The Age of Warriors (Project Revived!)

[Elves]

Wolves holding weapons in their mouths sounds a bit silly to be honest. Maybe swords and daggers for teeth and claws? Two lore bits I can think of, either scouts sent across the world by Reshar on his sword collecting quest (yes he would just use divination spells but we're keeping it a bit sword and sorcery) or dogs who hunt adepts, sent by Mardilkuthor Pwarna and the Adept Hunters.

[Sgt. Cookie]

Mouthpick weapons already exist, they're in Lords of Madness (Which actually reminds me to make a note about those...). Not to mention dog-like creatures using swords is a big thing in fiction:

Spoiler

Show

And that's not even all of them. Repede from Tales of Vesperia, Hessian Lobo from Grand Order, Cracklefang from World of Warcraft. Dogs with blades is a common enough thing.

TBH, I'm actually MORE surprised that you've never heard of the concept before.

[Elves]

It's definitely cute in the image, I don't see how they'd swing them around or stab with them though. I guess they could strafe and slice peoples' legs, which could make some sense if they're wild and are bringing down unarmored animals...

[Sgt. Cookie]

I imagine they'd swing them a lot like this.

Trust me, Elves, you're one of today's lucky 10,000 when it comes to the concept.

[khadgar567]

great wolf sif know that's a dog you dont want to mess with plus in picture was ookami who basicly uses mage hand to hold that sword and legendery pokemon does not need to use as regular weapon since there are tons of moves that dont need actual medium to use ( lucario using bone dance any one or skarmory using blade dance) plus there is always a solid option to wizard did some experiment on subject in some setting.

[Elves]

Well, if you guys like it.
Is there a lore option for them you prefer Sgt?

[Sgt. Cookie]

My original lore for them, or at least the lore as far as Martial Scholars believe, is that nearing his death Reshar realised he would not be content with an ordinary burial, so he wandered into the forest where he breathed his last. A short while later, a pack of wolves found his body and fed upon it. Upon taking his essence into themselves, the wolves were changed. The most prominent being the fact that the tops of their heads turned silver. Martial Scholars believe, of course, that this first pack consisted of nine wolves, each of them taking a weapon Reshar carried with him and then parting ways.

One interesting thing about Hounds of Reshar is that they if they interbreed with ordinary wolves, the cubs are always Hounds of Reshar as well. This means that over time, a single Hound of Reshar in an area will slowly cause all wolves to become Hounds of Reshar.



But I will admit that having them be servants of Reshar directly isn't something I actually considered, but I am open to the idea. Hell, technically there's nothing stopping having both ideas as opposing theories as to how they came to exist.

[khadgar567]

My original lore for them, or at least the lore as far as Martial Scholars believe, is that nearing his death Reshar realised he would not be content with an ordinary burial, so he wandered into the forest where he breathed his last. A short while later, a pack of wolves found his body and fed upon it. Upon taking his essence into themselves, the wolves were changed. The most prominent being the fact that the tops of their heads turned silver. Martial Scholars believe, of course, that this first pack consisted of nine wolves, each of them taking a weapon Reshar carried with him and then parting ways.

One interesting thing about Hounds of Reshar is that they if they interbreed with ordinary wolves, the cubs are always Hounds of Reshar as well. This means that over time, a single Hound of Reshar in an area will slowly cause all wolves to become Hounds of Reshar.



But I will admit that having them be servants of Reshar directly isn't something I actually considered, but I am open to the idea. Hell, technically there's nothing stopping having both ideas as opposing theories as to how they came to exist.

nice fluff but full on zombie apocalypse style sublime way wolfs are bit to much on most settings hell how hard would be the snowball out of the damn thing that your common level one encounter is hound of reshar vs bunch of barely graduated adventures.

[Quiet Wizard]

Looking at the Binder one made me remember the suggestion from a couple pages ago to split the inter-subsystem stuff into its own much smaller Tome of Battle 3. This is the material we have so far that would go there:

Classes:
New Binder vestiges
Presumably more hybrid options

Disciplines:
Mental Grip
Sleeping Goddess
[Incarnum discipline - mix of Warrior's Soul & Essential Cut]
[Antimagic discipline - mix of Mystic Eclipse/Mystic Sovereignity/Sacred Might]
Revision of the arcane magic one, "Solaris Arcanum"
One of the necromantic ones?
And I guess one divine magic one

PRCs:
Demonspawn Harbinger
Knight of the Word
Occult Adversary and/or Pact-Bound Knight
Oracle Knight
Seeker of Lost Swords & Preserver of Future Blades
Soul Disciple
Warsmith

Feats:
Presumably a smattering of hybrid feats


Not a horrible idea. Wouldn't take much effort, it's more like just putting things in a different folder.

