creature. If the attack hits, your enemy is sickened for one round.

Throat Strike
Bloodstained Gutter (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One creature
Saving throw: None

You strike the enemy's larynx, greatly hindering his ability to speak.
As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack against a creature. If the attack hits, the target takes a -5 penalty on any skill check requiring speech and has a 50% chance of failure when casting a spell with a verbal component or activating a magic item with a command word. The effect lasts for three rounds. Creatures with no discernible anatomy and creatures immune to critical hits don't suffer the effect.

Level 3:

Spoiler

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Assassin's Stance:
Note: this works exactly like the Shadow Hand stance of the same name.

Blood in the eyes
Bloodstained Gutter (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisite: 1 Bloostained Gutter maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One creature
Saving throw: None

You leave a bleeding gash above the enemy's eye, which greatly hinders his vision. The enemy suffers 1 point of damage every turn, a -5 penalty on all spot checks, and treats all other creatures as having concealment. Darkvision or Low-light vision don't help against this effect, but blindsight does. Only a creature with blood or a similar bodily fluid can be affected by this strike. The effect lasts for three rounds, or until the creature is the target of any cure spell or other healing magic, or a DC 15 heal check.

Stunning Fist
Bloodstained Gutter (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisite: 1 Bloostained Gutter maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One creature
Saving throw: Fortitude negates

With a single, mighty blow, you send your foe tumbling back. As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack against a creature. If the attack is successful, it must then make a fortitude save, DC 12+your strength modifier, or be stunned for one round.

Level 4:

Spoiler

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Hamstring
Bloodstained Gutter (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Prerequisite: 1 Bloostained Gutter maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One creature
Saving throw: None

You strike at your opponents legs and tendons, reducing his movement to pained hobble.
As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack against a creature. If the attack is successful, you reduce your opponent's base speed by half. This speed reduction ends after 24 hours have passed or a successful DC 15 Heal check or the application of any cure spell or other magical healing is made. Creatures immune to sneak attack damage and creatures with no legs or more than four legs can't be slowed down with a hamstring attack.

Knee Hook
Bloodstained Gutter (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Prerequisite: 1 Bloostained Gutter maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One creature
Saving throw: None

As your opponent tries to retreat, you kick the legs out from under him, sending him flying.
You can use this counter whenever an opponent within your reach is making a five foot step. You can immediately make an unarmed trip attack against that opponent, against which he gets no attack of opportunity.

Rain of Pain
Bloodstained Gutter (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Prerequisite: 1 Bloostained Gutter maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Duration: Stance
Target: You

You make every strike count, making sure to inflict the maximum amount of pain with each blow.
Each time one of your attacks hits an opponent, the opponent takes a -1 penalty to all attack rolls, ability checks and skill checks for one minute. The penalty from multiple hits stacks.

Unbalancing Strike
Bloodstained Gutter (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Prerequisite: 1 Bloostained Gutter maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One creature
Saving throw: Reflex negates

You throw your opponent off balance to prepare for a truly nasty follow-up.
As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack against a creature. If the attack is successful, your opponent must make a reflex save DC 14+your dexterity modifier or he loses his dexterity bonus to armour class until the end of your next turn. During your next turn, you can decide to take a -2 penalty on all melee attacks in order to make an extra attack against that opponent at your highest attack bonus.

Level 5

Spoiler

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Disemboweling Strike
Bloodstained Gutter (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Prerequisites: 1 Bloodstained Gutter maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One creature

You tear in your opponent's viscera, ripping out his guts with a twist of your blade.
As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack against a creature. If the attack is successful, it deals normal damage, plus an additional 1d4 constitution damage. Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to this ability damage.

Headshot
Bloodstained Gutter (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Prerequisites: 1 Bloodstained Gutter maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One creature

You strike your opponent's head, and for a precious few moments, the entire world is spinning around him.
As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack against a creature. If the attack is successful, it deals normal damage and your opponent must make a fortitude save, DC 15+your strength modifier, or be confused for 1d4 rounds.


Lacerate
Bloodstained Gutter (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Prerequisites: 1 Bloodstained Gutter maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One creature

As you strike your opponent's hand to make him drop an object, you twist your blade at the last moment, striking at his tendons.
To use this counter, you must successfully disarm an opponent. Your opponent can not use the hand he held the disarmed object in (or his dominant hand, in the case of a two-handed object) for ten minutes, or until a healing spell or DC 20 heal check is applied to him.

Level 9

Spoiler

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The Red Smile
Bloodstained Gutter (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 9, Warblade 9
Prerequisites: 3 Bloodstained Gutter maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One creature
Save: Reflex partial

Before your opponent has time to react, you jump him, slashing his throat from ear to ear.
You may only use this maneuver against a flat-footed opponent. As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack as a swift action. If the attack hits, your opponent must make a reflex save, DC 19+your dexterity modifier, or die. If he makes his save, he still takes normal damage, plus an additional 10d6 bonus damage.

