CRE8's Answer to Tome of Battle

[Draz]

My main project right now is writing up Monster stats and doing lots of playtests. However, it's slow going (even more so than usual). The sheer variety and strangeness of many iconic monsters' abilities means that they need to be worked out in a very case-by-case basis.

So to feel like I am making faster progress again, I've been taking a side-jaunt to write up more PC-appropriate special abilities instead. Most of them haven't been playtested much yet, since I don't have monsters statted up for them to fight. But even the rough drafts might be a good place for me to get feedback -- and might give people a much better idea of how Feats, Kits and Talents work.

As a way of directing myself to focus on certain areas, I decided to write out special abilities that will allow characters to duplicate the same archetypes enabled by Tome of Battle in 3.5e.

A Few Disclaimers

The nine Tome of Battle disciplines will certainly not be a built-in mechanic of the CRE8 system. For one thing, that's probably copyright infringement.

So when you see an ability categorized under "Iron Heart," for goodness sake don't assume that it has any mechanical restriction to a certain type of character, or that it's not equally-appropriate mechanically (with different fluff) for a Devoted Spirit-style character. The point is, it can be used to create a character concept similar to a 3.5e character who uses Iron Heart.

Indeed, some Feats and Talents certainly will appear under more than one Discipline in this thread.

Also, of course I plan for CRE8 to include more support for archery, shield use, mounted combat, etc. than Tome of Battle does.

Disclaimers aside, I think this is an entertaining way to classify various CRE8 abilities -- and more importantly, helps me sort out bite-sized chunks of abilities to post on the Forum at a time, and helps 3.5e veterans know what to expect as they try to grok my CRE8 special ability writeups.

[Draz]

Desert Wind

Kits
Dervish, Desert Wind Dancer, Scout.

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Dervish
Kit
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 4; base Reflex +4; Athletics 6 ranks; Dexterity 4 ranks; Nature 2 ranks; Perception 1 rank; Stealth 2 ranks; Two-Weapon Fighting feat; Mobility talent; Endurance talent; (setting appropriate) Regional talent.
Benefits:

• Fighting Level +1
• Coast Number +1
• VP +2
• You may treat scimitars as light weapons.
• Peril +1 [feat bonus] on attacks with scimitars.

XP Parcels:

• Performer talent

Desert Wind Dancer
Kit
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 2; base Reflex +3; Athletics 5 ranks; Nature 1 rank; (Dodge feat or Evasion talent); Fire Seed.
Benefits:

• Fighting Level +1
• Caster Level +1
• VP +2
• You may recycle MP equal to your Heroic Bonus when you cast one of the following spells using the Fire Seed:
  
  • Weapon Ward
  • Energy Blast
• When you successfully save against an attack using the Dodge feat or the Evasion talent, the creature attacking you takes 2 fire damage.

XP Parcels:

• Dervish kit
• Weapon Focus (spears) talent
• Mage Flight feat

Note: Most of the abilities in this thread -- especially Kits -- are things I planned on including in CRE8 anyway, not specifically inspired by Tome of Battle. This Kit is an exception. I wrote it up specifically with the intention of copying the 3.5e Swordsage's style. As such, it is perfectly acceptable to ban this Kit in any campaign setting where its flavor is not appropriate.

Scout
Kit
Prerequisites: Nature 2 ranks; Perception 1 rank; proficiency with a martial weapon.
Benefits:

• Fighting Level +1 or Coast Number +1
• VP +2
• Train an additional skill
• Gain a [skill trick] talent.
• You may expend Momentum to reroll a Perception check.

Feats
Blade Wind, Cleave, Dodge, Energy Blast, Energy Strike, Mage Flight, Quick Shift, Snap Kick, Tactical Blink, Two-Weapon Tempest, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Ward.

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Blade Wind
[Mobility][Strike] Feat
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 5; Mobility talent; Evasion talent; Athletics 4 ranks; base Reflex +4.
Action: move; requires Momentum
Effect: Move up to your normal speed, provoking opportunity attacks as normal. As part of this movement, you may attack any number of creatures as a free action, using a non-reach slashing melee weapon. You may not target any particular creature more than once with a single use of this feat. You must threaten a creature as usual in order to attack it.

