[Discipline] Dancing Leaf

[Golden-Esque]

Dancing Leaf Discipline

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The Dancing Leaf discipline is an odd one among the various schools of martial arts across the lands. It takes its inspiration from the nimble leaves that fall from the trees before autumn; free to float about on their trip to the ground. Adepts of the Dancing Leaf embrace this philosophy, choosing to react rather than act and to defend and avoid rather than attack. The creator of the discipline is said to have been the Autuminal Blossomrave, the legendary war bard, who proclaimed the study of the natural world when fighting and the use of defense over offense. Autuminal was a pacifist at heart, and although she was a mighty warrior in addition to an inspiring bard, many of the best Swordsages across the land refused to acknowledge the Dancing Leaf discipline as a combat style for its lack of study on offense.

Becoming an adept of the Dancing Leaf requires a nimble foot and mind to successfully use; the techniques of the martial discipline are more akin to an intricate dance then a form of combat. While anyone can benefit from the studies of the Dancing Leaf discipline, those who favor bulky, iron armor cannot hope to perform its delicate and intricate steps, so Dancing Leaf adepts are most usually Rangers, Rogues, and the occasional Swordsage.

The key skill of the Dancing Leaf discipline is Escape Artist, as it’s tricky, acrobatic, and defensive nature perfectly captures the goals of every Dancing Leaf adept. Such adepts favor light weapons over all others, and the weapons associated with the Dancing Leaf discipline are: longspear, longsword, quarterstaff, scythe, and whip.

Becoming a Dancing Leaf Adept
The exotic style of the Dancing Leaf discipline is not one that is commonly practiced throughout the world; although there the various temples dedicated to the Dancing Leaf are more than willing to teach promising pupils, few individuals see the use in learning to fight for sheer defense alone without the benefit of offensive assaults. As such, all maneuvers associated with the Dancing Leaf discipline are simply listed as being Adept maneuvers. The techniques aren’t impossible to master, however, and occasionally a gifted individual will seek to become an adept of the Dancing Leaf discipline. For any class to gain access to the Dancing Leaf discipline, they must first meet the following prerequisites:

• Weapon Proficiency: The martial adept must have Weapon Proficiency with at least one of the Dancing Leaf discipline’s Associated Weapons (see above).
• Skills: The martial adept must have a minimum of 2 ranks in the Escape Artist skill, the Dancing Leaf discipline’s Class Skill.
• Ability Score: The martial adept must have a Dexterity score of 14 or greater.
• Feats: The martial adept must have any one of the following feats: Combat Expertise, Dodge, Evasive Reflexes, Weapon Finesse, or Weapon Focus (flexible, mace, polearm, scythe, or sword).

Special Rule – Nimble Leaf
Using maneuvers from the Dancing Leaf discipline require a great deal of manual dexterity to achieve. A Dancing Leaf adept cannot initiate any Dancing Leaf maneuvers if they are wearing armor that limits their maximum Dexterity; even if their Dexterity bonus isn’t high enough to reach the armor’s maximum, the potential for failure often occurs as the Dancing Leaf adept makes use of the style’s immense spins, turns, and full-bodied movement.

List of Dancing Leaf Maneuvers

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1st Level Maneuvers

• Closing the Blossom – (Boost): Assume a total defense action after attacking.
• Crawling Ivy Strike – (Strike): Attack deals an additional 1d6 points of damage. You gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC and CMD for 1 round.
• Dance of the Blossom – (Strike): Deal an additional 1d6 points of damage and gain concealment for 1 round.
• Escape the Blade – (Counter): Replace your armor bonus to AC with your ranks in Escape Artist until the end of the turn.
• Mocking the Dryad – (Stance): +1 dodge bonus to AC; +1 additional dodge bonus each time an attack misses you.
• Wreath of Roses – (Stance): Attacks made against you cause 1 point of damage/4 initiator levels.

