Beware the Oncoming Storm [Discipline]

[The Demented One]

Oncoming Storm Discipline



The Oncoming Storm discipline is a rogue, bastard martial discipline, created after the fall of the Temple of the Nine Swords. Its techniques derive from the underhanded skills of thieves, the masterful swordplay of swashbucklers, and the blinding speed of assassins, all brought together into a single martial discipline by rogue martial adepts after the fall of the Temple. It relies on blinding speed and masterful misdirection. Its signature techniques involve striking a foe with such speed that they do not even realize the full impact of the blow. The Oncoming Storm discipline’s associated skill is Sleight of Hand, as it relies on speed and skill of hand to defeat its foes. The associated weapons of the Oncoming Storm discipline are the dagger, handaxe, light pick, rapier, sai, and shortsword.

Because the Oncoming Storm discipline was never taught widely at the Temple of the Nine Swords or any similar center of training, most martial adepts do not know any maneuvers from it, or even know it exists. Only Swordsages and Warblades can learn maneuvers from the Oncoming Storm discipline. There are two ways to master the discipline. The first is to have been trained in it. If you choose to make a martial adept that has already been trained in the Oncoming Storm discipline, you simply replace one discipline that adept could normally learn maneuvers from with the Oncoming Storm discipline. He loses the associated skill of the replaced discipline as a class skill, but gains Sleight of Hand as a class skill.

The other way is to seek out a master of the Oncoming Storm–a martial adept capable of using at least 5th-level maneuvers from the discipline–and training under him. You must train for a month under the master, and spend 1,000 xp at the end of your training. You gain the ability to learn maneuvers from the Oncoming Storm discipline, and add Sleight of Hand to your martial adept class’s list of class skills. In addition, you may exchange your maneuvers known for maneuvers of the Oncoming Storm discipline. You may exchange one maneuver of each level, and the new maneuvers you learn must be of the same level as the exchanged maneuvers, unlike normal.

[The Demented One]

Oncoming Storm Expertise
You can sacrifice power to improve the accuracy of your attacks.
Requirements: Dex 13, one Oncoming Storm maneuver
Benefit: Whenever you make an attack, you may choose to gain a bonus of up to your base attack bonus on the attack roll. If you do, however, you subtract twice the amount you added from the damage roll.
Special: Oncoming Storm Expertise may be used in place of the Combat Expertise feat to qualify for feats, prestige classes, and other special abilities. If you already have the Combat Expertise feat when you gain this feat, you may choose to exchange it for another feat in its place. You must meet the prerequisite for the new feat.

Storm Ambush
You can sneak attack your enemies with blinding speed, striking so fast they don't realize you've hit them.
Requirements: Sneak Attack +1d6 or Sudden Strike +1d6, one Oncoming Storm strike
Benefit: Whenever you would deal sneak attack or sudden strike damage to an enemy, you may choose to forgo as many d6's of damage as you want. For every d6 of damage forgone this way, that enemy takes 1d8 damage in the next round.

Sturmundrang [Tactical]
You have mastered the underhanded tactics favored by disciples of the Oncoming Storm school.
Requirements: Oncoming Storm Expertise, Sleight of Hand 9 ranks, two Oncoming Storm maneuvers
Benefit: The Sturmundrang feat allows the use of three tactical options:

Blade Flourish: To use this option, you must first flourish your weapon at one enemy within 30 ft. of you, a standard action, making a Sleight of Hand check opposed by that enemy's Sense Motive check, although they may add their base attack bonus to the check. If your Sleight of Hand check succeeds, then you gain a +4 circumstance bonus on any rolls you make to feint, disarm, or trip that enemy in the next round.

Expert Slash: To use this option, you must, as a full-round action, make a single melee attack, adding at least a +5 bonus to the attack roll with the Oncoming Storm Expertise feat. If the attack is successful, then you may immediately make either a disarm or trip attempt against the attacked creature as a swift action. You do not provoke attacks of opportunity for doing so.

Focused Retribution: To use this option, you must first choose not to make an attack of opportunity against an enemy that provokes one from you. If you do, then you gain a +5 bonus on any melee attack and damage rolls you make against that enemy in the following round. If you choose not to make an attack of opportunity to use this option, it still counts as your attack of opportunity for the round.

[The Demented One]

1st level
Dance of Razors: Stance–Gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls, but take a -2 penalty to damage rolls.
Skillful Parry: Counter–Weapon grants you a +4 shield bonus to AC.
Sudden Slash: Strike–Attack a foe, deal 1d8 damage in the next round.
Unseen Hand: Strike–Disarm a foe with a Sleight of Hand check.

