The Art of the Blade

Every maneuver belongs to a martial discipline. The maneuvers in a discipline are usually linked by common effects, philosophies, or functions. Each discipline is tied to a certain skill that might be used in the execution of some of its maneuvers. Also, various weapons groups (see fighter for Weapon Groups under the weapon training class feature) lend themselves well to the philosophy or maneuvers of certain disciplines. Weapons under these groups are defined as ‘discipline weapons’ for the purposes of feats, features, and other abilities that reference discipline weapons.

Order of Presentation: In the maneuver lists and descriptions, the maneuvers are grouped alphabetically by level.

Initiator Level: Some maneuvers effects depend on the initiator level, which is usually the character’s level in the class that provides access to martial maneuvers. The word “level” in the maneuver lists always refers to initiator level.

Creatures and Characters: “Creatures” and “characters” are used synonymously in the maneuver descriptions.

Discipline Restrictions: Several of the martial disciplines carry specific restrictions on when they can be used, as well as specific rules for those disciplines, as defined in that discipline’s maneuver list.

Black Seraph Discipline

The secrets of the Black Seraph discipline are taught by possessing fiends and demonic tutors to their pawns as a way of enticing fools who desire power into learning their secrets or the occasional few with wills strong enough to tear those secrets from their infernal prisoners. Not ones to blanch at the thought of fighting dirty, Black Seraph disciples are quite content to injure their foes in any way that they can to ensure their victory. This discipline focuses on powerful, straightforward two-handed strikes and vicious counters as well as intimidation, pain-infliction, and dirty fighting. The Black Seraph discipline’s associated skill is Intimidate, and its associated weapon groups are axes, flails, and pole arms.

The discipline of Black Seraph is a supernatural discipline and all abilities within are considered supernatural abilities and follow the rules and restrictions of such. Many abilities in this discipline carry the [evil] descriptor, but not all of them.

Broken Blade Discipline

Legend has it the first practitioner of the Broken Blade style was a powerful swordsman who in the middle of a life-or-death duel with an old enemy found his sword broken by his opponent and had to toss it aside. Disheartened by his lack of weapons, he quickly realized that his years of training, exercise, and conditioning had made his body a weapon all on its own. Using only his fists and his nerve, this long-forgotten swordsman became the first to develop this discipline’s techniques, and he passed his experience on to others. Disciples of the Broken Blade teach these methods in monasteries, to cloistered warrior-monks who learn to operate without the use of traditional weapons of combat. Others learn from parents or individual mentors, haphazard or otherwise, and scrap their way through as it suits them. The Broken Blade’s associated skill is Acrobatics, and its associated weapon groups are close, monk, and natural.

Cursed Razor Discipline

The discipline known now as Cursed Razor has dark origins indeed, spawned forth from the bodyguards of an ancient demonic cult. Tapping into the power of their own malevolence, these warrior-warlocks struck their opponents down with dark curses channeled through their weapons and developed techniques to project maleficent auras that sapped away at the bodies and minds of their enemies. Since then Cursed Razor has spread far beyond the now-dead cult, which taught other students before its demise, left books of its secrets lying around, or else simply inspired others with demonstrations of its entropic power. Though the techniques of Cursed Razor stem from the inborn malice found in any sapient mind, its powers are not necessarily evil—pragmatic, certainly, and utterly lacking in any sense of fair play, but not evil. Knights and champions in the mortal realm seeking the weapons to combat evil turn to Cursed Razor to gain an edge on their fiendish foes, or as a way of acknowledging the terrible truth of evil’s place in the multiverse while at the same time casting their defiance in its teeth. Maneuvers from the Cursed Razor discipline are imbued and enhanced with magical energies; as such, they are supernatural abilities. Cursed Razor’s associated skill is Spellcraft, and its associated weapon groups are heavy blades, light blades, and spears.

Maneuvers from this discipline are imbued and enhanced with magical energies. As such, they are supernatural abilities.

Curse Maneuvers: Some maneuvers in Cursed Razor have the curse descriptor. These maneuvers, much like spells with the curse descriptor, use persistent, malicious energies to inflict penalties on their victims. A creature immune to curses is immune to the effects of these maneuvers, with the exception of any weapon damage inflicted by them.