2nd Level Maneuvers

• Autumn's Breath – (Counter): Gain a +3 dodge bonus until the end of the turn.
• Sycamore Strike – (Counter): Counterattack deals 2d6 points of damage.
• Vigil of Steel – (Counter): Negate the penalties of being flat-footed or flanked.
• Whirlwind Seed – (Counter): Negate a disarm, grapple, or trip attempt made against you and move 10 feet.

3rd Level Maneuvers

• Creeping Moss Strike – (Strike): Attack deals 2d6 points of damage; you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC and CMD for 1 round.
• Dance of Ten Blossoms – (Strike): Deal an additional 3d6 points of damage and gain concealment for 5 rounds.
• Jaws of the Fly-Eater – (Stance): Being attacked while in total defense provokes attacks of opportunity from you.
• Oaken Roots Stance – (Stance): +4 dodge bonus to AC; increases by +1 each round that you do not move.
• Turn Back the Wind – (Counter): Block and redirect a ranged weapon attack.
• Vine Lash – (Boost): You gain 2 additional attacks of opportunity until your next turn.

4th Level Maneuvers

• Autmnal Sproutling – (Counter): Negate any combat maneuver used against you.
• Fickle Dance on the Breeze – (Sublime Power): Immediately move your speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.
• Slip Past the World – (Sublime Power): Make an Escape Artist check as a free action.
• Walk the Thorn-Strewn Path – (Counter): Immediately move out of a targeted area if its within your movement speed.

5th Level Maneuvers

• Blackwood Bark – (Stance): Gain damage reduction 1/- per rank of Escape Artist.
• Dance of One-Hundred Blossoms – (Strike): Deal an additional 5d6 points of damage and gain concealment until the end of the encounter.
• Elderwood Heart – (Counter): Reroll a failed saving throw.
• Entangling Bramble Strike – (Strike): Attack deals 4d6 points of damage; you gain +4 dodge bonus to AC and CMD for 1d4 rounds.
• Lore Ward – (Stance): Gain spell resistance equal to 12 + your ranks in Escape Artist.

6th Level Maneuvers

• Black Sakura Riposte – (Counter): Make a counterattack that deals +6d6 points of damage and make a 5ft step.
• Dance of Fallen Leaves – (Sublime Power): Alter your place in the initiative count by 1.
• Unbreakable Reed – (Boost): Ignore all penalties to AC and CMD for 1 round.

7th Level Maneuvers

• Burst of Illumination – (Sublime Power): Act as if in a surprise round.
• Dance of One-Thousand Blossoms – (Strike): Deal an additional 7d6 points of damage, gain total concealment until the end of the encounter, and grant concealment to allies within 30 feet for 5 rounds.
• Season of Perfect Grace – (Counter): Negate an attack and treat the attacker as being flat-footed.

8th Level Maneuvers

• Cloak of Willows – (Stance): You completely ignore the effects of abilities when you make a successful saving throw.
• Gale Step – (Stance): Gain a +30ft bonus to land speed, a +5 bonus to some skill checks, a Freedom of Movement effect, and the ability to walk on walls.
• Mirror of the Spell-Blossom – (Counter): Negate a spell or power and turn it upon its caster.
• Rain of Jagged Thorns – (Counter): Make a counterattack that deals +8d6 points of damage and causes nearby targets to bleed for 2d6 points of damage each round.
• Silence on the Fields – (Counter): Negate a spell, spell-like ability, power, psi-like ability, or supernatural ability and silence the caster for 1d4 rounds.

9th Level Maneuvers

• Dance of Ten-Thousand Blossoms – (Counter): Deal an additional 9d6 points of damage, you and all allies within 30 feet gain total concealment until the end of the encounter.

[Golden-Esque]

Description of Dancing Leaf Maneuvers

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Autumn’s Breath
Dancing Leaf (Counter)
Level: Adept 2
Prerequisites: None
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn

“A breath of fresh air will do ya good.”

You can only initiate this maneuver when a creature declares an attack against you. You gain a +3 dodge bonus to your Armor Class until the end of the turn. You can initiate this maneuver after an attack roll has been made but not after damage has been rolled or the ability’s effects have been applied.

