The Five Schools of Martial Action
Much is said about the power difference between spellcasters and martial characters (that is, characters like fighters and barbarians, who focus on physical combat, rather than spellcasting), and there’s definitely something to be said about that, but I think that the bigger concern is the difference in how dynamic the play is between the two groups: whereas a wizard or cleric can choose between numerous (at high levels, literally dozens) prepared spells to cast on any given turn, fighters and barbarians typically only wind up choosing between full attack actions and charging. Sure, they can technically make combat maneuvers, but this is pretty rare, and when it does happen, it tends to be because that’s the build that the character was made for (a sunder specialist, for example), and so the character just always uses that combat maneuver, instead.
Last year, we put out a book that was designed to make playing a martial character more interesting, by trying to give martial characters a variety of options, which took the form of feats that granted them access to special actions called martial techniques. The book, A Necromancer’s Grimoire: The Book of Martial Action was inspired in large part by the 3.5 OGL Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords, but built on it in a variety of ways, not least of which was attempting to keep the effects of martial techniques decidedly in the realm of the mundane, and away from pseudo-magical effects that made them feel too much like spells, and which turned a lot of players off the Tome of Battle.
One thing that I really liked about the Tome of Battle whose absence I felt in The Book of Martial Action was the presence of various “schools” of combat. So when it came time to do the sequel, I knew we wanted to address that issue. As a result, A Necromancer’s Grimoire: The Book of Martial Action II presents five new styles of combat, and every feat and class in the book is associated with one of these five schools. First, let me give you a basic feat from each of the schools to give you a brief introduction to them. The name of the school each feat is associated with can be found next to its name.
Tactical Advancement [Combat, Technique, Flowing River]
The key to victory in any combat often comes down to outmaneuvering your enemies, and you have mastered special movements and stances to maximize the advantages granted by repositioning yourself.
Prerequisites: Martial action pool, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You gain access to the tactical advancement martial action technique. As a move action, you may spend 1 martial action point. If you do, you may move up to your speed. At the end of this movement, you gain a +1 bonus on all attack and weapon damage rolls made against creatures you are adjacent to until the end of your next turn. When your base attack bonus reaches +5, and every 4 points thereafter, you may spend an additional martial action point when using this technique in order to increase the damage granted by this feat by an additional +1.
Gilt Swing [Combat, Technique, Golden Soul]
You strike from a defensive position, protecting yourself from harm and using the blow delivered to hamper the target’s offense.
Prerequisites: Martial action pool, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You gain access to the gilt swing martial action technique. As a swift action, you may spend 1 martial action point. If you do, you gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round. Additionally, until the beginning of your next turn, any creature that successfully hits you with a melee attack becomes distracted by your defensive stance, and suffers a cumulative -1 penalty on further attacks made against you until the beginning of your next turn.
Shadow of the Falcon [Combat, Technique, Graceful Swallow]
You flourish your weapon in your foe’s face, showing your skill while creating an opening in his guard.
Prerequisites: Martial action pool, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You gain access to the shadow of the falcon martial action technique. As a swift action, you may spend 1 martial action point. If you do, the next combat maneuver you make does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the target of that maneuver. If the target would not normally get an attack of opportunity against the maneuver, instead you gain a +2 bonus on the combat maneuver check.
Assassin’s Strike [Combat, Technique, Infinite Shadow]
You attack from behind while your foe is distracted, virtually ensuring a punishing hit.
Prerequisites: Martial action pool, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You gain access to the assassin’s strike martial action technique. As a swift action, you may spend 1 martial action point. If you do, until the beginning of your next turn, you gain twice the bonus that you would normally receive due to attack rolls as a result of flanking. Additionally, until the beginning of your next turn, all successful attacks you make against flanked opponents (whether you are the one flanking them or not) deal an additional amount of damage equal to 1/2 the number of Infinite Shadow technique feats you possess (minimum +1).
Challenging Strike [Combat, Technique, Iron Ram]
The basic technique which serves as the basis for all Iron Ram maneuvers engages an opponent in close quarters with an attack designed to occupy his full attention.
Prerequisites: Martial action pool, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You gain access to the challenging strike martial action technique. As a swift action, you may spend 1 martial action point. If you do, then if the next attack that you make before the end of your turn hits, then until the beginning of your next turn, the target suffers a -1 penalty on all attack rolls and weapon damage rolls made against targets other than yourself. For every 2 Iron Ram technique feats you possess, the penalty on attack and damage rolls increases by an additional -1.
Of course, each of these schools has 11 more feats associated with it, following the school’s theme. Further, while these feats sometimes reward you for focusing on the school (by having scaling effects that get better when you have more feats associated with that school), they don’t require it, and those of you who’ve been using A Necromancer’s Grimoire: The Book of Martial Action will be able to use each and every one of them, such as the following three exciting feats.
Walls of Iron [Combat, Technique, Iron Ram]
You jab your opponent’s joints with your weapon, weakening his limbs and making it painful and difficult to attack.
Prerequisites: Martial action pool, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: You gain access to the walls of iron martial action technique. As a full-round action, you may spend 6 martial action points. If you do, make a single melee attack at your highest base attack bonus against an opponent within reach. If the attack is successful, you deal damage as normal, and the target suffers a -20 penalty on the first attack he makes next round. When your base attack bonus reaches +11, and every 5 points thereafter, you may spend an additional 2 martial action points when you use this ability. If you do, the target suffers a -20 penalty on the next attack he makes after the first next round. For every 2 additional martial action points spent this way, the target suffers a -20 penalty on an additional attack.
Parrying Swing [Combat, Technique, Golden Soul]
Turning like a whirlwind, you bring your weapon overhead and then drop it low as you step forward, attacking your opponent and using the momentum of the attack to better defend yourself from the target’s future attempts to retaliate
Prerequisites: Martial action pool, base attack bonus +5.
Benefit: You gain access to the parrying swing martial action technique. As a standard action, you may spend 5 martial action points. If you do, make a single melee attack at your highest base attack bonus. If the attack hits, you deal damage as normal, and you gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round. If the attack misses, you may repurpose the additional momentum to defend yourself by spending 2 additional martial action points as a free action. If you do, you still gain the +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round. When your base attack bonus reaches +10, and every 5 points thereafter, the dodge bonus granted by this ability increases by +2 (this applies whether the dodge bonus is free or paid for with additional martial action points).
Wicked Whirlpool [Combat, Technique, Flowing River]
With a deadly and graceful dance, equal parts inspiring and mocking, you force foes into attacking you with little hope of dealing any real damage.
Prerequisites: Martial action pool, base attack bonus +12.
Benefit: You gain access to the wicked whirlpool martial action technique. As a move action, you may spend 12 martial action points. If you do, you may move up to your speed. During this movement, each opponent who can make an attack of opportunity against you must do so if able, though he suffers a penalty on the attack roll equal to 1/2 the number of Flowing River technique feats you possess. Additionally, at the end of this movement, each opponent who failed to hit you with his attack of opportunity finds himself stunned by your impressive movement, and must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + the number of Flowing River technique feats you possess) or be staggered for 1 round.
If you like what you’ve seen, there’s a whole lot more in A Necromancer’s Grimoire: The Book of Martial Action II, which contains over 60 new feats and five base classes, expanding the innovative and critically-acclaimed work of A Necromancer’s Grimoire: The Book of Martial Action, while moving it in new and exciting directions. Get your copy today.