Many of these curse maneuvers inflict a new condition: cursed. By itself, the cursed condition does nothing, but many maneuvers or abilities have an increased effect on cursed creatures, or can only be used on cursed creatures (see individual maneuver descriptions for more information on how they interact with the cursed condition). Spells with the curse descriptor also apply the cursed condition for a duration equal to the spell’s duration. Multiple applications of the cursed condition do not overlap; instead the duration of each new application of the condition is added to the remaining duration of the previous application. The successful use of break enchantment, remove curse, or similar effects removes the cursed condition from the target in addition to their normal effects.

Elemental Flux Discipline

Equal parts martial discipline and magical art form, the discipline of Elemental Flux is a martial art that is said to have roots in the bloodlines of genies and their mortal descendants. By tapping their magical natures, they were able to pioneer a style of fighting that channeled their innate magic into a cohesive fighting style. Those descended from these original genie battle masters passed their talents down through the generations, and the discipline proliferated from there. In the current day, practitioners of Elemental Flux blend arcane elemental energies with martial strikes to create a dizzying array of quasi-arcane, magic-infused attacks that spell devastation and ruin to enemies. Elemental Flux’s associated skill is Spellcraft, and its associated weapon groups are light blades, monk, and thrown.

Maneuvers from this discipline are universally supernatural in nature, drawing as they do on the initiator’s ability to manipulate the elements. As such, they are supernatural abilities. In addition, many maneuvers within the Elemental Flux discipline may be augmented and improved by spending one or more points of animus (see the mystic base class or the Tap Animus feat for more details) when initiating the maneuver. Unless otherwise noted, you can only augment an individual maneuver once. Unlike a mystic’s normal animus augmentations, the number of animus points spent on Elemental Flux augmentations is not limited by your mystic level. Instead, you can spend a maximum amount of animus augmenting a maneuver equal to one point plus one additional point of animus for every seven initiator levels you possess. If you have the ability to augment your maneuvers in other ways, such as from a class feature or other ability, this cannot be combined with the augments of Elemental Flux maneuvers; you must choose which augmentation type to use when initiating the maneuver.

Active Elements: Many Elemental Flux maneuvers deal damage of the initiator’s active element’s associated energy type. The four available active elements (and their associated energy type) are air (electricity), earth (acid), fire (fire), and water (cold). A character that knows at least one Elemental Flux maneuver chooses his active element when he readies his maneuvers, and can change it by focusing as a standard action. A character can only have one active element at a time. An Elemental Flux maneuver that deals energy damage gains that damage type as a descriptor. If a character is psionic, they can change their active energy type whenever they change their active element, and vice versa. A psionic character’s active energy type need not match their active element.

Eternal Guardian Discipline

The exact origins of the discipline of the Eternal Guardian are difficult to determine due to the style’s incredible age. One legend claims it was created by the god who first separated the planes, dividing the mortal from the immortal, while another story insists that it was founded by a single warrior who swore to defend his city from an entire invading army. These stories reflect the core of the discipline: A total devotion to a promise—usually either an oath to an ally that they will survive, no matter the cost to the disciple, or a curse on a foe that they will never escape. Today, the discipline of the Eternal Guardian has spread far and wide: It is used by bodyguards in the palaces of kings, sentinels of occult orders, and humble night watchmen making their rounds. The discipline of the Eternal Guardian and all of its maneuvers and stances are considered to be supernatural abilities and thus do not function in situations where supernatural abilities will fail. Eternal Guardian’s associated skill is Intimidate, and its associated weapon groups are hammers, heavy blades, and polearms.

Curse Maneuvers: Some maneuvers in Eternal Guardian have the curse descriptor. These maneuvers, much like spells with the curse descriptor, use persistent, malicious energies to inflict penalties on their victims. A creature immune to curses is immune to the effects of these maneuvers, with the exception of any weapon damage inflicted by them.