Autumnal Sproutling
Dancing Leaf (Counter)
Level: Adept 4
Prerequisites: One Dancing Leaf maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

The plants of the world must be hardy to survive the onslaughts of man.

You can only initiate this maneuver when you are targeted by a combat maneuver (grapple, feint, disarm, trip, dirty tricks, etc). That combat maneuver’s attempt automatically fails. You cannot use this maneuver to escape from a combat maneuver that is already in effect; for example, you cannot use it to prevent a grapple check from being made on you to continue the grapple.

Black Sakura Riposte
Dancing Leaf (Counter)
Level: Adept 6
Prerequisites: Two Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Weapon’s range
Target: Attacking creature
Duration: Instantaneous

“Nature is seldom kind to her enemies.”

You can only initiate this maneuver when you are targeted by an attack. As part of this maneuver, make a single attack against the attacking creature. If it hits, you deal normal weapon damage plus an additional 6d6 points of damage.

Blackwood Bark
Dancing Leaf (Stance)
Level: Adept 5
Prerequisites: Two Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

A Dancing Leaf adept can use their quick wits and tactile senses to dodge the majority of a blow’s damage.

While you are in this stance, you gain damage reduction 1/- per rank of Escape Artist you possess. This stance immediately ends if you are caught flat-footed, denied your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, or become immobilized or helpless.

Burst of Illumination
Dancing Leaf (Sublime Power)
Level: Adept 7
Prerequisites: Three Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

As a plant bends to light, a Dancing Leaf adept strides into battle with purpose and desire.

You can initiate this maneuver only at the start of combat. You immediately act as if you were in a surprise round. Alternatively, you can use this maneuver to act in a surprise round that you would not normally be a part of; you must roll your initiative normally in this case, abet at a -10 penalty to the result.

Cloak of Willows
Dancing Leaf (Stance)
Level: Adept 8
Prerequisites: Three Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

“The willow which bends to the tempest often escapes better than the oak which resists it; and so in great calamities, it sometimes happens that light and frivolous spirits recover their elasticity and presence of mind sooner than those of a loftier soul.”

While you are in this stance, whenever you succeed on a saving throw you completely ignore all of the resisted ability’s effects, even if it normally has a partial effect on a successful save.

Closing the Blossom
Dancing Leaf (Boost)
Level: Adept 1
Prerequisites: None
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

Like a closing flower, the Dancing Leaf adept quickly assumes a defensive posture after attacking.

You can only initiate this maneuver after you declare one or more attacks during your turn. You immediately assume a defensive posture, as if you had taken a total defense action instead of attacking. This posture follows all of the normal rules for taking a total defense action, except this maneuver effectively allows you to assume it as a swift action after attacking.

Crawling Ivy Strike
Dancing Leaf (Strike)
Level: Adept 1
Prerequisites: None
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Weapon’s range
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous

The adept strikes true with a deadly strike and then quickly alerts themselves to the possibility of counter-attacks.

As part of initiating this maneuver, make a single melee attack. If it hits, you deal your normal weapon damage plus an additional 1d6 points of damage. In addition, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to your Armor Class and Combat Maneuver Defense until the start of your next turn. You gain this dodge bonus even if your attack missed.

Creeping Moss Strike
Dancing Leaf (Strike)
Level: Adept 3
Prerequisites: One Dancing Leaf maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Weapon’s range
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous; 1 round

As much as evil-doers love to step all over people, it seldom does much but angers them.

As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack. If it hits, you deal normal weapon damage plus an additional 2d6 points of damage. In addition, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to your Armor Class and Combat Maneuver Defense for 1 round. You gain this dodge bonus even if your attack missed.

Dance of Fallen Leaves
Dancing Leaf (Sublime Power)
Level: Adept 6
Prerequisites: Two Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

“Dancing Leaf adepts are always prepared to alter things in their favor.”

You can initiate this maneuver at any time you could make an immediate action. After using this maneuver, you alter your place on the initiative count up or down by 1 place, making your initiative equal to the creature above you +1 or the creature below you -1. This maneuver cannot allow you to take more than one turn in a round; using this maneuver; you are skipped over as if you had just entered the battle on that turn (though you are not considered flat-footed). This maneuver also does allow you to act in a surprise round.

