Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Magocrat 12-28-07, 11:08 AM	Maneuver and Stance List1st Level Adam Balancing Stance: Stance—Gain bonus against special attacks based on Balance ranks. Great Bash: Strike—Deal +1d6 damage with shield bash, retain shield bonus to AC. Iron Skin: Boost—Gain damage reduction 5/—. Steel Defense: Boost—Gain +4 AC, –4 on attack rolls. 2nd Level Adam Adamant Resolve: Counter—Remove mind-affecting or fear effect, gain +2 morale bonus on Will saves. Driving Bash: Strike—With successful attack, attempt to bull rush foe. Wall of Steel: Counter—Gain cover against single attack. 3rd Level Adam Aegis Ward: Stance—Gain shield bonus to touch AC and Reflex saves. Defensive Bash: Strike—Gain double shield bonus against foe. Staunch Bastion: Counter—Attack charging opponent with +1d6 damage, bull rush. 4th Level Adam Adamant Redoubt: Counter—Force foe to reroll attack roll with –2 penalty. Unfettered Stride: Stance—Increase maximum Dexterity bonus by 2, lessen armor check penalty by 3. 5th Level Adam Dazing Bash: Strike—Shield bash dazes foe. Warding Bash: Strike—Gain three times shield bonus against foe. 6th Level Adam Steel Skin: Boost—Gain damage reduction 10/—. Wall of Adamantine: Counter—Gain total cover against single attack. Ward of Vigilance: Boost—You can't be caught flat-footed. 7th Level Adam Absolute Defense: Boost—Ignore touch attacks. Impetuous Ward: Stance—Block attacks with opposed attack roll. 8th Level Adam Adamant Bulwark: Counter—Reduce damage from one source. Adamantine Skin: Boost—Gain damage reduction 20/—. 9th Level Adam Moment of Immortality: Boost—Gain immunity against attacks. Adamant Soul The Adamant Soul discipline concentrates on defense. Its initiates have the ability to shrug off tremendous blows and shield themselves from spells and powers with their armor and shields. The Adamant Soul's preferred weapons are the spiked armor, heavy shield, heavy spiked shield, light shield, and light spiked shield. Its key skill is Balance. Absolute Defense Adamant Soul (Boost) Level: Crusader 7, warblade 7 Prerequisite: Three Adamant Soul maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 round You assume a relaxed footing and focus. You become one with your armor, and it appears as if your armor melds with your skin. With endless training and exercise while wearing your armor and donning your shield, you have learned how to defend yourself against attacks that would normally bypass your defenses. While lesser warriors are practically helpless against such attacks if they rely too much on their armor, you stand fast. When you initiate this maneuver, opponents who attack you with touch attacks while this maneuver is in effect must beat your normal AC instead of your touch AC. Adamant Bulwark Adamant Soul (Counter) Level: Crusader 8, warblade 8 Prerequisite: Three Adamant Soul maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 immediate action Range: Personal Target: You When your enemy casts a spell, you instinctively cover yourself with your shield and armor. As the smoke clears from the blast, you are still standing, barely affected by the grievous explosion. When you are affected by a spell, power, or other similar effect that causes damage, you can initiate this maneuver to decrease the damage of that effect. Each die of damage that the effect deals is decreased by 1 point for every 5 points of armor and shield bonus you have. For example, if a 12th-level wizard casts fireball and if you have a +11 armor bonus and a +5 shield bonus, you take 36 points less damage from the fireball. Adamant Redoubt Adamant Soul (Counter) Level: Crusader 4, warblade 4 Prerequisite: Two Adamant Soul maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 immediate action Range: Personal Target: You When your enemy thinks that he has struck a solid blow, you move in a split second, causing his sword to strike your armor instead. Your mastery of your shield and armor allow you to defend yourself against attacks that would connect when struck against any other warrior. When an enemy successfully attacks you with a melee or ranged attack, you can initiate this counter to force them to reroll their attack roll with a –2 penalty. You can choose to use this maneuver after an opponent resolves his attack but before he determines damage. Adamant Resolve Adamant Soul (Counter) Level: Crusader 2, warblade 2 Initiation Action: 1 immediate action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: See text As your foe attempts to beguile you, you concentrate and break free of his influence. The Adamant Soul discipline teaches that a warrior who cannot