New martial discipline: Dancing Serpent

[Prime32]

So, another idea has fallen out of my head. While I see about getting the hole plugged, I'll try to write it down.

Basically the idea of this class is to take advantage of the properties of flexible weapons to attack in unpredictable ways. Variable Length Chain is also in effect.

Some of my inspiration:
Signum
Lyserg
Ivy
Zero Suit Samus

Needs filling out with levels, etc. but you can get a general idea.

Concepts
[spoiler]Strikes
Attack in a cone (length=reach)
Attack in a line (length=reach x2)
Attack in a burst centred on you (length=reach x²/₃)
Attack multiple squares within reach
Crushing Coils: Constrict damage
Grapple a creature or object and pull it towards you

Boosts
Trip as swift action
Feint as swift action
Disarm as swift action
Gain improved grab
Double your reach, give up remaining AoOs
Triple your reach, give up remaining AoOs
Draw opponent struck by next attack 5ft towards you

Stances
Double reach on your turn, half reach outside your turn (round down)
Threaten with a whip
Give up AoOs to treat area as difficult terrain
Give up AoOs to add sonic damage to attacks

Counters
Shielding Coils: Gain shield bonus to AC, give up remaining AoOs.[/spoiler]

[Prime32]

The associated weapons of Dancing Serpent are any weapons containing flexible components - whips, flails, even tail slaps. The associated skill is Use Rope.


Level 1
[spoiler]

Crushing Coils
Dancing Serpent (Strike)
Level: 1
Prerequisite:
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature

The coils of your weapon tighten around your opponent.

As part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack against an opponent you are grappling. This attack deals an extra +2d6 damage and ignores the penalty for attacking in a grapple. You may use this maneuver even if your weapon is not a light weapon.

[/spoiler]

Level 2
[spoiler]

Maze of Fangs
Dancing Serpent (Strike)
Level: 2
Prerequisite:
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Reach
Target: Cone
Saving throw: Reflex half

When you use this strike, you make a single melee attack. Each creature in the attacks area take damage equal to your normal melee damage, with a Reflex save for half damage (DC = 12 + your Dex modifier). You give up your attacks of opportunity for the rest of the round.

Nest of Fangs
Dancing Serpent (Strike)
Level: 2
Prerequisite:
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Reach x ²/₃
Area: Burst centred on you
Saving throw: Reflex half

As maze of fangs, except as above

River of Fangs
Dancing Serpent (Strike)
Level: 2
Prerequisite:
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Reach x 2
Area: Line
Saving throw: Reflex half

As maze of fangs, except as above

[/spoiler]

Level 3
[spoiler]

Shielding Coils
Dancing Serpent (Counter)
Level: 3
Prerequisite:
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You

You gain a +4 shield bonus to AC againt one attack. In addition, you may choose to give up one or more attacks of opportunity for the round - for each one, the AC bonus increases by +1. 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 failure.

[/spoiler]

Level 6
[spoiler]

Whirling Fang
Dancing Serpent (Stance) [Sonic]
Level: 6
Prerequisite:
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

You spin your weapon with great speed, building up power.

While you are in this stance, every melee attack you make deals an extra 1d4 points of sonic damage.

[/spoiler]


Unsorted

Dancing Serpent Stance
Dancing Serpent (Stance)
Level: ?
Prerequisite:
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance

While you are in this stance, your attacks affect your target's square rather than your target itself. Rather than making a normal attack roll, your opponent can make a Reflex save (DC = 10 + level of stance + your Dex modifier) for half damage.

Endless Coils
Dancing Serpent (Boost)
Level: ?
Prerequisite:
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of round

For 1 round, your reach is doubled but you cannot make attacks of opportunity.

?
Dancing Serpent (Strike)
Level: ?
Prerequisite:
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: Two creatures

As part of this maneuver, make a single melee attack roll at a -2 penalty against any two creatures within reach. You may not apply precision-based damage to this strike, but it otherwise deals full damage to both creatures.

?
Dancing Serpent (Counter)
Level: ?
Prerequisite:
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You

You may substitute the result of a Use Rope check for your AC against one attack.

?
Dancing Serpent (Boost)
Level: ?
Prerequisite:
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: End of round

For 1 round you may make Use Rope checks in place of grapple checks, as long as you use Dancing Serpent weapons to grapple.

[Prime32]

Whip Focus [General]
Prerequisites: Proficiency with whip
Benefit: When you attack with a whip or whip-dagger, you do not provoke an attack of opportunity and its damage is not negated by armour.
Special: This feat counts as Weapon Focus (whip) for the purposes of prerequisites. You may have both this feat and Weapon Focus (whip).

Serpent Fang [Tactical]
Prerequisites: Whip Focus, BAB +6, two Dancing Serpent maneuvers
Benefit: The Serpent Fang feat enables the use of two tactical options.

• Lurking Cobra: To use this option, you must use a Dancing Serpent strike, then use a Dancing Serpent maneuver to give up your attacks of opportunity in the same round. You may still make attacks of opportunity against targets in squares which were affected by your strike, as long as you have not moved since then.
• :

[veekie]

For some reason it seems to me that Steel Serpent may be a better name for this.

[rydi]

I think polearms would also fit nicely into this discipline, and add a bit more flexibility to it.

Here's a couple of counters (names suck, change them):
[The Serpent's Coils]
Level: 3
Prereq: 1 Dancing Serpent Maneuvers
Action: Immediate
Range: Melee
Target: Single Creature
When you would be entitled to make an attack of opportunity, you may instead make a Trip attack against the opponent that triggered the attack of opportunity.  You cannot be tripped as a result of using this maneuver.

[The Serpent's Bite]
Level: 7
Prereq: 3 Dancing Serpent Maneuvers
Action: Immediate
Range: Melee
Target: Single Creature
When you would be entitled to make an attack of opportunity, you may instead make a melee attack at your highest base attack bonus as an immediate action.  If this attack hits, you may make a free Trip attack against the opponent that triggered the attack of opportunity.  You cannot be tripped as a result of using this maneuver.

[plaguewraith]

on the GitP forums they have the chthonic serpent, a disciplined based around flexible weaponry like chains and whips.

[Prime32]

on the GitP forums they have the chthonic serpent, a disciplined based around flexible weaponry like chains and whips.

Interesting. Stole some names from Ivy I see. I'll have to incorporate rules on grappling with weapons into this at some point. As for having Use Rope as the associated skill... *steals*


I didn't want to boost AoO builds too much - they have plenty going for them already.

What do you think of the maneuvers I've put up so far? And would a swift-action trip be a Strike or a Boost? Also, coming up with so many snake-themed names is hard.

[veekie]

Hmm, a Counter would be good for the swift trip actually.
Get back to you after reading the maneuvers.

You need a finishing maneuver that references Jormungandr and another that references Ouroboros.

[Prime32]

Hmm, a Counter would be good for the swift trip actually.

Counters are immediate actions.

You need a finishing maneuver that references Jormungandr and another that references Ouroboros.

[Agita]

How about something that keeps dealing recursive damage (with diminishing returns), kind of like Aura of Chaos, and call it Snake Bites Its Tail or something?

[skydragonknight]

So there was this one time when a demiplane was invaded by a group of Yuanti and we had to go in and take them out.

[spoiler]The adventure was called "Snakes on a Plane"[/spoiler]

[veekie]

Hmm, a Counter would be good for the swift trip actually.

Counters are immediate actions.

I meant make it a counter that trips.