Dance of One-Hundred Blossoms
Dancing Leaf (Strike)
Level: Adept 5
Prerequisites: Two Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Weapon’s range
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous; end of encounter

The Dancing Leaf adept strikes their foe with the elegance of one hundred falling petals and the deadliness of one hundred slashing razors.

As part of initiating this maneuver, make a single melee attack. If it hits, you deal normal weapon damage plus an additional 5d6 points of damage. In addition, you gain concealment until the end of the combat. You cannot use this concealment to make Stealth checks.

Dance of One-Thousand Blossoms
Dancing Leaf (Strike)
Level: Adept 7
Prerequisites: Three Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Weapon’s range
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous; see text

A curtain of petals blanketing you and your allies makes the most perfect, elegant, and deadly defense.

As part of initiating this maneuver, make a single melee attack. If it hits, you deal normal weapon damage plus 7d6 points of damage. In addition, you gain concealment until the end of the combat and all friendly creatures within 30 feet of you gain concealment for 5 rounds. Your allies cannot use this concealment to make Stealth checks, but you can.

Dance of Ten Blossoms
Dancing Leaf (Strike)
Level: Adept 3
Prerequisites: One Dancing Leaf maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Weapon’s range
Target: One creature
Duration: 5 rounds

The Dancing Leaf adept strikes with the elegance of a flower’s worth of petals falling from a single tree.

As part of initiating this maneuver, make a single melee attack. If it hits, you deal normal weapon damage plus an additional 3d6 points of damage. In addition, you gain concealment for the next 5 rounds of combat. You cannot use this concealment to make Stealth checks.

Dance of Ten-Thousand Blossoms
Dancing Leaf (Strike)
Level: Adept 9
Prerequisites: Four Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Weapon’s range
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous

Cascades of blossoms shower down, covering the blood of the fallen in their elegance.

As part of initiating this maneuver, make a single melee attack. If it hits, you deal normal weapon damage plus an additional 9d6 points of damage. In addition, you gain total concealment until the end of the encounter and all friendly creatures within 30 feet of you gain concealment until the end of the encounter. You and your allies can use this concealment to make Stealth checks.

Dance of the Blossom
Dancing Leaf (Strike)
Level: Adept 1
Prerequisites: None
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Weapon’s range
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous; 1 round

The Dancing Leaf adept strikes with the grace of a single petal falling from a spring tree.

As part of initiating this maneuver, make a single melee attack. If it hits, you deal normal weapon damage plus an additional 1d6 points of damage. In addition, you gain concealment until the start of your next round. You cannot use this concealment to make Stealth checks.

Elderwood Heart
Dancing Leaf (Counter)
Level: Adept 5
Prerequisites: Two Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

“The existence of love, honor, and happiness in this world of ours, that is true magic.”

You can only initiate this maneuver when you are required to make a saving throw. You can reroll your saving throw, but you must take the new result, even if it is worse. You can initiate this maneuver after the first result is rolled but not after success or failure has been determined.

Entangling Bramble Strike
Dancing Leaf (Strike)
Level: Adept 5
Prerequisites: Two Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Weapon’s range
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous; 1d4+1 rounds

“Sometimes, things don’t want to let go. Life’s like that.”

As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack. If it hits, you deal normal weapon damage plus an additional 4d6 points of damage. In addition, you gain a +4 dodge bonus to your Armor Class and Combat Maneuver Defense for 1d4+1 rounds. You gain this bonus to Armor Class and Combat Maneuver Defense even if your attack misses.

Escape the Blade
Dancing Leaf (Counter)
Level: Adept 1
Prerequisites: None
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

Perfect reflexes and a healthy sense for danger allow you to dodge attacks with untold speed.

You can only initiate this maneuver when you are targeted by an attack. You can substitute your armor bonus to Armor Class for your ranks in Escape Artist. This bonus cannot exceed half your initiator level. You cannot initiate this maneuver against an attack you are flat-footed or otherwise denied your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against.