[Eldan]

A short explanation of what I'm doing here, perhaps, though it should actually be mostly clear:

I was looking at the rogue and how, in 3.5, the class doesn't actually have all that many options. After looking at Ambush feats, one of my first thoughts was actually: This looks a lot like half a Martial Discipline!

So, that's what I'm doing now. Even after Age of Warriors, there's a bit of a lack of completely mundane disciplines other than Iron Heart, and a good way of dealing status effects for warriors. This discipline hopes to achieve that.

A current problem is a lack of high-level effects. Ambush feats cover the lower levels, but there should be a few higher level ones. Ideas would be welcome.

[EdroGrimshell]

A current problem is a lack of high-level effects. Ambush feats cover the lower levels, but there should be a few higher level ones. Ideas would be welcome.

Got a name for the 9th level one, The Red Smile. And if you don't know what that is, it's slitting a person's throat, very quickly

[ScrambledBrains]

Your feat has a number missing from it, on the "At least strikes from Shadow Hand or Bloodstained Gutter" Line. :)

[Grod_The_Giant]

Stomach punch's description says "You strike your enemy's ear, leaving him temporarily deafened." Other than that, looks good so far.

[Yitzi]

I was looking at the rogue and how, in 3.5, the class doesn't actually have all that many options.

Of course he does. He has all those skills. Just because the options for skill use are so plentiful (mirroring real life) that only a few details are in the rulebooks doesn't mean they aren't options.

[Eldan]

Of course he does. He has all those skills. Just because the options for skill use are so plentiful (mirroring real life) that only a few details are in the rulebooks doesn't mean they aren't options.

I didn't mean options as in "things you can do in the game". I'm well aware of those. I meant options as in "has different class features to choose from". I usually run games that are far more focused on skills than on combat power.

Also, corrected the few mistakes mentioned.

[Mulletmanalive]

A few ideas:

Glasgow Kiss - headbutt; probably a counter that makes a nasty attack with stunning and possibly a chance of dazing the user.

Rising Knee - knee in the ribs; crack some floating ribs for nasty damage on a strike, possibly a bit of bleed and a condition, perhaps staggered.

Whipping Elbows - Stance probably, lasing out with elbows, shoulders and a bit of hip when flanked; extra half again attacks that have to go against those flanking you.

Pierced Lung - strike; collapse the poor devil's lung. Target is Staggered and takes 1 point of Strenght Bleed.

Vale Tudo - lit. "Anything Goes" +5d6 Sudden Strike and three Ambush feats chose when you adot the stance though each may be used only once per use of the stance.

School of Hard Knocks - little bit o'DR/- gotta take it to dish it.

Too Ugly to Die - Counter; Intimidate to inflict a -4 to hit vs attack made against you.

Cheap Shot - Boost; grab an item laying around, any attack you make with it this round deals bonus damage as if the target was Flatfoooted [though he retains his full AC]

Bloody Spit - Boost; make intimidate check with bonus equal to damage you suffered last round. Immunity oto Fear simply grants a +20 to resist this.

Claw the Eyes - blind target for a while, possibly permanently on a critical.

Come On! - Boost; Intimidate all enemies within 20ft when you bring down one of their allies.

Charging the Tower - The tower being where you keep your jewels. smash to the groin! ouch! Some extra damage and Staggered or dazed condition, whichever you prefer.

Snapping Dry Wood - kick to the shins as the opponent attempts to make a 5ft step. Trip as a counter, plus damage, under reasonably common circumstances.

Wreck the Joint - Trip as Strick, and move to another square you threaten with damage if you hit something, even more if it breaks {table, window etc].

Blood in the Eyes - strike; cuts on the forehead causes a save or be blinded for 1 round every round for 1 round/ initiator level. Heal skill or magical healing ends.

Stomp - boost; deal attack with bonus damage [1d6 per manouvre level] to prone or standing target. should that be a counter?

Pimp Slap - Boost; next attack makes target Shaken for 1 round, no save.

Bag and Tag - Full Attack Action - Grapple check as first attack; success blinds target and doubles number of extra attacks in Full round action. Coat over their head followed by repeated blows to the face.

Catch and Topple - Counter; trip opponent after failed attack.

If i come up with any more, i'll let you know...

Edit: I don't remember anything much of a spiritual or mythical bent in Setting Sun...

[Eldan]

Heh. If I take all those, I'll have something like double the number of maneuvers of other disciplines.

[DracoDei]

Heh. If I take all those, I'll have something like double the number of maneuvers of other disciplines.

Do you see that as a problem? Nobody ever seemed to think that was really a problem with Falling Anvil (see my signature if you care about the details, which aren't going to be much use for this discipline), even after I brought up the issue (saying I was considering splitting it into two disciplines).

You might want to look at Fool's Grip, and Maula Kae. Neither of them is close enough that you are going to be creating a variant of them, but they are close enough that they would be thematic for a character to pick them as the three disciplines that his character is following. Fool's Grip is focused around improvised weapons, and Maula Kae is for grappling.