Many of these curse maneuvers inflict a new condition: cursed. By itself, the cursed condition does nothing, but many maneuvers or abilities have an increased effect on cursed creatures, or can only be used on cursed creatures (see individual maneuver descriptions for more information on how they interact with the cursed condition). Spells with the curse descriptor also apply the cursed condition for a duration equal to the spell’s duration. Multiple applications of the cursed condition do not overlap; instead the duration of each new application of the condition is added to the remaining duration of the previous application. The successful use of break enchantment, remove curse, or similar effects removes the cursed condition from the target in addition to their normal effects.

Golden Lion Discipline

The discipline of Golden Lion is a practice passed between war leaders, chieftains, generals, and militia leaders over the generations, meant to bring a group of warriors together into one cohesive unit. Golden Lion is a discipline that only greatly benefits a warrior who believes strongly in teamwork. The larger the group, the more who can benefit from the skilled leadership of a dedicated commander. Golden Lion benefits its practitioners indirectly, by aiding their allies instead. Because of this association with team work and working in groups with many differing people, the associated skill for this discipline is Diplomacy, and its associated weapon groups are heavy blades, hammers, and pole arms.

Iron Tortoise Discipline

The discipline known as Iron Tortoise rose up from the need to protect one’s self and allies from harm during wartime. Phalanx fighters knew that their shield protected them as much as their brother, and that a sturdy shield wall could repel almost any harm. Iron Tortoise disciples learn that their discipline requires their defensive stances to be perfect; they must not be budged from their spot unless they choose to move from them. Iron Tortoise requires its practitioners be proficient with a shield, and many of its maneuvers can only be used with a shield or shield-like device. The Iron Tortoise discipline’s associated skill is Bluff, and its associated weapon groups are axes, heavy blades, and close weapons.

Maneuvers from Iron Tortoise require use of a shield in one hand. Animated shields are not allowed as they do not allow the full range of motions required to use these maneuvers. Tower shields may be used, but cannot be used to perform shield bash maneuvers unless the initiator has the ability to perform shield bashes with tower shields.

Mithral Current Discipline

Like the flashing rapids, thundering waterfalls and deep, silent depths of the ocean, disciples of Mithral Current embody the many forms and ever changing nature of water. The art of Mithral Current’s bladework began as a set of scattered abilities found across several different island nations. Through frequent cultural exchange, trade and war these techniques spread and mixed forming a unique style that blended the culture and history of many peoples. The discipline found its use among all walks of life, from noble palaces where the drawing of a blade was an act of social suicide to the slums of portside cities where a hidden blade was the only thing that could keep one safe. Mithral Current’s associated skill is Perform (dance), and its associated weapon groups are light blades, heavy blades, and polearms.

The Fine Art of Iaijutsu: Disciples of Mithral Current are swift striking warriors, and many of their maneuvers gain an added benefit if the disciple “draws their weapon as part of the attack.” For purposes of game mechanics, this means that the disciple has their weapon sheathed before initiating the maneuver, has the Quick Draw feat or a base attack bonus of +1 (allowing them to draw their weapon as part of a move action) and is initiating the maneuver using the weapon that is sheathed, drawing that weapon as a free action prior to initiating the maneuver (this can be done even if it isn’t your turn). As long as all three conditions are met, the Mithral Current disciple meets the requirements for these bonus effects to activate when initiating these maneuvers. A weapon is considered sheathed if it is in a non-threatening position, such as a monk putting their hands at their sides or in their pockets, a spear wielder pointing the tip of their spear into the ground, a soulknife with an unformed mind blade, or even a samurai keeping their katana in its sheath. The terminology of sheathing the weapon is only intended to serve as a shorthand for any number of ways a warrior can present themselves as non-threatening with their weapon.

Piercing Thunder Discipline

The Piercing Thunder discipline finds its traditions rooted in one of the oldest weapons known to intelligent beings: the spear. Be this spear fought in melee, tossed to hunt, or used as part of a charge, the spear, and later the polearm, has been a standard in military practice. Those who follow Piercing Thunder’s teachings know that these mighty hafted weapons are equally at home in the hands of a warrior on the battlefield as they are in those of a poor peasant militiaman—the spear knows no rank, only skill. Piercing Thunder shows superiority through the overwhelming force granted by reach and mobility. Piercing Thunder’s associated skill is Acrobatics, and its associated weapon groups are polearms and spears.