Fickle Dance on the Breeze
Dancing Leaf (Sublime Power)
Level: Adept 4
Prerequisites: One Dancing Leaf maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

“Dance there upon the shore; what need have you to care for wind or water's roar?”

You can initiate this maneuver at any time you could use an immediate action. After initiating this maneuver, you can move up to your land speed (maximum 10 feet per two initiator levels you possess) as if you were making a move action. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Gale Step
Dancing Leaf (Stance)
Level: Adept 8
Prerequisites: Three Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

Take one step on the wind and never look back!

While you are in this stance, you gain a +30 enhancement bonus to your land speed, and a +5 competency bonus to your Acrobatics and Escape Artist checks. In addition, you move unimpaired while in this stance, as if you were under the effects of a Freedom of Movement spell. Finally, you can wall up walls and across ceilings as if you were under the effect of a Spider Climb spell. However, if you are standing on a wall or ceiling at the end of your movement, you fall to the ground normally.

Jaws of the Fly-Eater
Dancing Leaf (Stance)
Level: Adept 3
Prerequisites: One Dancing Leaf maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

The deadly pose of a venus fly-trap allows a Dancing Leaf adept to lash at their foes whenever they venture too close.

While you are in this stance, whenever a creature attacks you while you have assumed a total defense action, that creature provokes an attack of opportunity from you. The creature must be within your normal reach or within one range increment of your ranged weapon to provoke this attack of opportunity.

Lore Ward
Dancing Leaf (Stance)
Level: Adept 5
Prerequisites: Two Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

“Keep in mind the fundamentals of magic in your training; that is how you stay alive against mages.”

While you are in this stance, you gain spell resistance equal to 12 + your ranks in Escape Artist.

Mirror of the Spell-Blossom
Dancing Leaf (Counter)
Level: Adept 8
Prerequisites: Three Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

“I’m rubber, you’re glue ….”

You can only initiate this maneuver when you are targeted by a spell, spell-like ability, power, or psi-like ability. The spell or power’s effect is negated and rebounds upon them, as if by the Spell Turning spell.

Mocking the Dryad
Dancing Leaf (Stance)
Level: Adept 1
Prerequisites: None
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

The way of the dryad is to use their surroundings as a defense. The Dancing Leaf adepts learn the value of such a technique and masterfully employ it.

While you are in this stance, you gain a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class. In addition, each time a creature makes a melee or ranged attack roll against you and misses, this dodge bonus increases by +1, to a maximum bonus equal to your initiator level + 1. If a creature successfully hits you with a melee or ranged attack roll, this bonus resets to a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class.

Oaken Roots Stance
Dancing Leaf (Stance)
Level: Adept 3
Prerequisites: One Dancing Leaf maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

You shift your feet deep into the earth, prepared to defend your life without moving once.

While you are in this stance, you gain a +4 dodge bonus to your Armor Class. In addition, each round this dodge bonus increases by +1, to a maximum bonus equal to your initiator level + 4. If you move more than 5 feet during your turn, this dodge bonus resets to +4.

Rain of Jagged Thorns
Dancing Leaf (Counter)
Level: Adept 8
Prerequisites: Three Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Weapon’s range
Target: Attacking creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; see text

Like a thousand thorns falling from the sky, you skewer an enemy before they have the opportunity to return the favor.

You can only initiate this maneuver when you are targeted by an attack. As part of this maneuver, make a single attack against the attacking creature. If it hits, you deal normal weapon damage plus an additional 8d6 points of damage. In addition, all enemy creatures within 10 feet of you (not including the attacking creature) must make a Reflex save (DC 18 + your Dexterity modifier). On a failed save, the creature begins bleeding, immediately taking 2d4 points of damage and taking an additional 2d4 points of damage at the start of each of their turns. A Heal check (DC 20) ends the effect, as does 30 points of magical healing.

Season of Perfect Grace
Dancing Leaf (Counter)
Level: Adept 7
Prerequisites: Three Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

Spring blossoms, summer swelters, fall breezes, and winter snowfalls; all seasons are perfect for battle.