2nd level
Final Blow: Boost–Make free coup de grace’s against foes you drop.
Rapid Strike: Strike–Make an additional attack.
Scathing Disarm: Strike–Disarm a foe, he takes -2 penalty to attack rolls.
Unerring Accuracy: Boost–Your attacks ignore miss chances from concealment.

3rd level
Dance of Phantom Blades: Stance–Use Sleight of Hand to feint as a swift action.
Lightning Slash: Strike–Attack a foe, deal 5d8 damage in the next round.
Storm’s Edge: Boost–Double your weapon’s critical threat range, discharge to automatically confirm critical hit.

4th level
As the Clouds: Counter–Force an opponent to reroll an attack with a -2 penalty.
Crimson Slash: Strike–Attack a foe, deal 1d6 Strength and Constitution damage in the next round.
Flurry of Blades: Boost–Enemies that you hit become flatfooted.
Sleight of Blade: Stance–Use Sleight of Hand to damage flatfooted and flanked foes.

5th level
Phantom’s Strike: Strike–Attacked foe becomes flanked.
Razorstorm: Boost–Make two attack rolls for each attack, use the higher result.
Masterful Parry: Counter–Completely block a melee attack.

6th level
Dazzling Swordplay: Strike–Attacked foe becomes dazed.
Thunderstorm Flurry: Boost–Enemies hit by your melee attacks take 5d8 damage in the next round.

7th level
Strike as the Storm: Strike–Make two additional attacks.
Thunderbolt Slash: Strike–Attack a foe, deal 13d8 damage in the next round.

8th level
Grace of the Winds: Stance–Gain several bonuses to movement.
Ultimate Parry: Counter–Reflect foe’s attack.

9th level
Sudden Death: Strike–Attack a foe, he must save or die in the next round.

[The Demented One]

As the Clouds
Oncoming Storm (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Prerequisite: One Oncoming Storm maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You

You employ cunning footwork and dodging to throw a foe’s attack off balance. Whenever an enemy makes a melee attack against you, you may initiate this maneuver to force them to reroll that one attack roll, with a -2 penalty. They must use the results of the reroll to determine if the attack hits you. You may choose to initiate this maneuver after your enemy has made his attack roll.

Crimson Slash
Oncoming Storm (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Prerequisite: One Oncoming Storm maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature

You maim a foe with such celerity that he does not immediately realize the damage you have wreaked on its body. As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against a creature. If it was successful, then in the next round, that creature takes 1d6 points of both Strength and Constitution damage.

Dance of Phantom Blades
Oncoming Storm (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisite: One Oncoming Storm maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

A blade form that relies on deception and misdirection, the dance of phantom blades stance allows you to feint in combat as a swift action. In addition, you may make a Sleight of Hand check, instead of a Bluff check, to feint against a creature.

Dance of Razors
Oncoming Storm (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

One of the signature blade forms of the Oncoming Storm discipline, the dance of razors stance emphasizes accuracy over strength. While you are in this stance, you gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make. However, you take a -2 penalty on all damage rolls.

Dazzling Swordplay
Oncoming Storm (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 6, Warblade 6
Prerequisite: Two Oncoming Storm maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 1d3 rounds

Using supreme skill and speed, you can catch a foe off guard with your masterful swordplay. As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against a creature. If the attack is successful, you may then make a Sleight of Hand check, opposed by that creature’s Sense Motive check, although the creature adds its base attack bonus to the check. If your Sleight of Hand check is successful, then that creature is dazed for 1d3 rounds.

Final Blow
Oncoming Storm (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 5 rounds

This maneuver allows you to quickly dispatch foes you fell in combat. Whenever you reduce a foe to 0 or less hp, you may take a swift action to make a coup de grace against that creature. Doing so does not cause you to provoke attacks of opportunity.

Flurry of Blades
Oncoming Storm (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Prerequisite: One Oncoming Storm maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn

You deftly strike your foes, throwing them off their balance. Until the end of your turn, any enemy hit by one of your melee attacks is flatfooted until the beginning of its next turn.

Grace of the Wind
Oncoming Storm (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 8, Warblade 8
Prerequisite: Three Oncoming Storm maneuvers
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

As you assume this stance, your body is filled with celerity and grace, allowing you to move like the wind. You gain a +30 ft. enhancement bonus to your base land speed, and gain a +5 bonus on all Balance, Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks. You can move unhindered by most obstacles, as the freedom of movement spell.