Cleave
[Strike] Feat
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 1
Action: swift
Trigger: You deal a Hazard to an opponent with a melee attack that deals slashing damage.
Effect: Make an attack with the same weapon against another opponent you threaten.

Dodge
[Mobility][Counter] Feat
Prerequisites: Athletics 1 rank.
Action: opportunity or (free; expend Momentum)
Trigger: You are attacked by an effect that provokes a Defense Save.
Effect: You may replace your Defense save with a Reflex save. If your save is successful, you may negate a Hazard that the attack would have inflicted on you. If no hazard was indicated by the attack's results, you may instead ignore all VP damage the attack would have caused.

Energy Blast
[Spell] Feat
Prerequisites: Caster Level 1; applicable seed.
Action: standard
Base MP Cost: 1 MP
Seeds: cold, fire, lightning, radiant, thunder, weave
Target: one creature or object within range.
Base Effect: Make a spell attack against the target (range 4 / 8 / 12): 2d4 impact, peril +0.
Augment:

• MP +1 (cumulative): Add an additional target. All targets must be within 6 cells of each other; use the harshest applicable range penalty for all targets. Reduce attack impact to 1d4.
• MP +1: Attack ranges increase to 6 / 12 / 24.
• MP +2: Increase attack impact to 3d4, or 2d4 for multiple targets.
• MP +3: Attack ranges increase to 12 / 30 / 80.

Seed Effects:

• Cold: damage is cold.
• Fire: damage is fire.
• Lightning: damage is electric.
• Radiant: damage is radiant.
• Thunder: damage is sonic.
• Weave: damage is typeless.

Energy Strike
[Spell][Strike] Feat
Prerequisites: Caster Level 1; applicable seed.
Action: standard
Base MP Cost: 1 MP
Seeds: cold, fire, lightning, radiant, thunder
Base Effect: Make a melee attack with +1d6 Impact. This spell does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Augment:

• MP +1: Make a ranged attack instead of a melee attack.

Seed Effects:

• Cold: damage is cold in addition to your weapon's normal damage type.
• Fire: damage is fire in addition to your weapon's normal damage type.
  
  • (MP +1): Your attack gains reach.
• Lightning: damage is electric in addition to your weapon's normal damage type.
• Thunder: damage is sonic in addition to your weapon's normal damage type.

Mage Flight
Feat
Prerequisites: Caster Level 5.
Action: move
Effect: Fly at your normal speed. You are considered to have good maneuverability.
Drawback: When this feat is active, you lose 1 MP from your MP Pool. You may activate or deactivate this feat with an extended rest, and while it is deactivated, you recover your lost MP.

Quick Shift
[Mobility] Feat
Prerequisites: Kobold kit or (base Reflex +3; Athletics 4 ranks; Mobility talent).
Action: swift
Effect: Shift one cell.
Normal: A move action is required in order to shift.

Snap Kick
[Strike] Feat
Prerequisites: Humanoid Type, Unarmed Proficiency talent; Fighting Level 1.
Action: swift; expend Momentum
Effect: Make an unarmed attack.

Tactical Blink
[Spell] Feat
Prerequisites: Caster Level 3.
Action: standard
Base MP Cost: 2 MP
Seeds: air, fire, lightning, madness, mind, plant, shadow, weave
Target: self.
Base Effect: Teleport up to your speed.
Augment:

• MP +1: cast this spell as a move action.
• MP +1 (cumulative): The range of your teleportation increases by five cells.

Seed Effects:

• Fire:
  
  • MP+2: Cast this spell as an opportunity action in response to an attack that targets you. You must end your teleportation adjacent to the creature who attacked you.

Two-Weapon Tempest
[Strike] Feat
Prerequistes: Fighting Level 5; Dexterity 5 ranks; Two-Weapon Fighting feat.
Action: swift
Effect: Make a melee attack with a light, offhand weapon. If you have already made an attack with your primary weapon against the same target this turn, your attack gains +1d4 impact.
Benefit: When you wield a weapon in each of at least two hands, gain a +3 [shield] bonus to your Defense Save.

