Hero's Edge (3.5e Martial Discipline)/All Maneuvers
Hero's Edge (Boost) | |
Level: | 1 |
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Prerequisite: | None |
Initiation Action: | 1 swift action |
Range: | Personal |
Target: | One weapon that deals piercing or slashing damage |
Duration: | One round/level |
Saving Throw: | None |
One of the most basic technique in the library of a user of the Hero's Edge discipline, this is also one of the most useful.
This renders the selected melee weapon capable of cutting through things that it would normally not be able to. Treat the weapon as a Silver or Magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and hardness.
As a practitioner grows in level, he learns how to make the weapon still better able to cut things. A single use of this maneuver can only grant the effect of one of the available options for the users Initiator Level.
Initiator Level | Material |
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1-5 | Silver/Magic |
6-10 | Cold Iron/Ghost Touch |
10-15 | Adamantine/Alignment (based on actual alignment) |
16-20 | Any two of the above |
25+ | Epic, plus one material from levels 1-15 |
Iron Heart, Hero's Edge (Strike) [X-Discipline] | |
Level: | 6 |
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Prerequisite: | Two Iron Heart maneuvers, one Hero's Edge maneuver |
Initiation Action: | Standard |
Range: | Up to 4× your melee reach |
Target: | One creature |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
Saving Throw: | Reflex partial |
You throw your weapon up into the air, setting it to spin wildly. As your opponent watches in dumbstruck disbelief, most likely wondering what you're trying to accomplish, you leap up after your weapon, catch it by the hilt, and bring it crashing down directly onto his head, followed up by a quick attack directly into the chinks of his armor.
As part of this maneuver, make a Jump check against a DC of 28, followed by an unarmed melee touch attack roll against your weapon's AC (the melee touch attack roll is unnecessary if you perform this maneuver with an unarmed strike or natural weapon, and no running start is needed for the Jump check either way). If you succeed on both rolls (or just the Jump check if performing an unarmed strike as described above), you choose an opponent within up to four times your melee reach and move to a location that you could legally make a melee attack against that opponent from (including straight up; for instance, a creature with a reach of 5 feet could use this maneuver to leap up to hit an enemy up to 20 feet above its vertical reach). The movement is part of the standard action used to perform Aether and does not count against any other actions used to move during this round, though it does preclude taking a 5-foot step just like any other form of movement would. As you are in midair when moving via Aether, you are unimpeded by difficult terrain; also, while your movement does provoke attacks of opportunity from creatures other than your intended target, creatures on the ground take a −4 penalty if they attempt to make an attack of opportunity against you. You are considered to move in a straight arc towards the space you choose, ignoring all obstacles (including creatures) in your path that are not taller than the maximum vertical distance you can leap or connected from the floor to the ceiling in a direct vertical line (for instance, you can't jump over, under, or through a pillar), and must conclude your movement such that your target is within your melee reach when it ends. You cannot use Aether if your arc of effect to your target includes an obstacle that you cannot jump over, under, or directly through (if you're intangible, jumping through a pillar is probably something you can do, but otherwise, it's not gonna happen). You do not need to move as part of this maneuver if your chosen target is already within your melee reach. Wave Strike and similar abilities do not affect the maximum distance you may travel via Aether.
When you reach your target, that opponent must succeed on a Reflex save (DC = 16 + your Strength modifier) or be considered flat-footed against your attacks for 1 round. Regardless of your foe's success or failure on its save, you immediately make two melee attacks against it with a +5 bonus. The first attack replenishes your hp if it hits and does damage, up to the amount of damage that it did to the enemy. (If you do more damage than necessary to reduce the foe's hp past its death/destruction threshold (generally −10 for living creatures, or 0 for undead or constructs), you do not gain hp for the surplus damage.) The second attack is resolved as a touch attack (therefore ignoring enemy armor and natural armor bonuses) and ignores any qualities the opponent may possess that could reduce the damage, including damage reduction (with only a very small number of exceptions, such as indomitability[1] and Skarmory's Armored Skin). Both attacks made via this maneuver must be targeted against the same enemy; if the first attack drops the foe, the second attack is forfeit to no effect unless you have Cleave or Great Cleave, in which case your Cleave attack is treated as the second attack from Aether.