Anyone for or against?

So I gather there's not too many new disciplines? Hm. I would've thought that would be the largest section.

Still, no complaints. I'm looking forward to seeing this project develop!

[Elves]

There are like 50 new disciplines. See this post on page 1.

The ones in the post you quoted are the ones that cover other subsystems like psi and incarnum. One possibility is to split that content off into a 3rd TOB volume.

-

On that note, these are the 2 main discs I can't tell if are worth including:
Lightning Fox - a little bland and Desert Wind already does speed boosting
Mental Grip - Already have Sleeping Goddess

[Sgt. Cookie]

nice fluff but full on zombie apocalypse style sublime way wolfs are bit to much on most settings hell how hard would be the snowball out of the damn thing that your common level one encounter is hound of reshar vs bunch of barely graduated adventures.

These are the full grown boys. To represent a less mature one, just give a normal wolf a couple of Martial Study bonus feats. :P

[Elves]

What would the planar discipline of the Material Plane be?

That's the one I would have Reshar invent, if he were going to invent one. Just a possibility.



Name brainstorm:

Big Bang (lol)
Starry something, or something of Stars
something planets
something about fighting entropy (that's good since it ties the whole universe to TOB's fighting theme)
something about we're world weary mortals boo hoo hoo...Transient X, or whatever

Not sure. It should be sappy but not overtly so.

[Miss Disaster]

What would the planar discipline of the Material Plane be?

That's the one I would have Reshar invent, if he were going to invent one. Just a possibility.

Keep in mind, in 3.5 D&D, there's only one Prime Material Plane. Which contains the crystal spheres of many different worlds (Toril, Oerth, etc.) separated by the Phlogiston.

So perhaps a naming reference to crystal spheres or the Phlogiston?

[Sgt. Cookie]

That's not actually true. Manual of the Planes talks about how you can use the Plane of Shadow to access alternative Material Planes. Faerun and Greyhawk, for example, are different material planes, but they share the same Plane of Shadow.

[Miss Disaster]

That's not actually true. Manual of the Planes talks about how you can use the Plane of Shadow to access alternative Material Planes. Faerun and Greyhawk, for example, are different material planes, but they share the same Plane of Shadow.

Ah, yes - you're right. I'm thinking of both 2e (Planeswalker Handbook) and 5e (PHB). Which does map to what I mentioned earlier.

[Sereg]

Weighty Matter for the prime material discipline.

[Elves]

That's a cute possibility, I like it.

I haven't got time right now to do the mechanics, but here's a [rough] example of what I was imagining for the fluff, as a conclusion to the Reshar story:

Spoiler

Show

The Material Plane, or mortal world, is a dramatic plane that consists of a single gigantic explosion. Over time the explosion will wear out and fade into infinite asymptotic tedium. Existence on this plane is inherently combative because its main law is inevitable degradation, so you’re always fighting entropy in various forms to prevent it from claiming you.

As a result, the plane’s inhabitants have created many diverse fighting styles. The blademaster Reshar studied them all with interest, and mastered many, though he preferred to think of himself as a scholar and only put them to violent use when needed — despite which, he clearly did think such practice was important and necessary, since he did much to spread martial knowledge across his world.

After his eventual ascension, Reshar, now in a much more distant form, sought to belatedly complete the task everyone had expected of him on earth: the invention of a new discipline that would incorporate all his knowledge. In his ascended state he had gained some insight into the nature of his home plane, so he decided to use these glimpses of its workings to try and create or channel its signature style, like the outsiders had done for their planes long ago.

The crystal spheres are maybe something to reference in a maneuver.

[Sereg]

Maybe a lot of manuevers could be about gravity, brute force, starlight, space, mortality, electricity and fire, and chemical reactions.

Anyway, I have been thinking about a couple of ideas.

Firstly, how about a feat that grants your familiar/animal companion/mount/psycrystal/dark companion/wild cohort etc. the ability to use a manuever and/or stance?

Secondly, remember how new milliatary recruits are stereotypically called "maggots"? I was thinking of an initiating monster that resembles a giant maggot (Diminutive). Naturally, it becomes a giant, initiating fly (small?).

[DracoDei]

Just popping in long enough to say that while I am not keeping up with this thread at the moment, I still intend to catch up and start working on this again.