Two-Weapon Fighting
[Strike] Feat
Prerequisites: Dexterity 3 ranks or Fighting Level 2
Action: swift; expend momentum
Effect: If you have already made an attack this turn using your primary weapon, make an attack with your offhand weapon.
Benefits:

• When you wield a weapon in each of at least two hands, gain a +2 [shield] bonus to your Defense Save.
• You may attack with your offhand weapon using your normal attack accuracy.

Normal: Attacking with your offhand weapon requires a standard action, and counts as using an improvised weapon.

Weapon Ward
[Spell] Feat
Prerequisites: Caster Level 1.
Action: standard
Base MP Cost: 1 MP
Seeds: cold, death, earth, fire, lightning, luck, metal, mind, plant, radiant
Target: one touched creature.
Duration: five minutes or until expended.
Base Effect: Target may replace a Defense save against a weapon attack with your Spellcraft check. If the save is successful, the spell is expended.
Sustain: As an opportunity action, you may spend 1 MP to prevent the spell being expended when it has its effect.
Augment:

• MP +1: Cast this spell as a swift action. You must be the target of the spell.
• MP +2: Cast this spell using a non-applicable seed.
• MP +3: You may target a number of creatures equal to your Spellcraft modifier. All targets must be within six cells of each other, and one of them must be within the spell's normal range.

Seed Effects:

• Cold: An adjacent attacker who makes a melee attack against the target takes 1 VP of cold damage.
• Earth:
  
  • (MP +1): If an attack exceeds the target's AV, and the target saves successfully against the attack, expend the spell to prevent any effects due to the target's AV being exceeded.
• Fire: An adjacent attacker who makes a melee attack against the target takes 1 VP of fire damage.
  
  • (MP +2): You may cast this spell as an opportunity action. You may cast the spell after the attack to be warded is announced, but before its impact has been rolled.
• Luck:
  
  • (MP +0): The spell is not expended on a successful save. The spell is expended on a failed save.
• Metal:
  
  • (MP +1): If an attack exceeds the target's AV, and the target saves successfully against the attack, expend the spell to prevent any effects due to the target's AV being exceeded.
• Plant:
  
  • (MP +1): Sustaining the spell is a free action, rather than an opportunity action. Sustaining still requires 1 MP.

Talents
Endurance, Evasion, Fire Seed, Firesnake, Flame Dance, Mobility, Performer, Phoenix Dance, Regional, Thrilling Dodge, Unarmed Proficiency, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus.

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Endurance
Talent
Prerequisites: base Fortitude +2.
Benefit: Gain 2 Reserve Points.

Evasion
[Skill Trick] Talent
Prerequisites: Coast Number 8; one [mobility] feat.
Benefit: While you have Momentum, you may replace Defense saves with Athletics checks against opportunity attacks provoked by your movement. If your save is successful against such an attack, you may negate a Hazard that the attack would have inflicted on you. If no Hazard is indicated by the attack's results, you may instead negate all VP damage the attack would have caused.

Fire Seed
[Seed] Talent
Prerequisites: none
Benefit: Cast spells using the Fire seed. Activating this seed requires a swift action. Once activated, it remains activated as long as you are conscious and do not activate another seed.

Firesnake
Talent
Prerequisites: Desert Wind Dancer kit; (Magic Wall feat or Hindering Zone feat).
Benefit: When you cast the Magic Wall or Hindering Zone spells using the Fire seed, you may move up to your speed as a free action. Your movement must start and end adjacent to the area included in your spell's effect.

Flame Dance
[Weapon Trick] Talent
Prerequisites: Energy Strike feat; one [mobility] feat; Fighting Level 5; Caster Level 3; Fire Seed.
Benefit: While you are in a [mobility] stance or not in any stance, add +1d4 to the impact of your melee attacks (except those made while using the Energy Strike spell). Your melee attacks are considered to deal fire damage in addition to any other damage types they involve.