You can only initiate this maneuver when you are targeted by an attack. Negate that attack, preventing all of its effects on you, and treat the attacker as being flat-footed against the next attack that targets them.

Silence on the Fields
Dancing Leaf (Counter)
Level: Adept 8
Prerequisites: Three Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate
Range: Personal
Target: Attacking creature
Duration: Instantaneous; 1d4 rounds
Saving Throw: Will negates

“… and then there was nothing. Nothing but silence.”

You can only initiate this maneuver when you are targeted by a spell or spell-like ability. Negate the spell’s effect. In addition, if the caster is within your weapon’s reach (or one ranged increment if you are using a ranged weapon), the caster must make a Fortitude save (DC 18 + your Dexterity modifier). On a failed save, the caster is silenced for 1d4 rounds.

Sycamore Strike
Dancing Leaf (Counter)
Level: Adept 2
Prerequisites: None
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Weapon’s range
Target: Attacking creature
Duration: Instantaneous

Sometimes the best defense is a strong offense.

You can only initiate this maneuver when a creature declares an attack against you. You can immediately make a single melee attack against the attacking creature; this is not treated as an attack of opportunity. If your attack hits, you deal your normal weapon damage plus an additional 2d6 points of damage.

Turn Back the Wind
Dancing Leaf (Counter)
Level: Adept 3
Prerequisites: One Dancing Leaf maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

“Arrows don’t always fly true.”

You can only initiate this maneuver when you are targeted by a ranged attack made by a ranged weapon. Make an Escape Artist check opposed by the attacker’s ranged attack roll. If your check succeeds, you catch the fired projectile, preventing all effects associated from the attack from affecting you. In addition, you can then throw the projectile at a new target within the same ranged increment that the attacker used to strike you. This attack is made with the same attack result, bonuses, and modifiers that was used to target you, and all of the ranged attack’s effects (such as weapon special abilities, martial maneuvers, etc) affect this new target normally. You cannot target the attacking creature with this maneuver.

Unbreakable Reed
Dancing Leaf (Boost)
Level: Adept 6
Prerequisites: Two Dancing Leaf maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn

“Be like the humble reed; the world may twist and strain you, but you must never admit defeat and break.”

After initiating this maneuver, you ignore all penalties to your Armor Class that you would take. You still take all other penalties of those effects; for example, you can still be sneak attacked while flanked and you lose the benefit of your Blackwood Bark stance when flat-footed.

Vigil of Steel
Dancing Leaf (Counter)
Level: Adept 2
Prerequisites: None
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of turn

The best escape artisans know how to get out of jams others would die in.

You can only initiate this maneuver while you are flanked or flat-footed. Until the end of the turn that you initiated this maneuver on, you retain your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class and attacking creatures do not gain flanking bonuses on their attack rolls to attack you. Using this maneuver does not count as an action for the purpose of ending the flat-footed condition associated with acting in combat.

Vine Lash
Dancing Leaf (Boost)
Level: Adept 3
Prerequisites: One Dancing Leaf maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round

Nature is unrelenting in its vengeance.

After initiating this maneuver, you can make two additional attacks of opportunity. These attacks of opportunity stack with attacks gained from all other sources, including feats and class abilities. These additional attacks last until the start of your next turn; if they have not been used by then, they are lost.

Walk the Thorn-Strewn Path
Dancing Leaf (Counter)
Level: Adept 4
Prerequisites: One Dancing Leaf maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

“Run for the hills!”

You can only initiate this maneuver when an attack targets an area that you are in. You can immediately move up to your speed directly towards the edge of the targeted area until you are in a square adjacent to the targeted area, but not within it. If you cannot move into a square that is adjacent to the targeted area but not affected by the area of effect attack, this maneuver fails and you do not move. Movement made as part of this maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Whirlwind Seed
Dancing Leaf (Counter)
Level: Adept 2
Prerequisites: None
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

Helicopter seeds use the wind to travel far from the tree that grew them, improving their chances at survival.