EDIT: Regarding the Hounds, a third theory (and perhaps even the truth):
Reshar was served by the Hounds in life, and they were the only ones to accompany him on his final journey... if often only from a distance. Having heard of the fall of his Temple, and with his disciples not gathering together independent of a mere place, which all wise men know to be of paltry meaning compared to the people who fill that placed, he decided to leave his final legacy to the wolves, for wolves may form packs and fight, but lone wolves will alway be the exception rather than the rule... and more-so for these faithful ones who had already gained from his spirit by osmosis. He mediated with them, sending his last wishes into their minds before he shed his mortal form with will and intent. It was in accordance with this that the partook of his flesh, and thus made his spirit something that would never fade form them as long as wolves cry out to each-other in the dark of night.


So... basically: BOTH!

EDIT^2: I will confirm that wolves wielding swords is a desirable thing.

[Elves]

Good to hear Draco. Doing the Falling Anvil legacy wep would be great. There's an incomplete cooking discipline, Adamant Chef, which might be worth including for a laugh. Frying Pan of Doom could go there while Vlax's Rubber Chicken could be FA. (I know Vlax is no longer involved but it has a nice ring to it.)

I did see that you finished your faultlines btw.

---

Here's how I'm intending for this project to progress once I have time to get to it again:

1) Finishing the mechanical content. Only a few things left:

Spoiler: content left to do

Show

- Shield discipline
- Create the composite antimagic and incarnum disciplines from the multiple extant ones
- Finalize and edit the archery disciplines

- Make sure the new base classes have PrC support
- Complete and balance the 4 base classes, I'm at fault here for leaving key parts of poet and animist unfinished
- The 9 swords soulknife prc where you summon floating swords was cool, but the person who was going to do it vanished.

- Finish the last few legacy weapons (for Dancing Leaf, Infinite Torment, Ninefold Damnation, Falling Anvil, and the archery disciplines).

2) Getting all the material QAed and PEACHed, hopefully with help from people up on the main 3.5 forum (maybe via a beta document). This is the biggest part since there's a lot of content, so it'll probably take a few months.

3) While QA is going on, getting all the images. In the case of the realistic version it's hard to find images that aren't cartoony and that fit the 3.5 aesthetic (example).

For the stick version, a lot of images are needed since they're less centerpieces and more ornaments. Have most but still a few things missing. Let me know if anyone here is/was an OOTS avatar maker or is competent in Inkscape.

Spoiler: stick figure images still needed

Show

- high res iconic animist
- high res iconic warlord
- high res iconic poet

- discipline user: stone dragon
- discipline user: white raven
- discipline user: army of one
- discipline user: fool's grip (improvised weapon)
- discipline user: soothed beast (peacemaker)
- discipline user: wyrm's might (person with dragon-shaped aura)
- discipline user: quicksilver aegis
- discipline user: falling anvil (comedic)
- discipline user: crystalline optics
- discipline user: shattered glass
- discipline user: march of aeons

- PRC: adept hunter (hates martial adepts)
- PRC: firebrand (fiery, passionate controversial leader)
- PRC: knight of the word
- PRC: master of one (convey a focused specialist in one discipline)
- PRC: spellfire banisher
- PRC: unveiled dragon

- High res chapter header image for legacy weapons chapter.
- High res chapter header image for errata chapter (pref. cartoon with dialogue, maybe IHS joke).

4) And then formatting the pdf doc.

There's also the fluff/setting chapter which I have yet to write. Again the goal is for this not to be just an Oriental Adventures setting.

[sage20500]

Not sure if it's too late for you to consider adding anything else to the project; but I was wondering if I could submit one of my homebrew disciplines for potential consideration? I posted this to the compilation thread of all ToB homebrew about a year ago but I don't think the original author was keeping up with the thread anymore because they never added it to the list on the front page; I've been using it in a Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil game thats been going on for the past 3 years and its been so far pretty fun to use and easily distinguishable from some of the other fan made disciplines

Winter's Edge

[Sereg]

Right. I was going to make a feat. How does this look?

Martial Companion
Prerequisites: Ability to perform at least one manuever. A familiar/psycrystal/special mount/animal companion/dark companion/wild cohort. 5 ranks in Handle Animal and Martial Lore

Benefit: You may teach your companion a manuever you know. They may initiate the manuever once per encounter. If you know or later learn a stance, you may also teach them a stance.

Special: If you have more than one companion, you may teach each a different manuever and or stance, but may not teach the same companion more than one manuever or more than one stance. If you are riding your companion and/or they have Share Spells, each of you benefits from the other's stance and/boost in addition to your own.


Thoughts?

[Elves]

Not sure if it's too late for you to consider adding anything else to the project; but I was wondering if I could submit one of my homebrew disciplines for potential consideration? I posted this to the compilation thread of all ToB homebrew about a year ago but I don't think the original author was keeping up with the thread anymore because they never added it to the list on the front page; I've been using it in a Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil game thats been going on for the past 3 years and its been so far pretty fun to use and easily distinguishable from some of the other fan made disciplines

Winter's Edge

Thanks for the link. I do think that we're overrunning on disciplines already, and if a new one were to be included I think it should be one that provides a specific function like hybriding with another subsystem or serving a neglected combat style, instead of just being elementally themed. If you want to take on one of the pieces of content we still need though (see Task Board, page 1 post 2) that would be great.