defend his mind, cannot defend his body either. Because of this, some of its adherents learn how to exercise their minds against hostile influences in addition to the defensive techniques that they use against physical attacks. You can use this maneuver when you fail a saving throw against a mind-affecting or fear effect. That effect ends immediately. You also surge with confidence, gaining a +2 morale bonus against Will saving throws until the end of your next turn. Adamantine Skin Adamant Soul (Boost) Level: Crusader 8, warblade 8 Prerequisite: Three Adamant Soul maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 round You change your footing, entrenching yourself in your armor. Your foes struggle to overcome the impenetrable bastion that is your armor. When you initiate this maneuver, you gain damage reduction 20/adamantine. If you are wearing medium or heavy adamantine armor, you gain damage reduction 20/— instead. To gain this benefit, you must be wearing armor. Aegis Ward Adamant Soul (Stance) Level: Crusader 3, warblade 3 Prerequisite: One Adamant Soul maneuver Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance With a sigh, you clench your shield tightly, and your muscles twitch in anticipation. When your foe casts a spell, you immediately raise your shield against the spell, causing it to strike your shield, but leaving you unharmed. As a warrior who defends himself as proficiently as he attacks others, you know that you have to defend yourself against your foes' magic as much as their blows. With this stance, you wield your shield as a ward against magic. While you are in this stance, you may add your shield bonus as a circumstance bonus to your touch AC and your Reflex saving throws. Balancing Stance Adamant Soul (Stance) Level: Crusader 1, warblade 1 Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance You put your feet firmly on the ground, poised to resist anyone who tries to knock you down. One of the first lessons that an Adamant Soul initiate learns, is the importance of assuming a strong defensive stance. With the right footing, a warrior can resist any attack. This stance is an extension of that teaching, letting you stand fast against your opponents. While you are in this stance, you gain a competence bonus on opposed checks and rolls against effects that attempt to knock you prone or move you (such as bull rush, overrun, and trip attempts) equal to your ranks in Balance divided by 4, and rounding down (minimum +1). Dazing Bash Adamant Soul (Strike) Level: Crusader 5, warblade 5 Prerequisite: Two Adamant Soul maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature Duration: 1 round Saving Throw: Fortitude negates In a blur of steel, you strike your shield against your opponent's head, causing him to lose his senses for a few crucial seconds. You make a single melee attack with your shield as part of this strike. If this attack hits, the target takes melee damage normally and must make a Fortitude save (DC 15 + your Strength modifier) or be dazed for 1 round. You retain your shield bonus to AC after performing a shield bash in conjunction with this maneuver. Defensive Bash Adamant Soul (Strike) Level: Crusader 3, warblade 3 Prerequisite: One Adamant Soul maneuver Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature Duration: 1 round You pummel your foe with your shield. As the clang of steel still rings in his head, he loses his footing, making it even harder for him to successfully strike you. Warriors often mouth the idiom that the best defense is a good offense, and you see truth in that saying. By striking your foe with your shield, you cause him to lose his footing and place your shield to defend yourself better against his attacks. You make a single melee attack with your shield as part of this strike. If this attack hits, you gain double your shield bonus to AC against the target. You retain your shield bonus to AC after performing a shield bash in conjunction with this maneuver. Driving Bash Adamant Soul (Strike) Level: Crusader 2, warblade 2 Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature With a mighty shout, you knock your foe away with your shield, leaving him baffled and unable to reach you for a counterattack. Your training with the shield makes you understand that the shield can be a potent weapon. By putting your weight entirely behind your shield, you can drive your foe back, depriving him of the opportunity to strike you. This maneuver allows you to combine a bull rush attempt with a normal melee attack. You make a single melee attack with your shield as part of this strike. If this attack hits and deals