Thunder Bolt (3.5e Martial Discipline)
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When studying and gathering the various martial styles that would eventually be known as the Sublime Way, Reshar apparently and inexplicably ignored an entire category of weapons: ranged ones. While there were a number of martial experts who disagreed with Reshar’s blanket disapproval, few were angered more than the dwarves of the Thunderhead clan.
The Thunderheads were masters of the crossbow, with the lesser members of the clan able to shoot a pebble at 50 yards. They trained with stone crossbows and bolts until ones of wood were as light and easy to manipulate as a feather, and any clan member who ever missed was struck once by every clan member for every bolt they wasted. Their concentration was incredible, and they were able to remain as steady as stone in every situation, with focus that rivaled the most dedicated of monks. Needless to say, they felt insulted when Reshar considered swordplay more “sublime” than their crossbow shooting, and they made it their personal mission to spread their teachings to as wide an audience as possible, even if that meant watering it down a bit.
The way of the Thunder Bolt is unfortunately not available to all; a potential practitioner must be proficient with at least a single associated weapon. Of the usual followers of the Sublime Way, only Warblades aren’t naturally proficient with at least simple crossbows, though it’s not difficult to gain proficiency.
However, the cost of studying such a foreign style is indeed great; the potential practitioner must devote such a large amount of training to the style that most must exclude another style from their learning entirely. Upon gaining their first level of a martial class, a character may choose to lose all access to one discipline usually known (other than Stone Dragon) in order to gain access to Thunder Bolt. Additionally, if Concentration wasn’t a class skill for the initiate, it becomes one, and the removed discipline's associated skill is no longer a class skill.
Game Mechanics of the Thunder Bolt
Available To: Any proficient with simple crossbows
Discipline Skill: Concentration (Con)
Discipline Weapons: All crossbows. If your campaign uses them, firearms and/or ray weapons could also be considered associated.
Saves: Wisdom based
Maneuver Granting Item: Thunder Bolt Glove
Maneuvers of the Thunder Bolt DisciplineEdit
- To see the full, expanded description of every maneuver, click here.
1st-Level Maneuvers
- Bowslinging: Stance — Reduced penalties to shooting one-handed, and reload even if both hands are full.
- Careful Shooting: Boost — Make ranged attacks in melee without provoking attacks of opportunity
- Forceful Shot: Strike — Damage and knock down a target.
- Hands and Feet: Boost — Move and reload as a single action
- Thunder Hammer Style: Stance — Use crossbows and similar ranged weapons as melee weapons.
2nd-Level Maneuvers
- Called Shot: Strike — Make an especially damaging attack
- Ogre's Reach: Counter — Attack an adjacent foe foolish enough to let their guard down
- Shatter The Stone: Strike — Make an attack that ignores DR and hardness
- Split the Arrow: Counter — Shoot down an incoming arrow
3rd-Level Maneuvers
- Cleaving Shots: Stance — Damage multiple enemies in a line
- Find the Gap: Boost — Gain bonuses against armored foes
- Spark Shot: Strike [Electricity X-Discipline] — Shoot an electric bolt that easily hits metal.
- The Bigger They Are: Strike — Deal more damage to larger foes
4th-Level Maneuvers
- Ogreslayer: Strike — Deal extra damage, stun target
- Thread the Needle: Strike — Make an attack regardless of intervening barriers
- Trollbane Shots: Stance — Your bolts remain embedded in a foe
5th-Level Maneuvers
- Giant's Reach: Counter — Attack a nearby foe foolish enough to let his guard down
- Shatter the Bolder: Strike — Make an attack that ignores DR and hardness and damages Constitution
- Split the Bolder: Counter — Shoot down an incoming projectile, regardless of size
6th-Level Maneuvers
- Fell the Ettin: Stance — Attack twice for every attack
- Pierce the Gap: Boost — Make ranged attacks as touch attacks
- Thunder Bolt: Strike [Electricity Sonic] — Make a ranged touch attack that deals bonus electricity damage.
7th-Level Maneuvers
- Darting Hare: Strike — Move and attack, dealing extra damage to foes you move through
- Titan's Reach: Counter — Attack a distant foe foolish enough to let his guard down.
8th-Level Maneuvers
- Giantslayer: Strike — Deal massive damage, stun target
- I Can Smell Your Fear: Stance — Unerringly hit anyone you can detect
9th-Level Maneuvers
- Lightning Shooter: Boost [Electricity Sonic] — You literally shoot lightning from your crossbow.
- Searing Brass: Boost [X-Discipline] — Gain the benefits of the Combat Reflexes, Improved Combat Reflexes, Punishment Combat Reflexes, and Super Snipe feats for 1 round.
- Shatter the Mountain: Strike — Utterly destroy your target
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