Right. I was going to make a feat. How does this look?

Martial Companion
Prerequisites: Ability to perform at least one manuever. A familiar/psycrystal/special mount/animal companion/dark companion/wild cohort. 5 ranks in Handle Animal and Martial Lore

Benefit: You may teach your companion a manuever you know. If you know or later learn a stance, you may also teach them a stance.

Special: If you have more than one companion, you may teach each a different manuever and or stance. If you are riding your companion and/or they have Share Spells. Each of you benefits from the other's stance in addition to your own.

Good idea. Probably you were intending this but I would explicitly say 1/encounter. The other thing is to add in a one per creature clause to avoid abuse by ubermount builds.

Maybe stance and maneuver for companion should be separate feats. Not sure. Probably fine as is.


-------------------------------

I did some new rakshasa: two new types and four unique "rakshasa lords" (still have 2 of those to stat out and some fluff to write). Document link (WIP). These bring the new monster list to a satisfying close I think. Incarnum crossover stuff also coming. Summer hiatus over so I'm adding to this project again.

[Sereg]

Thanks. Made suggested changes. I also allowed sharing of boosts (that doesn't make it too Op, right?).

I do appreciate more high ranking unique outsiders. And the redeeming Rakshasa is a fascinating concept. Maybe they undergo metamorphosis upon achieving Good alignment?

Speaking of Rakshasa, I have been wondering about making a prestige class I call Shadow Tiger Slayer. It is for those who hate the Shadow Tiger horde for destroying the temple. They specialise in fighting "Shadow Tigers", which includes Rakshasas, natives of the plane of shadow, those with the incorporeal subtype and anyone in a Shadow Hand or Tiger Claw stance. (They also get access to the other 7 temple disciplines)

Thoughts?

[Elves]

Sure, though I would keep it as generic as possible. It's a little obnoxious when PrCs like Hathran have setting specific stuff in their name and powers.

Possible power ideas:

- Form Lock: force a subject to stay in a shapeshifted form (tricky part is not making its primary use be extending polymorph effects). The fluff would be you identify a shapeshifted raksha and then Form Lock it to prevent it from assuming its more powerful native shape.

- Stuff relating to samsara, worldly cycles or something. You could theme the class to have powers that oppose "hate", "vengefulness", "vanity" and so on, since those themes could tie together the Shadow Tiger horde, the rakshasa, and other enemies the character faces.

[Sereg]

Cool. I will work on that. I did think fluff relating to the temple was still appropriate for this setting, but I do confess irritation at setting specific fluff locking people out of a class.

[Elves]

Cool idea: use b&w Chinese-style ink images for Shadow Hand manuevers. Example:

Spoiler

Show

[Miss Disaster]

Thanks. Made suggested changes. I also allowed sharing of boosts (that doesn't make it too Op, right?).

I do appreciate more high ranking unique outsiders. And the redeeming Rakshasa is a fascinating concept. Maybe they undergo metamorphosis upon achieving Good alignment?

Speaking of Rakshasa, I have been wondering about making a prestige class I call Shadow Tiger Slayer. It is for those who hate the Shadow Tiger horde for destroying the temple. They specialise in fighting "Shadow Tigers", which includes Rakshasas, natives of the plane of shadow, those with the incorporeal subtype and anyone in a Shadow Hand or Tiger Claw stance. (They also get access to the other 7 temple disciplines)

Thoughts?

This sounds awesome. One idea for you .... rakshasas, as you know, have backwards hands ... it would be cool to see some maneuvers in Shadow Hand & Tiger Claw school to somehow or other have thematic or mechanical reference to their backwards hands.

The backwards hands aspect of rakshasas never seem to get much attention or flavor-spotlighting. So maybe this is a cool way to do it?

[Elves]

Did a massive and mind-killing image trawl, including raiding the M:TG catalogues of Wayne England and Howard Lyon who illustrated BO9S. Found a few usable things. Still have to find item pictures but that's a whole separate trawl and I'll do it sometime later.

Title image still evasive. In lieu of the traditional fantasy image, something subdued with black martial arts silhouettes could be enough.

Edit: This thread is still getting views so if any of you who pass through have images to recommend please do. Just no cartoons and no "hot babes" style pics.

[Heavenblade]

How do I apply to make a thing? i will soon submit the Resharian battle-psychic, a pumped up mindblade initiator who focuses on one of the disciplines