Mobility
[Mobility] Talent
Prerequisites: base Reflex +2; one [mobility] feat.
Benefit: When you move normally or shift normally, you may also do one of the following as a free action:

• change your active stance
• change your active aura
• change your active seed
• draw a weapon or other available piece of equipment
• sustain an effect that normally requires a swift action to sustain

Performer
[Skill Trick] Talent
Prerequisites: Glibness 1 rank or base Reflex +2.
Benefits:

• When you attempt to impress an audience using a task that you can apply a skill to, you may use your skill check result as the result of your performance check. In the right settings, you are able to make any of the following tasks entertaining to an audience (if you are otherwise good at them): dancing or acrobatics (Athletics); drama, comedy, or public speaking (Glibness); or prestidigitation (Dexterity). Other uses of this talent (e.g. performing by using Brawn to lift impressive amounts of weight) might also be possible, but are more specialized in their context.
• You may coast performance checks involving musical performances, if you have another [skill trick] talent involving those types of performances.

Normal: When the primary goal of a skill check is to impress an audience, the skill check is capped at your Heroic Bonus no matter how good you are at the relevant task normally.

Phoenix Dance
[Mobility] Talent
Prerequisites: one [mobility] feat; base Reflex +2; Fire Seed; Athletics 3 ranks.
Benefit: While you are in a [mobility] stance or not in any stance, you resist fire damage.

Regional
[Background] Talent
Prerequisites: Must speak the language of the selected region, either natively or through a talent.
Select one region of your campaign setting. You are considered to be a native of that region.
Benefit: When you are required to make a check to know information about the history or culture of the selected region, you may replace this check with a streetwise check.

Thrilling Dodge
[Skill Trick][Luck] Talent
Prerequisites: Dodge feat; Athletics 8 ranks; Fighting Level 5; (Desert Wind Dancer kit or one [luck] feat).
Benefit: If you use the Dodge feat as an opportunity action and your Reflex save succeeds, gain Momentum.

Unarmed Proficiency
[Proficiency] Talent
Prerequisites: Brawn 2 ranks or Dexterity 2 ranks.
Benefits:

• You do not provoke opportunity attacks when you attack unarmed.
• You are not limited to subdual damage when you attack unarmed.

Normal: attacking unarmed provokes opportunity attacks, and deals subdual damage.

Weapon Finesse
[Weapon Trick] Talent
Prerequisites: Small Size or Fighting Level 1.
Benefit: Gain a Dexterity-based synergy bonus to your Accuracy with light melee weapons.

Weapon Focus
[Weapon Trick] Talent
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 2; Proficiency talent.
Select a weapon category you are proficient with.
Benefits:

• You may greater reroll saves to avoid having the selected weapon sundered or disarmed.
• Gain a [feat] bonus to Impact with the selected weapon, equal to your Heroic Bonus.

That should be good for the Desert Wind discipline -- which, honestly, is much easier to convert into CRE8 than some other disciplines are. We'll see how the others go ...

[Draz]

Devoted Spirit

Kits
Champion, Guardian, Iron Vanguard, Paladin

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Champion
Kit
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 3; Heavy Armor Proficiency talent; Smite feat.
Benefits:

• Fighting Level +1
• Caster Level +1
• VP +4
• Your spell attacks gain a +1 [feat] bonus to impact.
• Gain a Leadership-based synergy bonus to all saves.

XP Parcels:

• Exorcism feat.

Guardian
Kit
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 2 or Brash Protector talent.
Benefits:

• Fighting Level +1
• VP +4
• If an opponent you threaten attacks your ally with an attack that does not include you as a target, gain momentum.

XP Parcels:

• Paladin kit.

Iron Vanguard
Kit
Prerequisites: base Fortitude +5; Fighting Level 6; Heavy Armor Proficiency talent; (Stability trait or Stable Footing talent)
Benefits:

• Fighting Level +1
• VP +6
• Gain one Reserve Point.
• Gain a [weapon trick] talent.
• You are immune to being Staggered.
• You may replace your saves against [fear] effects with awesome checks.
• If you expend momentum to cancel a hazard that would otherwise be inflicted on you, you may attempt a DC 20 awesome check to immediately regain momentum as an opportunity action.