You can only initiate this maneuver when you are targeted by one of the following combat maneuvers: disarm, grapple, or trip. The attempt automatically fails and you move 10 feet away from the creature that initiated the combat maneuver. This maneuver cannot be used to end the pinned condition.

Wreath of Roses
Dancing Leaf (Stance)
Level: Adept 1
Prerequisites: None
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

Even beautiful things can be deadly.

While you are in this stance, each time a creature makes a melee attack roll against you, they take 1 point of damage per four initiator levels you possess. This damage cannot be used to break a creature’s concentration (such as with a touch power or spell) and the attack does not have to be successful for this stance to deal damage to the creature. You do not deal this damage while you are dazed, stunned, paralyzed, or otherwise unable to take actions, though dealing this damage does not require an action. You can initiate this maneuver after an attack roll has been made but not after damage has been rolled or the ability’s effects have been applied.

[Golden-Esque]

Author's Note
This is actually a scary one for me to post up, because this discipline is a rehash of a rather famous one, TheDementedOne's Dancing Leaf Discipline. Believe it or not, I actually learned everything I know about writing martial disciplines by modelling from TheDementedOne, and the Dancing Leaf discipline was the very first homebrewed martial discipline I had ever seen. Sure, plenty of disciplines were made before and after this one (and the first one I ever actually used in a Campaign Setting would turn out to be the Black Heron discipline; hence why I got to keep the adjective, 'black'), but this was my very first, and I truly hope that my rewrite does Mr. Demented proud.

That being said, one of the things I did feel like this discipline needed was options. In the original discipline, everything Dancing Leaf could do was utterly defensive, from reflecting spells to gaining dodge bonuses. Naturally, this is what the discipline was designed to do, but when I asked my players why they never took it, they'd always tell me the same thing, "Why would I take a discipline that isn't the least bit flexible?" A lot of what you see here was brewed with that idea in mind. The overall goal was to retain that defensive feeling, but for the adept to really feel useful. Hiding in a corner is seldom useful; unless you have sneak attack, of course .

This is also the first example I have posted of a discipline special rule that hinders the adept rather then helps them out. You'll see a few of those down the road as I keep trucking along on this project, but most of them are either like Braggart Fox, where the rule clarifies other maneuvers, or like Solaris Arcanum, where the rule adds utility. Finally, I want to point out that this particular discipline's fluff is a tribute to my kid sister. Thanks for everything, sis, even if you're never going to read this post ever! As always, you can view the Dancing Leaf PDF here.

[Draco Dei]

Interesting reason why people weren't taking the original... I would actually think that objection would be answered by "Well, don't put all your maneuver selections into it then!"... and perhaps making sure the pre-requisites are low enough to make it viable to have other disciplines well represented. Of course, one can't force a player to pick any given bit of homebrew designed for PCs... well, you CAN but it is usually a bad idea unless it is a campaign theme, and "Dancing Leaf practitioners" doesn't sound like the best core concept for a campaign.

[Golden-Esque]

Interesting reason why people weren't taking the original... I would actually think that objection would be answered by "Well, don't put all your maneuver selections into it then!"... and perhaps making sure the pre-requisites are low enough to make it viable to have other disciplines well represented. Of course, one can't force a player to pick any given bit of homebrew designed for PCs... well, you CAN but it is usually a bad idea unless it is a campaign theme, and "Dancing Leaf practitioners" doesn't sound like the best core concept for a campaign.

Indeed. I'm always surprised by the reasons players give me for not liking stuff. It's gone everywhere from "the formatting's funny" to "the fluff is too serious." And yeah, I would never force any martial discipline on anyone. That would go against the point of having 25 disciplines to pick from, no?

But anyway, I can also understand where my players are coming from. Though it's possible to undo selections (Psychic Reformation comes to mind), it's usually costly and most players prefer to make what they consider "good choices" the first time around.

But yes, another incentive to use the discipline is that it's usable by both melee and ranged weapon masters. I figured "why make a defensive ranged discipline when I can have one defensive discipline that works both ways? Heh.