The specialized nature of some Piercing Thunder maneuvers requires you to be wielding a discipline weapon or a weapon that inflicts piercing damage. If you are not wielding such a weapon, then you cannot perform those maneuvers. In addition, while you maintain a Piercing Thunder stance, you can retrieve unattended weapons as a free action, provided the weapon is within your reach at some point during your turn (including as part of a move action).

Primal Fury Discipline

The way of the Primal Fury is a simple method of undeniable ferocity coupled with unstoppable aggression in the face of the enemy. By focusing the cold rage within a warrior’s heart and combining that power with calculated skill and intellect, the Primal Fury practitioner is a force of remorseless warfare that is capable of truly devastating shows of force. Learned by those emulating the hunt and attack methods of great cats, such as pumas, lions, leopards, and tigers, the early practitioners of this discipline spread throughout the world, teaching it nearly everywhere. Many even regard this discipline as the oldest of all disciplines. The disciples of the Primal Fury have a few unifying principles, however, and that is firstly survival. All disciples of the Primal Fury are survivors of hardships in battle, trading blows stoically and fighting on with indomitable will to live to fight again. This drive to victory makes many of them very taciturn, but others simply shrug off the specter of death and focus more on the moment. The associated skill for the Primal Fury discipline is Survival, and its associated weapon groups are axes, heavy blades, and hammers.

Riven Hourglass Discipline

Time exists. No one can deny this fact that time inexorably marches forward and brings all things to crumbling ruin, to death, and to dissolution. For others, time brings great things, as when things mature they grow and change, become more beautiful or potent. At the end of all things, the sand in the hourglass always falls and time passes. Some souls rejected this notion, and learned through skill with a blade to cleave the hourglass in twain and alter the passage of time to their benefit. Thus, the Riven Hourglass discipline was born. Students of this discipline believe that within each being there is an Hourglass in their soul, and within this hourglass resides the sands that flow endlessly towards the end of a creature’s time in the world. By manipulating their own Hourglass and that of others, the practitioners of this art show that through will, determination, and the use of the sands of time within all beings that battle can be won before it has even begun. Riven Hourglass disciples are capable of seeing minute flows in the endlessly flowing sands of time and are capable of making decisions in the moments when they need to be made. Riven Hourglass’ associated skill is Autohypnosis, and its associated weapon groups are flails, hammers, and light blades.

Maneuvers from this discipline are universally supernatural in nature, drawing as they do on the initiator’s connection to the timestream and the manipulation of their Hourglass. As such, they are supernatural abilities.

Radiant Dawn Discipline

Brought forth by the desire to rule, and shaped on the battlefield through ages of conflict, Radiant Dawn is a discipline that is steeped in blood and akasha. In ages where conflict and war are common, those with this discipline watch over the battlefield like the sun in the sky, directing allies to seize victory, while hindering enemies powerful abilities to shift the tide of battle into their favor. In ages where conflict has been distant, Radiant Dawn has existed as an akashic meditative exercise amongst rulers and nobility. Regardless of what form it takes, practitioners of the Radiant Dawn strive to be like the sun itself: Above all.

Knowledge of Radiant Dawn maneuvers grants Essence equal to the number of maneuvers and stances known, to a maximum of the highest level Radiant Dawn maneuver or stance they know.

Maneuvers from the Radiant Dawn discipline are imbued and enhanced with akashic energies; as such, they are supernatural abilities. Radiant Dawn’s associated skill is Diplomacy, and its associated weapon groups are bows, flails, hammers, polearms, and the Sun’s Gleam ability.

Scarlet Throne Discipline

The discipline of Scarlet Throne arose in the battling aristocracies of the world, where its nobles initially only practiced dueling styles that were of little use. When war came, these nobles found their abilities were sorely under-prepared for the rigors of true combat. Combining their roots in the dueling arts dueling and subsequent training by masters of practical combat and leadership, the Scarlet Throne style was born. Regal and unflinching, a practitioner of Scarlet Throne owns any field of battle he walks upon, for it is his court and there he rules, painting his chambers red with the blood of his enemies. The associated skill for this discipline is Sense Motive, and its associated weapon groups are heavy blades, light blades, and spears.