Paladin
Kit
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 3; Heavy Armor Proficiency talent; Smite feat.
Benefits:

• Fighting Level +1
• Caster Level +1
• VP +4
• Your spell attacks gain a +1 [feat] bonus to impact.
• Gain a Leadership-based synergy bonus to all saves.
• You resist taint.

Drawbacks:

• If you ever perform a significant evil act, you "fall," losing access to the following abilities until you atone:
  
  • Leadership-based synergy bonus to all saves
  • Resisting taint

Special: You are considered to have the Champion kit for purposes of prerequisites. Paladin is meant to be a more specialized version of Champion.
XP Parcels:

• Exorcism feat.

Feats
Bodyguard's Step, Dogged Rebuke, Guardian's Wrath, Healing Touch, Inspiring Word, Radiate Aura, Shield Block, Shield Combo, Smite, Thicket of Blades

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Bodyguard's Step
[Counter] Feat
Prerequisites: Guardian kit or (Brash Protector talent; base Reflex +3).
Action: opportunity; expend momentum
Trigger: an adjacent ally is attacked by an attack that does not include you as a target.
Effect: Shift the triggering ally one cell. Shift one cell into the position the triggering ally formerly occupied, in a manner that makes you a legal target for the triggering attack. You become the target of the triggering attack, in place of the triggering ally.

Dogged Rebuke
[Counter] Feat
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 6; Thicket of Blades feat.
Action: opportunity
Trigger: A creature you threaten shifts.
Effect: Make an opportunity attack against the triggering creature.
Special: This feat requires using an opportunity action even if you are in the Thicket of Blades stance.
Normal: Shifting does not provoke opportunity attacks.

Guardian's Wrath
[Counter] Feat
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 6; Guardian kit; Hold the Line talent.
Action: opportunity; requires momentum.
Trigger: Your ally is attacked by a creature you threaten. You are not a target of the attack.
Effect: Make an opportunity attack against the triggering creature.
Special: If you are in the Thicket of Blades stance, you may apply it (once per round) to use this feat as a free action.

Healing Touch
[Spell] Feat
Prerequisites: Caster Level 1; Leadership 2 ranks; applicable seed.
Action: standard
Base MP Cost: 1 MP
Seeds: plant, radiant, water
Target: one touched creature.
Base Effect: target loses the Dropped condition (but is still typically Prone) or heals VP equal to half its normal maximum VP. If target is Dying, it also becomes stable.
Augment:

• MP +1: target may make a Fortitude save (DC 20) to lose the Wounded condition.
• MP +2: target heals VP equal to half its normal maximum VP and loses the Dropped condition.
• MP +2: target heals all VP damage.
• MP +2: target may make a Fortitude save (DC 20) to lose the Dying condition and gain the Wounded condition instead.
• MP +3: target heals all VP damage and loses the Dropped condition.
• MP +3: target loses the Wounded condition.
• MP +4: target loses the Dying condition and gains the Wounded condition instead.

Seed Effects:

• Radiant:
  
  • (MP +1): You may target a creature within three cells, rather than touching the target.
  • (MP +3): You may target a number of creatures equal to your Spellcraft modifier. All targets must be within six cells of each other, and one of them must be within the spell's normal range.
  • (MP +8): If you make a DC 25 Spellcraft check, you may restore a dead target to life. If the Spellcraft check fails, your MP and action are forfeit.
• Plant:
  
  • (MP +2): Cast the spell as a swift action. You must be the target of the spell.
  • (MP +2): You may use your healing skills to help the target pass any required Fortitude saves.
  • (MP +3): expend momentum. The target loses the Dying condition.
• Water:
  
  • (MP +1): You may use your healing skills to help the target pass any required Fortitude saves.
  • (MP +3): You may target a number of creatures equal to your Spellcraft modifier. All targets must be within six cells of each other, and one of them must be within the spell's normal range.