damage, you can also attempt to bull rush your opponent (PH 154). This bull rush attempt does not provoke attacks of opportunity, nor do you lose your shield bonus to AC. Great Bash Adamant Soul (Strike) Level: Crusader 1, warblade 1 Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature You put your weight behind your shield, and strike your foe with a mighty blow. Even as he recovers from the blow, you have already regained your footing, ready to defend yourself. The great bash maneuver is one of the most basic maneuvers of the Adamant Soul discipline. It allows a warrior to attack a foe with his shield without exposing himself to attacks; something that a lesser warrior would risk if he would perform such a maneuver. As part of this maneuver, you must perform a shield bash. If the attack hits, you deal an extra 1d6 points of damage. You retain your shield bonus to AC after performing a shield bash in conjunction with this maneuver. Impetuous Ward Adamant Soul (Stance) Level: Crusader 7, warblade 7 Prerequisite: Three Adamant Soul maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance As the calm before a storm, you stand ready, clenching your shield. When an opponent lashes out at you, you clash your shield against his weapon. As a student of the Adamant Soul discipline, you learn that the shield is more than a passive defense, like the armor that you wear, but a means of aggressive defense. With your shield, you can knock aside your foe's weapon, ruining his attack. While you are in this stance, you can oppose an opponent's attack by making an attack roll with any shield you are holding. You use your highest base attack bonus, and you add your shield bonus to the attack roll. Use the higher of your AC or your attack roll as your effective AC against the incoming attack. You can't use this stance if you are denied your Dexterity bonus to AC against your attacker. You must decide to use this stance before you learn the result of your opponent's attack. Opposing an opponent's attack consumes one of your attacks of opportunity in the current round. You cannot use this stance if you have no attacks of opportunity remaining (but the stance doesn't end). You must carry a shield to use this stance. Iron Skin Adamant Soul (Boost) Level: Crusader 1, warblade 1 Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 round With a short breath, you nestle yourself into your armor. You take the brunt of the strikes that hit you with your armor. Your arduous exercise with your armor allows you to not only prevent foes from hitting you, but decreasing the impact of the attacks that connect. When you initiate this maneuver, you gain damage reduction 5/adamantine. If you are wearing medium or heavy adamantine armor, you gain damage reduction 5/— instead. To gain this benefit, you must be wearing armor. Moment of Immortality Adamant Soul (Boost) Level: Crusader 9, warblade 9 Prerequisite: Five Adamant Soul maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 round Your supreme vigilance and perfect defensive stance allow you to block your foes' swords with your shield. The few strikes that sneak past your shield, clatter harmlessly off of your armor. Adamant Soul masters can attain invulnerability for a few, short-lived moments. When you initiate this maneuver, you become immune to attacks that require an attack roll. You effectively have an unbeatable Armor Class. Staunch Bastion Adamant Soul (Counter) Level: Crusader 3, warblade 3 Prerequisite: One Adamant Soul maneuver Initiation Action: 1 immediate action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature When your foe charges at you, you respond by readying your shield. As your foe collides with your shield, you push him back, preventing him from following up. You can initiate this maneuver when an opponent charges you. As part of this maneuver, you must make a melee attack with your shield against the target. If this attack succeeds and deals damage, the target does not get to attack you. You deal an additional +1d6 points of damage with this attack. In addition, you may make a bull rush against the target. You may add your shield bonus to the opposed Strength check, but you take a –2 penalty because of your opponent's momentum. Steel Defense Adamant Soul (Boost) Level: Crusader 1, warblade 1 Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 round You clench your shield tightly and shift your body to fit your armor better. When a foe strikes you, you evade and block at the same time. The steel defense maneuver is the most basic, but important, maneuver of the Adamant Soul discipline. It allows a warrior to concentrate on