Inspiration struck just before sleep last night, but I managed to keep myself down. Now that I've woken up late and have to wait for the next bus out of my town to get to school (sorry, first period Human Sexuality!), I thought I'd throw my idea at the boards where it can gain some ground for when I come home with a few more ideas of my own.
I've noticed that there is a class representing a master of all nine Tome of Battle martial disciplines, and that the classes are all classes that have grown from utilizing these forms of combat. In addition, a few have created their own styles and stances to suit their needs. I also noticed that, while branch specialties have classes, there is not a class for a true master in, say, the Desert Wind style, or the Stone Dragon style. One could argue some classes excel at some more than others would (Crusaders with Devoted Spirit, etc.), but I was thinking, "Why not make nine prestige classes, maybe five levels long, maybe ten, that represent someone who has specialized in one school of combat moreso than most people whom practice it?" And thus this thread is born whilst some ideas are born in my notebook.
This thread will eventually be the thread in which my creations are listed, but for now, if anyone thinks this is a bad idea, gimme a clue as to why you think so, and if you think it's a good idea, throw in a few suggestions for what your favorite style might use. I'm undecided as to if this is entirely smart or necessary (though undoubtedly worse ideas have been made and posted), and if it is whether to make it five or ten levels, and whether or not to hunt down more maneuvers people have made to list in the respective classes. So, any comments/suggestions/souls-for-taking, throw 'em here!
The Classes: Desert Wind:[spoiler]
Nar AmirSince the times of Babylon, these knights and warriors have wandered the wastes and made them their home, fending off invaders and securing the peace of the realm. Masters not only of the ancient style of fighting that originated in their desert home, they have mastered the very desert itself, and call upon it's aid in battle. Since the fall of Babylon, not many of these "Fire Princes" still exist, though those that do work to retain the legendary status of their forgotten heroes, and can still call up the winds of the desert, no matter what the field of battle may be.
Nar Amir Prerequisites:Feats: Scorching Sirocco
Skills: Tumble 13 Ranks, Spellcraft 8 Ranks
Maneuvers: Must know at least five Desert Wind Maneuvers, one of which must be of 5th level, as well as at least one Desert Wind stance.
BAB Fort Ref Will Abilities
1 +0 +2 +2 +0 Master Disciple +1, First Wind (Windstorm)
2 +1 +3 +3 +0 Master Disciple +2, Second Wind
3 +2 +3 +3 +1 Master Disciple +3, First Wind (Hurricane)
4 +3 +4 +4 +1 Master Disciple +4, Final Wind
5 +3 +4 +4 +1 Master Disciple +5, First Wind (Tornado), Crimson Mastery
Weapon Proficiencies: Nar Amir are always considered proficient with any Desert Wind weapons.
Master Disciple: The master of the Desert wind shows his strength in the improved quality and power of his blows and maneuvers. You gain a bonus on all attack and damage rolls made with the Desert Winds chosen weapons as well as a bonus on tumble and spellcraft, as indicated on the table.
First Wind: The flames of the desert burn bright in the sand, the sunlight, and unsurprising to the master of it's style, the wind itself; these burning winds, first inspiration of the Desert Wind style, are called furnace winds (Sandstorm, page 22), and they may empower your stances, making them all the deadlier. If you are in a Desert Wind stance, at the begining of your turn you may use a swift action to call upon the First Winds to give you a shield of flame. Until the beginning of your next round, you invoke a furnace wind, up to the strength possible (as outlined in the table above) for your level, which deals the fire damage as listed in Sandstorm ,on page 22, to all adjacent foes, as well as giving you a deflection bonus to AC equal to your class level. Wind conditions created affect only creatures you designate. You may expend a swift action at the start of your next round to continue gaining these effects, though you can only use this a consecutive number of rounds up to your class level, and once it is dropped, it may not be invoked again in that encounter. At level three and five, the damage increases, and you gain one additional calling per encounter.
Second Wind: The desert is a harsh mistress, and one of it's deadliest storms, that one might not see coming, is the sandstorm known as a flaywind (Sandstorm, page 21) by projecting their desert aura into their blow. You may infuse any Desert Wind strike with flaywinds, dealing an additional 1d6 lethal damage per maneuver level, by exiting the stance you are currently in (so long as it is a Desert Wind stance).
Final Wind: The mystic swordsmen of legend were able to call down a rain of fire from the very sky, as punishment against those who would oppose them, and you have learned this same mystic technique. By expending a maneuver, you may once a day per class level summon a firestorm (Sandstorm, page 21) that lasts a number of rounds equal to 1d6 per class level. Unlike the first wind, you have no control over targets struck by the fire-rain of this storm. The storm is centered on you, and extends out five feet per initiator level. You may only call a firestrom up once every hour, and may not call up a firestorm in an area where the sky is not open above you.
Crimson Mastery: As a master of the Desert wind style, you may expend any maneuver you know and have readied to use a Desert Wind maneuver of equal level that you know, or of any lower level regardless of whether you know it or not. You recover all Desert Wind maneuvers as a warblade recovers maneuvers, and five times per day, you may combine the effect of a Desert Wind strike when you perform another strike. You expend both maneuvers, and so both maneuvers must be readied and known by you (though you may, as per this class feature, expend a maneuver to gain the effect of a Desert Wind maneuver). This combination strike may only be performed once every five rounds.[/spoiler]
Devoted Spirit[spoiler]Hochmeister Krieger (Grand-Master Soldier, Latin) [/spoiler]
Diamond Mind[spoiler]Mushin no Shin (Mind of No Mind, Japanese)[/spoiler]
Iron Heart[spoiler]Cavaliere Supremo dell'Ordine dei Sette Cuori (Supreme Knight of the Order of the Seven Hearts, Italian)[/spoiler]
Setting Sun[spoiler](Twilight Master, Chinese)[/spoiler]
Shadow Hand[spoiler](, )[/spoiler]
Stone Dragon[spoiler]Slegge Hovding (Hammer Chief, Norse)[/spoiler]
Tiger Claw[spoiler]Bagha Raja (Tiger King, Hindi)[/spoiler]
White Raven[spoiler]Shining Commander (Shining Commander, English)[/spoiler]