Finally, you may run on walls. You can take part of one of your move actions to traverse a wall or other relatively smooth vertical surface if you begin and end your move on a horizontal surface. If you do not end your move on a horizontal surface, you fall prone, taking falling damage as appropriate for your distance above the ground. Treat the wall as a normal floor for the purpose of measuring your movement. Passing from floor to wall or wall to floor costs no movement; you can change surfaces freely. Opponents on the ground can make attacks of opportunity as you move up the wall.

Lightning Slash
Oncoming Storm (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Prerequisite: One Oncoming Storm maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature

You strike with the speed of lightning, inflicting grievous wounds your foe feels only after the fact. As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against a creature. If it was successful, then in the next round, that creature takes an additional 5d8 damage.

Masterful Parry
Oncoming Storm (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Prerequisite: One Oncoming Storm maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You

With a swift stroke of your blade, you halt your foe’s own attack. Whenever an enemy makes a melee attack against you, you may initiate this maneuver to automatically cause that attack to miss you, unless the creature attacking you has an amount of HD that exceeds your initiator level by four or more. Even if its HD is high enough to prevent you from completely blocking the attack, you still gain a +6 shield bonus to your AC against that one attack. You may choose to initiate this maneuver after your enemy has made his attack roll. You must be wielding a weapon that you are proficient with to use this maneuver.

Phantom’s Strike
Oncoming Storm (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Prerequisite: One Oncoming Storm maneuver
Initiation Action: One standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 10 rounds

Using subtle misdirection, you force a foe off its guard, as if it were fending against a phantasmal assailant. As part of this maneuver, you may a single melee attack against a creature. If it is successful, then that enemy is treated as being flanked for the next 10 rounds.

Rapid Strike
Oncoming Storm (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Personal
Target: You

You attack with the speed that is the hallmark of the Oncoming Storm discipline. As part of this maneuver, you make a full attack, as normal, but you may make one additional attack at your highest base attack bonus. You take a -4 penalty on all damage rolls you make as part of the full attack.

Razorstorm
Oncoming Storm (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 5, Warblade 5
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn

You attack at rapid speed, demolishing your foes’ defenses. Until the end of turn, whenever you make a melee attack, you make two attack rolls, and use the higher result to determine whether or not the attack hit.

Scathing Disarm
Oncoming Storm (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: 10 rounds (see text)

You disarm your foe, maiming his hand as you do to weaken his accuracy. As part of this maneuver, you and your target make opposed attack rolls. If you are successful, he is disarmed, and you maim his hand. He takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls he makes for the next 10 rounds. A DC 20 Heal check or a single point of magical healing restores his hand, removing the penalty on attack rolls. You do not provoke attacks of opportunity when using this maneuver, even if you do not have the Improved Disarm feat.

Skillful Parry
Oncoming Storm (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You

This technique allows you to shield yourself from your enemies’ attacks by parrying them with your own blade. Whenever an enemy makes a melee attack against you, you may initiate this maneuver to gain a +4 shield bonus to AC against that one attack. You may choose to initiate this maneuver after your enemy has made his attack roll. You must be wielding a weapon that you are proficient with to use this maneuver.

Sleight of Blade
Oncoming Storm (Stance)
Level: Swordsage 4, Warblade 4
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

You employ a blade form based on the killing techniques of rogues and assassins. While in the sleight of blade stance, whenever you hit an enemy that is flatfooted or flanked with a melee attack, you may make a Sleight of Hand check. You add one-half the result of the check, rounded up, to your damage roll.

Storm’s Edge
Oncoming Storm (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 3, Warblade 3
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 5 rounds

You employ blinding speed and keen swordplay to strike your foes in their weakest points. The critical threat range of any weapon you wield is doubled. In addition, whenever you threaten a critical hit, you may choose to discharge this boost instead of making a confirmation roll. If you do, then the critical hit is automatically confirmed.

Strike as the Storm
Oncoming Storm (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 7, Warblade 7
Prerequisite: Two Oncoming Storm maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 full-round action
Range: Personal
Target: You

You attack with the speed of a thunderstorm. As part of this maneuver, you make a full attack, as normal, but you may make two additional attacks at your highest base attack bonus. You take a
-4 penalty on all damage rolls you make as part of the full attack.

Sudden Death
Oncoming Storm (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 9, Warblade 9
Prerequisite: Three Oncoming Storm maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial

The ultimate Oncoming Storm technique, the sudden death strike lets you slay a foe with blinding speed, striking so fast that your enemy does not even realize he has died. As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against a creature. If it was successful, then in the next round, that creature must make a Fortitude save, DC 19 + your Dexterity modifier, or die. Even if it succeeds on the save, it still takes 15d8 damage.