his defense at the cost of his defense. When you initiate this maneuver, you gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC. However, you also take a –4 penalty to attack rolls, as your focus on defense prevents you from accurately striking your foes. Steel Skin Adamant Soul (Boost) Level: Crusader 6, warblade 6 Prerequisite: Two Adamant Soul maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 round Your armor feels like a second skin to you. Foes who strike you are baffled as the steel of your armor takes much of the force of their blows. When you initiate this maneuver, you gain damage reduction 10/adamantine. If you are wearing medium or heavy adamantine armor, you gain damage reduction 10/— instead. To gain this benefit, you must be wearing armor. Unfettered Stride Adamant Soul (Stance) Level: Crusader 4, warblade 4 Prerequisite: Two Adamant Soul maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance You fall back into a relaxed posture. With the perfect footing and stance, you evenly distribute the weight of your armor along your body. Your training in the Adamant Soul discipline allows you to overcome the burden that your armor imposes on you. You can assume a stance that almost makes your armor feel lighter upon your body. While you are in this stance, you lessen the encumbrance of your armor. The maximum Dexterity bonus of your armor is increased by 2, and armor check penalties are lessened by 3 (to a minimum of 0). Wall of Adamantine Adamant Soul (Counter) Level: Crusader 6, warblade 6 Prerequisite: Two Adamant Soul maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 immediate action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Instantaneous In the blink of an eye, you respond to your opponent's attack by holding your shield just in front of his weapon, leaving him no way to circumvent your perfectly timed defense. You gain total cover against a single attack. You can initiate this maneuver after an opponent makes his attack roll, but you must do so before you know whether the attack was a success or a failure. You must carry a shield to use this maneuver. Wall of Steel Adamant Soul (Counter) Level: Crusader 2, warblade 2 Initiation Action: 1 immediate action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Instantaneous You nimbly place your shield between you and your foe's sword, denying him the opportunity to strike well. You gain cover against a single attack. You can initiate this maneuver after an opponent makes his attack roll, but you must do so before you know whether the attack was a success or a failure. You must carry a shield to use this maneuver. Ward of Vigilance Adamant Soul (Boost) Level: Crusader 6, warblade 6 Prerequisite: Three Adamant Soul maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 round With a brief sigh, you concentrate yourself, entering a trance-like state. As your foes around you think that they have caught you unaware and strike, you immediately respond to their attacks. The Adamant Soul discipline teaches a warrior to defend himself with his awareness just as well as with his armor and shield. Even an impenetrable defense is useless against an unforeseen attack. This maneuver allows a warrior to heighten his awareness, letting him react to any attack effectively, anticipated or not. When you initiate this maneuver, opponents who catch you flat-footed while this maneuver is in effect must beat your normal AC instead of your flat-footed AC. Warding Bash Adamant Soul (Strike) Level: Crusader 5, warblade 5 Prerequisite: Two Adamant Soul maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature Duration: 1 round You knock your foe out of his stance with a devastating bash of your shield. Even after the shield connects, you keep your shield close to him, denying him an opportunity to attack you. You make a single melee attack with your shield as part of this strike. If this attack hits, you gain three times your shield bonus to AC against the target. You retain your shield bonus to AC after performing a shield bash in conjunction with this maneuver. Feats of the Adamant Soul Adamant Stance In your training with the Adamant Soul discipline, you have learned to foresee your opponents' attacks, dodging or blocking them even as they are setting up their attack. Prerequisite: One Adamant Soul stance. Benefit: While you are in an Adamant Soul stance and wearing medium or heavy armor, you gain a +1 insight bonus to AC. Undying Patience As an initiate of the Adamant Soul discipline, you know that a warrior cannot attack if he cannot defend himself. To emphasize this teaching, you have developed a fighting style