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. Maneuvers from this discipline require the initiator to be using discipline weapons or be unarmed. Use of discipline-specific weapons with Broken Blade inflict an additional 2 points of damage. This section contains the list of maneuvers for the Broken Blade discipline. 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 Some 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.
The Broken Blade DisciplineLegend 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. Maneuvers from this discipline require the initiator to be using discipline weapons or be unarmed. Use of discipline-specific weapons with Broken Blade inflict an additional 2 points of damage. Brawler's AttitudeDiscipline: Broken Blade (Boost); Level: 1 DESCRIPTION By using the skill of the empty-handed warriors that came before him, the disciple focuses his will to using his body in less conventional ways in combat. When initiating this boost, the initiator gains a +4 competence bonus to his next CMB check when using his unarmed strike or discipline weapon to perform the following combat maneuvers: dirty trick, disarm, grapple, or trip. Flurry StrikeDiscipline: Broken Blade (Strike); Level: 1 DESCRIPTION The disciple of the Broken Blade learns to maximize openings in his opponent's defenses and makes lightning fast attacks whenever possible. As a standard action, the initiator may make two attacks at his full base attack bonus. Iron Hand StanceDiscipline: Broken Blade (Stance); Level: 1 DESCRIPTION By keeping his hands stiff and his arms loose and ready, the disciple uses his bare palms as shields to protect himself from the weapons of his foes. While in this stance, the initiator gains a +2 shield bonus to his AC while he has at least one free hand. At the initiator's 6th initiator level, this bonus increases by +1, again at 12th level, and a final time at 18th level. Pommel BashDiscipline: Broken Blade (Strike); Level: 1 DESCRIPTION When watching a Broken Blade fighter work his art, most watch for the fists and feet. The disciple knows this, and surprises his foe, catching him unaware. The disciple makes a surprise elbow strike to the foe that leaves them reeling. The initiator makes an unarmed attack against the target's flat-footed armor class, and the blow inflicts 1d6 points of additional damage. Creatures immune to sneak attacks and critical hits are unaffected by this extra damage. Pugilist StanceDiscipline: Broken Blade (Stance); Level: 1 DESCRIPTION By adopting a powerful kickboxing stance, the initiator positions himself for lightning fast, potent strikes with his hands and feet. While in this stance, unarmed or discipline weapon strikes inflict an additional 1d6 points of damage. Shards of Iron StrikeDiscipline: Broken Blade (Strike); Level: 1 DESCRIPTION By mimicking the speed and piercing power of the legendary shattered blade of the founder of this discipline, the disciple makes a hard jabbing strike at his opponent's vulnerable spots for maximum pain. The initiator makes an attack against his target foe and if successful, the target is staggered for one round in addition to normal damage. Bronze KnuckleDiscipline: Broken Blade (Boost); Level: 2 DESCRIPTION With a spectacular crack of his knuckles, the disciple delivers an extra-potent blow to his foe in the form of a bone-crushing strike. As part of a unarmed attack or a strike from this discipline, the initiator's attacks for the duration of his turn inflict an additional 2d6 points of damage and these attacks ignore a target's damage reduction. Cartwheel Axe KickDiscipline: Broken Blade (Strike); Level: 2 DESCRIPTION With a quick handspring into a cartwheel or flip, the disciple of the Broken Blade levels a powerful axe kick at his foe. The initiator must make an Acrobatics check with a DC of 15; if successful the initiator may either move 10-ft. towards or away from a target creature without provoking attacks of opportunity. The initiator makes his unarmed attack roll (before he moves if he's moving away, or after he moves if he's approaching a target) and if successful, this kick inflicts an additional 2d6 points of damage. Counter StepDiscipline: Broken Blade (Counter); Level: 2 DESCRIPTION With a twist of his body or a nimble hop, the disciple of the Broken Blade avoids a blow with a practiced step. The initiator makes an opposed Acrobatics check against an attacker's melee attack roll. If successful, the initiator may make an immediate 5 ft. step to a location that is not being threatened by his attacker without provoking attacks of opportunity. If no such square exists, then this counter cannot be used. Knuckle to the BladeDiscipline: Broken Blade (Strike); Level: 2 DESCRIPTION By striking at the weapon-wielding arm of his opponent, the disciple of the Broken Blade can cleverly disarm his opponent and potentially even bring his foe's weapon to bear against him. The initiator makes an attack as normal upon his foe, if successful, the initiator may make a free disarm attempt against the opponent without provoking attacks of opportunity. If he is unarmed, he may take the weapon and use it if the disarm attempt is successful or he may drop it. Leg Sweeping HiltDiscipline: Broken Blade (Strike); Level: 2 DESCRIPTION With quick feint high, the disciple hooks his foot behind the leg of his foe and stiffens it like the hilt of a sword, drawing it back to knock his opponent down. The initiator makes a trip attempt with a +2 competence bonus which does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If successful, the initiator trips his opponent and may make an immediate attack at his full base attack bonus. Broken Blade StanceDiscipline: Broken Blade (Stance); Level: 3 DESCRIPTION The disciple of the Broken Blade has learned the flows of combat to a degree and has the insight necessary to see the path to victory through the patterns of steel his opponents weave before his eyes. While in this stance, the initiator gains a competence bonus equal to his initiator level to Acrobatics checks to avoid attacks of opportunity, and may make an additional attack when making a full attack action. If the initiator is two weapon fighting, he gains this extra attack for both hands. The attack(s) uses the initiator's full base attack bonus, plus any modifiers appropriate to the situation. Flat Iron RiposteDiscipline: Broken Blade (Counter); Level: 3 DESCRIPTION When an opponent swings to strike at the disciple, his finely trained body explodes into motion in a shower of incredible reflexes, grabbing the attacker's attacking appendage and hurling him away. The initiator makes an opposed Acrobatics check against his attacker's melee roll. If successful the initiator negates the attack and hurls the enemy 10 ft. away to potentially land prone on a failed Reflex save (DC 13 + initiation modifier). This counter only works on opponents who are no more than one size category larger than the initiator. Iron DustDiscipline: Broken Blade (Boost); Level: 3 DESCRIPTION Knowing the disadvantage of fighting without proper steel in hand, the disciple of the Broken Blade must take advantage of his surroundings and openings in his foe's defenses as he sees them. As part of a martial strike, he may make a free dirty trick attempt as part of this boost with a +2 competence bonus without provoking attacks of opportunity. The initiator may choose when the effects of this boost are applied (before, during, or after) when using this in conjunction with an attack or a martial strike. Steel Flurry Strike
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