Sudden Slash
Oncoming Storm (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature

One of the signature maneuvers of the Oncoming Storm discipline, the sudden slash strike allows you to hit a foe with such speed that the full damage of the blow is not immediately realized. As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against a creature. If it was successful, then in the next round, that creature takes an additional 1d8 damage.

Thunderbolt Slash
Oncoming Storm (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 7, Warblade 7
Prerequisite: Two Oncoming Storm maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature

You strike with brutal speed, cutting your foe far deeper than he realizes. As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against a creature. If it was successful, then in the next round, that creature takes an additional 13d8 damage.

Thunderstorm Flurry
Oncoming Storm (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 6, Warblade 6
Prerequisite: Two Oncoming Storm maneuvers
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn

You attack with swift speed, making a flurry of attacks whose true strength is not immediately felt. Until end of turn, if you successfully hit a creature with a melee attack, then in the next round, that creature takes an additional 5d8 damage.

Ultimate Parry
Oncoming Storm (Counter)
Level: Swordsage 8, Warblade 8
Prerequisite: Three Oncoming Storm maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature

This maneuver, the Oncoming Storm discipline’s ultimate defense, lets you strike a foe with his own strength. Whenever an enemy makes a melee attack against you, you may initiate this maneuver. You make a melee attack roll. If the result of your attack roll is higher than his, then he rolls damage normally, but it is dealt to him, rather than to you. If your attack roll is lower than his, you are damaged normally. You may choose to initiate this maneuver after your enemy has made his attack roll. You must be wielding a weapon that you are proficient with to use this maneuver.

Unerring Accuracy
Oncoming Storm (Boost)
Level: Swordsage 2, Warblade 2
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn

You strike true and precisely, ignoring any concealment your foes try to hide behind. Until the end of your turn, any melee attack you make ignores any miss chance its target has from concealment (but not from cover).

Unseen Hand
Oncoming Storm (Strike)
Level: Swordsage 1, Warblade 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature

Using your speed and skill of hand, you can disarm a foe. As part of this maneuver, you make a Sleight of Hand check, opposed by your target’s attack roll. If your Sleight of Hand check beats his attack roll, then you disarm him of his weapon, successfully transferring it into your hand. You must have an empty hand available to initiate this maneuver. You do not provoke attacks of opportunity when using this maneuver, even if you do not have the Improved Disarm feat.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Oh this is very cool... It seems to be the perfect discipline for that backstabbing, scoundrel swordsage I've been wanting to make for a while.

[The Demented One]

Added in feats. Would someone look over the tactical feat to make sure it's balanced?

[The Demented One]

Oh this is very cool... It seems to be the perfect discipline for that backstabbing, scoundrel swordsage I've been wanting to make for a while.

Glad to please...and by the way, would you be okay with Zenra using this?

[Deesix]

Is all of BotNS as neat as this? If so, I might need to change my opinion on it. I haven't read it in a while.

[The Demented One]

Is all of BotNS as neat as this? If so, I might need to change my opinion on it. I haven't read it in a while.

It's even better. The Book of Nine Swords is one of those few books that everyone would benefit from reading.

[Finerty]

Personally, it took awhile for Bo9S to grow on me, but then boy, did it ever.
I like the flavour of this discipline a lot more than most of the flavour of the book itself. Seems to lend itself very very well to a Swordsage, sage/rogue, or swordsage variant with sneak attack. You've made a lot of nice maneuvers for combos that rely on the sneaky skills and/or sneak attack in place of regular weapon damage. Covers the BAB weakness of both the rogue and swordsage very well. Treats the rogue (hmmm, or arguably the right monk) even nicer than the Shadow Hand discipline. Really well-designed, both mechanically and flavorily.
One note, though - I would consider editing or cutting the Expert Slash part of your tactical feat. It's got two nice, balanced combat options, and then Expert Slash just undoes most of the penalty of using Oncoming Storm Expertise in the first place. Sure, it's a feat with a lot of prereqs, but it's a combat option that almost always assures it's own use (Raise your to-hit. If it hits, do more damage) and makes one of it's prereqs unbalanced.

[The Demented One]

One note, though - I would consider editing or cutting the Expert Slash part of your tactical feat. It's got two nice, balanced combat options, and then Expert Slash just undoes most of the penalty of using Oncoming Storm Expertise in the first place. Sure, it's a feat with a lot of prereqs, but it's a combat option that almost always assures it's own use (Raise your to-hit. If it hits, do more damage) and makes one of it's prereqs unbalanced.

Good point. Might change the way it works.