Tome of Battle - Martial Powers

Martial Powers

Martial Powers fall into two distinct categories: stances and maneuvers. A martial maneuver is a discrete extraordinary or supernatural effect that is temporarily expended after use. A stance is never expended and is always available to you.

You can use a particular stance or maneuver as many times as you like, but each time you use a maneuver, you temporarily expend it — you lose a little of your mental focus, you exhaust some small portion of your personal ki or energy, or you simply finish the move out of position and can’t immediately launch the same attack again without assuming the proper posture and mental state first. In other words, you can't use an expended maneuver again until you have rested for a very short time or used an action that allows you to recover one or more expended maneuvers.

As a result, you can normally use each of your readied maneuvers once per encounter, but sometimes you can recover one or more maneuvers you used earlier in the encounter and use them again. You never expend or use up your stances, so they are always available.

Known Maneuvers

Much like spells, martial maneuvers are organized by level. Higher-level maneuvers are more powerful than lower level ones. As you gain levels, you have the option to select higher-level maneuvers. Your level in a class determines the highest-level maneuvers you can select. For example, a 5th-level fighter can select maneuvers of 3rd level or lower (as shown in the class table).

Everytime you gain a level, in a class that grants you maneuvers, you can swap an already known one for a new one appropriate for your level.

Readying Martial Powers

You do not need to ready your stances ahead of time. Every stance you know is always available to you. However, maneuvers require preparation in the form of exercise, prayer, meditation, or simple mental rehearsal. Therefore, you must choose a selection of readied maneuvers from all the maneuvers you know. Only your readied maneuvers are available for immediate use. The number of maneuvers you can ready at one time depends on your class and level.

Prerequisites

Many maneuvers and stances have a prerequisite, like "One White Raven maneveur". You can only learn maneuvers or stances if you know enough martial powers to fulfill the prerequisite. Additionally, if you swap martial powers in a way where you know a martial power for which you do not meet the prerequisite, you can not activate it or gain any benefit from it.

Initiating Maneuvers and Stances

To initiate a maneuver or a stance, you must be able to move (movement speed greater 0). You initiate a maneuver by taking the specified initiation action. A maneuver might require an action, bonus action, move, reaction, or Attack to initiate. If an Attack is required as the initation action and you're able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this maneuver replaces one of them. The process of initiating a maneuver is similar to that of casting a spell, although there are some key differences (see below). You can only choose to initiate a maneuver that is currently readied and unexpended.

Stances, once initiated, remain in effect indefinitely unless you fall unconcious, in which case they end, but you can only be affected by one stance and loose its benefit when you initiate another stance you know. You enjoy the benefits of your stance even outside of combat.

Blistering Flourish

1st level Desert Wind

• Initiation Action: Action
• Range: 10 ft.
• Target: Self
• Duration: 1 minute

You study your enemy for a brief moment, watching his defensive maneuvers and making a strike timed to take advantage of a lull in his vigilance.

You attempt an Intelligence (Insight) or Wisdom (Insight) check as part of this maneuver, using the target creature’s AC as the DC of the check. You then make a single melee attack against your target. If your check has succeeded you can add you Intelligence or Wisdom modifier to the attack and damage rolls of the attack.

With a quick sidestep, you send a charging opponent sprawling.

When an enemy, that you can see, hits you with a melee attack against you, you can initiate this maneuver. You use the enemies momentum against them an attempt a shove attack against them. When you succeed you can push the creature 10 feet in any direction and knock them prone. The attack that triggered this manuever does not deal damage if you succeed.

You charge at your foe, blasting him with such power that he stumbles back.

As you roar across the battlefield, your position yourself to deliver a devastating charge attack. As part of this maneuver, you can move up to your speed towards a creature without provoking opportunity attacks and then shove it. When the shove succeeds you can also instantly make a melee weapon attack against the creature and push it back another 10 feet away from you.

Burning Brand

2nd level Desert Wind

• Initiation Action: Bonus Action
• Range: Self
• Target: Self
• Duration: End of turn

Your weapon sways back and forth in your hand, ready to block incoming blows. With the speed of a thunderbolt, you clash your weapon against your foe’s blade as he attempts to attack.

Your weapon mastery transforms your blade into an extension of your arm, allowing you to wield it with the speed and timing needed to make a precise block. When an enemy makes a melee or ranged attack against you, you can initiate this counter to oppose that attack by making an attack roll with any melee weapon you are holding. Use the higher of your AC or your attack roll as your AC against the incoming attack.

Like a falling avalanche, you strike with the weight and fury of the mountain.

As part of this maneuver, you make a melee attack. This attack deals an extra 4d6 damage and ignores all effects that would reduce its damage.

You shift your weight to the back of your feet and hold your blade carefully forward at the ready. Your muscles twitch slightly as you prepare to dodge the next attack you face.

While you are in this stance, your speed increases by 10 feet. If you are not wearing a shield and you move at least 10 feet during your turn, you gain a +2 bonus to AC until the beginning of your next turn.

With a subtle gesture, you carve a slice of shadow from the air around you and cast it toward your foe. It wraps around the creature’s neck and squeezes the life from it.

When you initiate this maneuver, you create a strand of shadow that you hurl at a creature. Make an unarmed attack against a target within 60 feet of you. This attack deals 3d8 necrotic damage instead of its normal damage. In addition, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be unable to speak and cast spells with a somatic component.

This maneuver is a magical ability.

You unleash a sudden battle roar as your mighty blow fells your enemy. Inspired by your example, your allies fight with renewed energy and determination.

You initiate this maneuver as a reaction after you have reduced an opponent to 0 hit points. You and allies within range gain a bonus to damage rolls equal to your proficiency bonus until the end of your next turn.

Your quick directions enable close teamwork between yourself and an ally. At your urging, your allies seize the initiative and work in close coordination with you to defeat an enemy.

While you are in this stance, you use your tactical knowledge and mastery to improve your allies' teamwork. If you are adjacent to one or more opponents, your allies gain a bonus on attack rolls made against any of those opponents equal to your proficiency bonus.