[DragoonWraith]

You have way more maneuvers in this discipline than is found in any of ToB's (possibly barring Devoted Spirit, but the alignment requirements basically mean there are certain groups of 4 that really only count as 1 or 2), especially at 8th level. A lot of ToB's balance comes from limited options. A purely defensive discipline does not seem like a bad thing, considering that it's only one of 3, 5, or 6 disciplines. IMO.

But I'll try to go through the actual maneuvers in a bit.

[Draco Dei]

But anyway, I can also understand where my players are coming from. Though it's possible to undo selections (Psychic Reformation comes to mind), it's usually costly and most players prefer to make what they consider "good choices" the first time around.

Yeah, but that only explains caution... doesn't mean it is actually a bad choice.

But yes, another incentive to use the discipline is that it's usable by both melee and ranged weapon masters. I figured "why make a defensive ranged discipline when I can have one defensive discipline that works both ways? Heh.

Given what Dragoon Wraith said about maneuver count there MIGHT be an arguement for splitting it if many individual maneuvers only help one or the other, especially since people usually use either/or when it comes to range vs melee... then again, you would probably have to duplicate some of the maneuvers at once, and then people could double dip to have multiple copies of the same maneuver readied... depending on the pre-requisites, that might or might not be a bad thing.

[Golden-Esque]

You have way more maneuvers in this discipline than is found in any of ToB's (possibly barring Devoted Spirit, but the alignment requirements basically mean there are certain groups of 4 that really only count as 1 or 2), especially at 8th level. A lot of ToB's balance comes from limited options. A purely defensive discipline does not seem like a bad thing, considering that it's only one of 3, 5, or 6 disciplines. IMO.

But I'll try to go through the actual maneuvers in a bit.

I know this is more then what is in the Tome of Battle. I'm redoing those disciplines too, and while the exact number per level isn't set in stone (off the top of my head, Braggart Fox breaks the norm), each discipline ends up having in the ballpark of 40 maneuvers (I think it's 39 to be exact). I know you can only judge the disciplines based on what I already have up for the project, but there are two factors to keep in mind.

#1 - Unlike in base Tome of Battle, there is no action to refresh maneuvers. Maneuvers are a once-per-combat thing and they are done. There's a feat that lets you expend a readied maneuver to use an expended maneuver of lesser level, but that's about it.

#2 - The number of maneuvers readied and known were decreased across the board for most classes. You can realistically get the 9th level maneuver in a single discipline under the Scrolls of Reshar; again, I felt it was more important to get the disciplines up first.

[DragoonWraith]

Oh. Well... ok. I can't say I like either change, but that's your prerogative. Impossible to really judge balance, then.

Increasing the number of options while simultaneously lowering the number that you can ultimately pick seems strange, though...

[Golden-Esque]

Oh. Well... ok. I can't say I like either change, but that's your prerogative. Impossible to really judge balance, then.

Increasing the number of options while simultaneously lowering the number that you can ultimately pick seems strange, though...

Here's my logic, and you can tell me if you agree with it or not.

Scrolls of Reshar is designed with Pathfinder in mind. Pathfinder is internally designed to give Melee characters more power through options. I don't want the martial maneuver system to completely replace standard attacking or combat maneuvers for melee characters, because that's a huge part of Pathfinder.

The best way I can explain it is that the Barbarian, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, and Rogue will be designed as if they had Ranger / Paladin spellcasting. Yeah, it's not super great, but it does allow for options. I will be including a Pathfinder update for the Swordsage that keeps the Tome of Battle's spirit of things; lots of maneuvers and lots of disciplines. Swordsages will be able to refresh their maneuvers mid-combat too; the design goal is that they'll be the the Wizards of Martial maneuvers.

Hrm, maybe it'll help if I put my design goals somewhere on this board so people know where I'm coming from with stuff.

[DragoonWraith]

@DragoonWraith: I moved our previous discussion into the rules thread on this subforum. I figured it'd be better then bogging down the Dancing Leaf discipline. If you want to talk about this discipline, please do so; I'll be waiting to continue our discussion in the rules forum (anyone else reading this is encouraged to come as well).
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