Shattered Mirror Discipline

The strange and, in some ways, disquieting discipline known as Shattered Mirror is ancient and misunderstood. Many conflicting tales of its origins and practice exist, crediting its invention to a variety sources. Perhaps the most well-known story of its origin places blame for it at the feet of a mirror of opposition triggered by a great warrior caught in the midst of a magical conflict. The mirror’s powerful magics were pulled and warped by the flying spells and magical taint and the being it coughed forth came out wrong, unable to return to its home. Deprived of its homeland and its true and proper nature, it traveled the lands seeking power over reflections in an effort to return. The product of its failure, says the legend, is Shattered Mirror, which is still practiced to this day by those who seek power over reflections both true and deceptive. Shattered Mirror’s associated skills are Craft (glassmaking), Craft (painting), Craft (sculpture), and Craft (sketching), and its associated weapon groups as heavy blades, light blades, and close weapons.

Maneuvers from this discipline are universally supernatural in nature, drawing as they do on the initiator’s ability to twist reality and reflect upon both themselves and others. As such, they are supernatural abilities. Some maneuvers from this discipline require the initiator to make a Craft check; these checks must use one of the Craft skills associated with the Shattered Mirror discipline.

Silver Crane Discipline

Disciples of the Silver Crane are men and women for whom the power of the celestial and divine flow into the arts of their blade. The Silver Crane is a goodly discipline that is inspired by the teachings of good aligned outsiders. It focuses on strong strikes designed to combat evil, celestial insights, and combat-predictions to defeat foes and enable the initiator and his allies to endure the hardships of battle against the forces of evil. Upon learning the art of Silver Crane, the disciple becomes in tune with the flows of the celestial realm, gaining heavenly insights into combat as if the angels themselves were granting insight to the warrior in battle. The Silver Crane discipline’s associated skill is Perception, and its associated weapon groups are bows, hammers, and spears.

The discipline of Silver Crane is to be considered a supernatural discipline and all abilities within are considered supernatural abilities and follow the rules and restrictions of such. All abilities in this discipline carry the [good] descriptor.

A character may also choose to strike incorporeal foes with strikes made from this discipline as if they were made manifest, including fiends and other entities who currently possess a creature. To strike a possessing creature, the body they inhabit must be also struck, but all damage from the attack is inflicted upon the possessing fiend without harming the host.

Sleeping Goddess Discipline

Though some put their trust in a well-crafted sword or a solid shield, the greatest warriors know that a tempered mind and devotion to one’s ideals are the sharpest weapon and the toughest armor. A Sleeping Goddess adept strikes his deathblow not at the heart of his foe, but at the ideals and principles the foe devotes himself to, undermining his conceptual basis of reality. Through their mastery of psionics and overpowering force of belief, disciples of this discipline assert their presence on the world, transcending the shackles of reality and making their surroundings their own. A master of the discipline becomes unto a god; he rends minds asunder as easily as bodies and shakes the foundations of others’ beliefs merely by sharing his own. Sleeping Goddess’ associated skill is Autohypnosis, and its associated weapon groups are flails, heavy blades, monk, and spears. In addition, any weapon created by the form mind blade class feature or equivalent ability (such as a deadly fist’s empowered strikes, a psychic armory’s panoply of blades, or a soulbolt’s mind bolt) or by a Sleeping Goddess maneuver is treated as a discipline weapon.

Maneuvers from the Sleeping Goddess discipline actively draw on the initiator’s psionic talents. As such, they are supernatural abilities. In addition, some Sleeping Goddess maneuvers can be augmented by spending power points, similarly to a psionic power. You can spend a maximum number of power points augmenting a maneuver equal to one plus one additional power point for every four initiator levels you possess (up to a maximum of 6 at 20th level). If you have the ability to augment your maneuvers in other ways, such as from a class feature or other ability, this cannot be combined with the augments of Sleeping Goddess maneuvers; you must choose which augmentation type to use when initiating the maneuver.