that favors patience and attrition over rapid, flashy attacks. While your opponent wears himself out, you stand fast, ready to strike when he inevitably falters. Prerequisite: Adamant Stance, base attack bonus +6, two Adamant Soul maneuvers. Benefit: The Undying Patience feat enables the use of three tactical options. Determined Resistance: To use this option, you must take the full attack action and forfeit one or more attacks. For each attack you forfeit, you gain a +1 bonus to your saving throws. Impervious Perseverance: To use this option, you must take the full attack action and forfeit one or more attacks. For each attack you forfeit, you gain 2 points of damage reduction/—. Steadfast Defense: To use this option, you must take the full attack action and forfeit one or more attacks. For each attack you forfeit, you gain a +2 bonus to AC.
Magocrat 12-29-07, 06:39 AM	This is the Adamant Soul discipline, as you can see. It focuses on defense, instead of offense, and specifically the use of armor and shields. I am aware of the Steel Aegis discipline, but I feel that that discipline is too focused on shield bashes and defense against magic. (No offense, of course.) If there is anything wrong with this discipline, please tell me. Thank you.
Magocrat 12-31-07, 10:52 AM	If you can read this, you've been bumped. That means you too, Flamewarrior!
Flamewarrior 01-05-08, 06:29 PM	Sorry for the delay! Balancing stance: I'd double the bonus; it's of a defensive nature only, and only against quite rare attack methods, a +1 bonus' hard to even remember, and there are monsters that seriously need it. Bash series: I'd reword defensive bash as substituting one bonus for another - it could be read as "keep once, gain thrice", and all of them (mainly the first) seem like they could use a bit of help; what about those bashes counting as two-handed (the whole body behind)? Skin series: it's not that I think they aren't balanced with the Stone Dragon equivalents - it's that I found their high levels offensive too. I feel you could lower each by 2 levels (though have in mind I'd do it for Stone Dragon too). Steel defense: trading attack for self-defense in equal measure isn't even an even trade; not only you can't always guarantee that defense will actually be called on, you also lose power now to gain the exact same power (without interest) later. Hence, I suggest only a -2 attack penalty. Wall of steel: compares very badly to Iron Heart/Setting Sun counters. I thought about making it give improved cover, though that might be too much, while normal seems too little. Maybe cover and something else? I dunno. Aegis ward: there's not much reason not to say "the shield bonus applies to touch AC and Reflexes". OTOH, circumstance would make it stack with spells, for example. Unfettered stride: I consider it a bit lacking - maybe allowing full running in heavy armor? Adamant redoubt: I'm not even sure that's at all better than Wall of Blades - whaddya think about it causing the shield bonus as a penalty? Ward of vigilance/absolute defense: with them being intrinsically defensive, and one being so against flat-footedness (which normally includes inability to take action), I'm thinking that they could be counters, usable even while flat-footed (and I have no reason to think the duration would become problematic just because it's a counter). Adamant bulwark: by the level one'd get this, direct spell/power damage already went outta fashion. I see no reason why it should be available any later than fireball ... Adamant Stance - a class ability that gives a +1 to something sometimes avoids being offensive, only ever because it'll scale into something one'd care about. Feats usually can't say the same. Moreover, we all know by this point that nobody wears heavy armor, so this feat (after it got a worthwhile base effect) could work better in it. Lastly, it seems you already used this name on the feat file you sent me. Undying Patience - again with the feat file; the concept of sacrificing attacks outta a full attack is certainly interesting, but the compensations you offer here (I'll get around to your file later, I suppose) aren't even near being worth it, except perhaps for high-level warriors sacrificing last attacks, and even that only because, unlike in the file, you didn't clarify the order of sacrifice, since there it's always the best that drops first. More hilariously, while a high-level warrior does benefit for trading something very close to nothing while gaining a marignal-but-perceptible benefit, that benefit just wouldn't cut it as an option meant to be acquired only at high levels. In short, rewrite.