Lastly, I am intrigued that you apparently pulled a stance STRAIGHT from Shadow Hand. That actually might not be a problem, but other people probably are going to think it is (you will probably want to rename it though).

[Eldan]

Well, the basic idea was, really, to then put in something slightly more supernatural for shadow hand, there. Because Sneak Attack is really something this school should have somewhere.

I knew Fool's Grip, and it's nice, but Maula Kae was new to me. Thanks.

[Eldan]

And updated level 4, with one of Mulletmanalive's suggestions. I'll probably include another two or three of those, but Damage Reduction was a bit close to Stone Dragon, and Tripping is already Setting Sun's deal.

[Mulletmanalive]

Perhaps if you replaced the conventional DR with conversion to Subdual [like the well thought of Streetfighter class from CA] and then an ability that allows you to heal that quickly?

You could also replace Wrecking The Joint's Trip with a Bullrush effect. The idea being that rather than judo style throws, you're grabbing the dude by his belt and shoving him somewhere head first.

[Eldan]

I've added three level 5 maneuvers, and a level 9 maneuver, the Red Smile, as suggested.

I'm not too sure on balance, really: to make it different from the level nine maneuver of Tiger Claw (and a few other homebrew disciplines I've seen on this board), I made it faster, but limited it's application. Does that look balanced?

[DracoDei]

Random thoughts on the 9th level one:
Flatfooted doesn't really strike me as a brawler's method, but that is a fine point of the fluff.
If nothing else, it is an extra attack with +10d6 damage(and non-precision-based damage at that). The discipline doesn't include any way to make an opponent flat-footed, nor any other maneuvers that require that. Other disciplines, especially homebrew ones, probably do.

[EdroGrimshell]

You know, i think that i have an Idea. Why not use this example to create supplementary styles? Styles you can pick up with a feat and only ever go up to 6th level maneuvers and stances. Maybe make them supplemental only, like a quick and dirty boost to normal maneuvers that can be added on at any time and are prepared separately from normal maneuvers. Maybe even let the stances be used alongside more standard stances.

It'd solve the lack of ideas for higher level maneuvers problem and make this essentially complete. Seems like a fun way to customize certain disciplines and characters to me and acts as a sorta meta-maneuver feat system.

EDIT: Now that i think about it that'd be a great side project, i think i'm going to make mechanics for this idea.

[DracoDei]

You know, i think that i have an Idea. Why not use this example to create supplementary styles? Styles you can pick up with a feat

Actually, I think the verdict of AoW was that a feat was too EXPENSIVE... or maybe they/we were just going for standardization? I forget.

and only ever go up to 6th level maneuvers and stances.

Which is completely meaningless in games that don't go above 12th level. If you are using this to nerf something it is probably better to take those same 6 levels of maneuvers, balanced for maneuver levels 1-6, and put them at 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 9th levels... or I guess the "only goes to 6th level" thing could just be a "these are the sorts of things you might want to hang on to all the way to 20th level, but only in the same way that most low level stances and a few low-level maneuvers are worth hanging on to" (Moment of Perfect Mind and its cousins come to mind).

Maybe make them supplemental only, like a quick and dirty boost to normal maneuvers that can be added on at any time and are prepared separately from normal maneuvers. Maybe even let the stances be used alongside more standard stances.

Ah, now THIS would make my 2,3,5,6,7,9 thing worth considering as a balance point!

[EdroGrimshell]

Actually, I think the verdict of AoW was that a feat was too EXPENSIVE... or maybe they/we were just going for standardization? I forget.

Which is completely meaningless in games that don't go above 12th level. If you are using this to nerf something it is probably better to take those same 6 levels of maneuvers, balanced for maneuver levels 1-6, and put them at 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 9th levels... or I guess the "only goes to 6th level" thing could just be a "these are the sorts of things you might want to hang on to all the way to 20th level, but only in the same way that most low level stances and a few low-level maneuvers are worth hanging on to" (Moment of Perfect Mind and its cousins come to mind).

Ah, now THIS would make my 2,3,5,6,7,9 thing worth considering as a balance point!

Actually i meant a feat that gives a supplementary discipline and a small progression for the supplemental maneuvers and the supplemental maneuvers only cover 1st-6th level maneuvers, and only the supplemental ones.

My idea was actually that supplemental disciplines can be "attached" to a main discipline and become a combination discipline that is more stylized to a specific character. Like how real life martial arts may be similar but have subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) differences that make them unique. Essentially, my idea is that Supplemental styles are actually just boosts that can be added to a strike, counter, or stance to augment them much like metamagic feats can be added to a spell, only more varied and limited.

[DracoDei]

My idea was actually that supplemental disciplines can be "attached" to a main discipline and become a combination discipline that is more stylized to a specific character. Like how real life martial arts may be similar but have subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) differences that make them unique. Essentially, my idea is that Supplemental styles are actually just boosts that can be added to a strike, counter, or stance to augment them much like metamagic feats can be added to a spell, only more varied and limited.

AoWs take on this was that this was why no PC class is limited to one discipline, and also it underscores the difference between a school and a discipline.

But yes, what you are saying could work.