Sleeping Goddess and Power Points: The Sleeping Goddess discipline unlocks the power of the mind, allowing its adepts to tap into their psionic talent. You gain power points equal to the highest level Sleeping Goddess maneuver you know (including stances), plus one additional power point for each Sleeping Goddess maneuver known beyond the first (including stances). If you already have a power point pool, you add those points to it. If you do not have a power point pool, you gain one as well as the psionic subtype. You do not gain bonus power points for a high initiation modifier (though you do gain bonus power points for having a high key ability score if you have levels in a manifester class, as normal).

Solar Wind Discipline

The Elements and Solar Wind

The traditionalists of the Solar Wind discipline teach their students that fire is the natural power of the sun, and while this art was developed in sunny mesas and rolling plateaus bathed in winds, there are other environments where the discipline was adapted. From the frozen fjords and frigid taigas comes the icy Glacial Frost variant (cold). From the tropical forests of the world comes the corrosive Virulent Spray variant (acid). Finally, hailing from stormy peaks of wave-tossed islands comes the electrical variant Oncoming Storm (electrical) variant. When a character possesses the Solar Wind discipline, they can decide which variant (if any) is used, changing the standard elemental damage type associated with Solar Wind to that of the variant chosen. This choice is made when the character gains access to the discipline—other variants can be learned whenever the character gains a level in a new class that possesses the Solar Wind martial discipline or through the Variable Wind feat.

The disciples of the Solar Wind learn their arts on the windy plains where they train to deliver deadly force and precision in any environment. Throwing weapons and archery are their tools, and they rarely miss. Hallmark maneuvers include ricochet maneuvers, deadly precision strikes, supernaturally forceful maneuvers that may fire through opponents in a deadly line, showers of phantom weapons that inflict true damage, and ranged attack counters which shoot enemy missiles from the sky. Solar Wind’s associated skill is Perception and its weapon groups are bows, crossbows, firearms, and thrown.

The discipline of Solar Wind has many maneuvers that are considered to be supernatural abilities, and these maneuvers follow the same rules and restrictions.

Steel Serpent Discipline

Practice of the Steel Serpent discipline dates back to ancient times, hailing from those whose work was only practiced in the dark of night, in hidden cabals dedicated to the art of killing. Steel Serpent disciples practice the art of the silent kill, using stealth, trickery, and poison in addition to martial combat skill and knowledge of anatomy. Masters of this discipline are marvels of deadly precision, their very touch capable of killing the strongest of men through the manipulation of their ki used as a deadly weapon. This ki manipulation causes the disciple’s very energies to become a supernatural poison in and off itself. Swiftness and deadly precision are hallmarks of this discipline, and those that use it are known for making use of more exotic weapons. Knowledge of anatomy (of both targets and the self) is also incredibly important, as well as the knowledge of ki manipulation and how to effect the energies of the body. The associated skill for this discipline is Heal, and its associated weapon groups are light blades, close weapons, and monk weapons.

The discipline of Steel Serpent has many maneuvers that would be considered supernatural abilities, and are marked as such. These abilities follow the same rules as supernatural abilities.

Tempest Gale Discipline

Like the whipping winds of a great storm front, the arrows, slings, bullets and thrown weapons of a Tempest Gale disciple reach out across the battlefield to find their target without error. Developed from the skills of masterful archers who used trick shots and careful aim to bring down their foes, Tempest Gale is a discipline that specializes in targeted shots that can disable or destroy any foe. Tempest Gale’s associated skill is Sleight of Hand, and its associated weapon groups are bows, crossbows, firearms, and thrown.

Some Tempest Gale maneuvers allow the disciple to make a ranged combat maneuver attempt. Treat this as a normal combat maneuver, except that it does not provoke attacks of opportunity and may be executed against any creature the disciple could attack with their weapon. If the target is a distance greater than one range increment, the normal penalty to attack rolls is instead applied to the combat maneuver attempt. In addition, while you maintain a Tempest Gale stance, you can retrieve unattended weapons as a free action, provided you are adjacent to the weapon at some point during turn (including as part of a move action).