Inspiring Word
Feat
Prerequisites: Glibness 1 rank; Leadership 4 ranks.
Action: standard
Target: one creature that can hear you.
Effect: Target may exert to heal VP equal to half its normal maximum VP. If you expend momentum and make a DC 20 Leadership check, the target's requirement to exert is negated. (If you fail your Leadership check and the target is unable to exert, this action is wasted.)
Special: If the target has momentum, you may use this feat as a swift action.

Radiate Aura
Feat
Prerequisites: base Willpower +2; Leadership 2 ranks.
Action: swift
Benefit: gain an [aura] talent.
Effect: Activate an aura, or change your active aura.

Shield Block
[Counter] Feat
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 2; Shield Proficiency
Action: opportunity; expend momentum
Requirement: You must be wielding a shield.
Effect: When an adjacent ally rolls a Defense save, roll a Defense save of your own. Your ally may use the higher of the two saves' results.

Shield Combo
[Strike] Feat
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 2; Shield Proficiency
Action: standard; expend momentum
Effect: Make a melee attack with a shield you are wielding. If this attack does not allow you to inflict a hazard, you may also make an attack with your primary-hand weapon against the same target as a free action.

Smite
[Strike] Feat
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 1; base Willpower +1.
Action: standard; expend momentum
Effect: Make a melee attack with +1d8 impact.

Thicket of Blades
[Stance] Feat
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 3; Hold the Line talent.
Action: swift (stance)
Effect: While your are in this stance, once per round you may make an opportunity attack as a free action.
Normal: Making an opportunity attack requires an opportunity action.

Talents
Abuse of Sycophants Aura, Brash Protector, Hold the Line, Shield Proficiency, Shield Riposte, Veteran's Charge, Vigor Aura, War Master's Inspiration

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Abuse of Sycophants
[Aura][Healing] Talent
Prerequisites: Radiate Aura feat or Embrace Taint talent.
Benefit: As a swift action, you may heal 1 VP for every ally within line of sight who gives up 1 VP voluntarily (as a free action).

Brash Protector
[Flaw] Talent
Prerequisites: none
Benefit: You may make opportunity attacks while you are surprised.
Drawback: Whenever an ally provokes an opportunity attack, a creature who threatens both you and that ally may attack you instead of the ally who provokes.

Hold the Line
[Weapon Trick] Talent
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 1.
Benefit: Deal +1d6 impact with opportunity attacks provoked by a foe's movement.

Shield Proficiency
[Proficiency] Talent
Prerequisites: Brawn 1 rank.
Benefit: You are proficient with shields, and with making shield bash attacks.
Normal: A nonproficient character wielding a shield suffers a -2 penalty to Athletics, Dexterity, and Stealth checks, as if encumbered. Also, she is not proficient with shield bash attacks (and therefore suffers the usual -5 nonproficiency penalty).

Shield Riposte
[Weapon Trick] Talent
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 6; Shield Block feat.
Benefit: If you successfully use your Shield Block feat, you may attack the triggering creature with your shield as a free action.

Veteran's Charge
[Weapon Trick] Talent
Prerequisites: Fighting Level 3; Smite feat.
Benefit: When you use the Smite feat, you may charge instead of making a standard melee attack.

Vigor
[Aura][Healing] Talent
Prerequisites: Radiate Aura feat or (Healing Touch feat; Caster Level 5; base Willpower +5).
Benefit: Allies within this aura may spend a swift action to gain 1 Vitality Point (to a maximum of their normal maximum Vitality Points).

War Master's Inspiration
[Metamagic] Talent
Prerequisites: Leadership 10 ranks; (Healing Touch feat or Inspiring Word feat).
Benefit: When you deal a hazard to a foe with a melee attack, you may expend momentum to use the Healing Touch feat or the Inspiring Word feat as a free action.

[Draz]

Diamond Mind

Kits
Duelist

Feats
Blade Wind, Dazing Strike, Deep Impact, Dodge, Heroic Surge, Quick Shift, Stunt Attack, Thicket of Blades

Talents
Acrobatic Charge, Blind-Fight, Seize the Moment, Thrilling Dodge, Zen Focus