Thrashing Dragon Discipline

The discipline known as Thrashing Dragon has a long standing tradition amongst both ascetics and daredevils alike, as its movements and style fit both the dedication and tenacity of more disciplined fighters, as well as the erratic and improvisational style of free spirited warriors. Practitioners of the style are often lithe and nimble, graceful and quick, as the style demands speed and the ability to correct one’s movements fluidly. Thrashing Dragon is a demanding style that requires both agility and athletic ability. Its disciples are primarily two-weapon fighters, skilled with weapons that are used for quick slashes and stabs. It is an acrobatic style, using the disciple’s natural speed and grace to avoid blows as opposed to blocking them with their smaller weapons. Thrashing Dragon’s associated skill is Acrobatics, and its associated weapon groups are close weapons, light blades, and double weapons.

Many Thrashing Dragon maneuvers require that its practitioner be wielding two weapons (one in each hand or one weapon and unarmed strike), wielding a double weapon, using natural weapons, or be unarmed to utilize them.

Unquiet Grave Discipline

Practitioners of Unquiet Grave utilize the power of negative energy, enhancing their attacks with entropic power. Thought to have originated from ancient vampiric warlords, this necromantic discipline is used to scourge living opponents and infuse its practitioners with the powers of undeath. Though somewhat rare, Unquiet Grave remains popular amongst undead warriors, as well as assassins who specialize in living victims.

Maneuvers of the Unquiet Grave discipline are infused with negative energy and the power of undeath. As such, they are supernatural abilities. Additionally, a creature that knows 1 or more Unquiet Grave strikes may expend one of those strikes as a standard action to touch a creature that is healed by negative energy and infuse it with negative energy; the touch heals the creature for 1d8 hit points per level of the expended strike. As usual, a strike must be readied before it may be expended.

Many maneuvers of the Unquiet Grave discipline have additional, or different, effects if the creature that initiates them is undead. These effects are marked “Grave Call” in the maneuvers’ descriptions. If an Unquiet Grave maneuver is initiated by a non-undead creature that is healed by negative energy, an undead creature that is healed by positive energy, or a creature with the graveblood subtype, then they may choose whether or not to utilize its grave call each time they initiate that maneuver. Additionally, some maneuvers of the Unquiet Grave discipline grant temporary hit points. These temporary hit points stack with themselves and with temporary hit points gained through other maneuvers of this discipline, up to a maximum equal to 1/2 the initiator’s normal maximum hit points, and last for up to 1 hour.

Veiled Moon Discipline

As the stillness of the moon reflected upon a still pond, the spiritualist discipline of Veiled Moon is seen as a strange and esoteric art, whose mysteries are difficult to grasp, and even harder to practice! The practitioners of this discipline are said to be ‘half-in, half-out’ due to the fact that they seem to be living in two worlds; in fact, this is not far from the truth. Veiled Moon disciples have grasped connections to the Astral and Ethereal planes in their mind through intense meditation and a spiritual devotion to learning the ways of spirits and the natural world, and blended them seamlessly into a martial art so supernatural that it borders on the magical. A potent, yet passive, discipline, its esoteric abilities are often misunderstood. Maneuvers include short distance astral teleportation, ethereal abilities to become incorporeal or use incorporeal touch attacks to strike foes easily, force damage strikes, and the ability to cause foes to become incorporeal themselves. The key skill for Veiled Moon is Stealth, and its associated weapon groups are light blades, double weapons, and spears.

The discipline of Veiled Moon and all of its maneuvers and stances are considered to be supernatural abilities and thus do not function in situations where supernatural abilities will fail. If the character is on a plane that does not touch the Ethereal, then Veiled Moon maneuvers that specify that they use the Ethereal Plane do not function; all others function normally due to all planes connecting to the Astral Plane. Teleportation maneuvers require that the destination must be within line of sight to the initiator, and are usable with the Dimensional Agility line of feats. Also, maneuvers with the (teleportation) tag only apply to the initiator himself, his gear and equipment, and up to 25 pounds of carried objects. Maneuvers and stances that cause the initiator to become incorporeal also cause the initiator’s equipment, and up to 25 pounds of carried items, to become incorporeal. Lastly, maneuvers with the [mind-affecting] tag are considered enchantment effects for the purposes of saving throws and immunities.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Path of War, © 2014, Dreamscarred Press.

Lords of the Night, © 2015, Dreamscarred Press.

Path of War – Expanded, © 2016, Dreamscarred Press.

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