Because this maneuver involves leaping up into the air, you may ignore up to 10 feet of falling distance per initiator level for the purposes of taking falling damage; thus, you generally won't take falling damage as a consequence of using Aether unless you fall jump off a very steep cliff. You may add 1d6 damage to the first attack of Aether for every 20 feet of falling damage ignored in this way (the second attack is not aided by gravity and thus does not benefit from this bonus). The amount of distance required for a single bonus die and the amount of distance that can be ignored for the purpose of determining fall damage is influenced by the power of gravity just like falling damage itself is; for example, if gravity were to be halved relative to the Material Plane, it would be necessary to fall 40 feet to inflict 1d4 extra damage, whereas if gravity were to be doubled, it would be necessary to fall 10 feet to inflict 1d8 extra damage. Fall distance that exceeds the protection due to using this maneuver cannot be added to the damage of the attack. Falling damage reduction due to Aether stacks with anything else that would reduce falling damage, including the standard 10 feet ignored and 10 feet converted to nonlethal due to intentionally jumping down from a great height; however, only falling damage ignored due to initiator levels via Aether's effect can be added to the damage. Damage added to the first attack by falling is considered part of that attack, and is therefore added to the hp that you gain unless it is in excess of the amount needed to kill/destroy the target. Bonus damage dice from falling are not precision-based and thus cannot be negated by fortification or similar qualities; however, like most other bonus damage dice, they are not multiplied by critical hits.
The life gain and ability to ignore the target's damage-reducing abilities are supernatural effects (and thus do not function in an antimagic field), but all other properties of this maneuver are extraordinary effects and function normally even in areas where magic is suppressed.
Hero's Edge (Strike) | |
Level: | 7 |
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Prerequisite: | Any two Hero's Edge maneuvers |
Initiation Action: | 1 full-round action |
Range: | Melee attack |
Targets: | All threatened squares |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
Saving Throw: | None |
As part of this maneuver, make a melee attack against each square you threaten, using your full attack bonus, less 2 per square with a creature in it. This attack deals triple damage to the creature in that square if it hits.
In addition, you may strike the same creature multiple times, if it is in more than one of your threatened squares.
Hero's Edge (Strike) | |
Level: | 4 |
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Initiation Action: | 1 standard action |
Range: | close |
Targets: | One creature and up to two creatures behind it. (See text) |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
Saving Throw: | None, Reflex half (See text) |
When initiating this maneuver, select one foe within 30 feet, and make a ranged touch attack against it. If it hits, you deal your usual melee damage plus 6d6 Slashing damage to that creature, and two creatures within a 30 ft. cone behind the target of your choice have to make a Reflex save (DC 14 + Str modifier) or take 3d6 points of Slashing damage.
Hero's Edge (Stance) | |
Level: | 7 |
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Prerequisite: | Three Hero's Edge maneuvers |
Initiation Action: | 1 swift action |
Range: | Personal |
Target: | You |
Duration: | Stance |
Saving Throw: | None |
While in this stance, all melee attacks you make affect the creature you attack and any creatures up to 20 feet behind it (compare the first attack roll to the ACs of the other targets). In addition, all attacks made while in this stance deal an extra 4d6 damage.
Hero's Edge (Strike) | |
Level: | 4 |
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Prerequisite: | Absurdly Sharp Blade |
Initiation Action: | 1 standard action |
Range: | Melee attack |
Target: | One building or creature of at least Huge size. |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
When you use this maneuver, make a single attack against the target. If it hits, that attack deals an additional 7d6 Slashing damage that ignores hardness (if the target is a building), and forces the target (if the target is a creature) to make a Fort save (DC 14 + Str modifier), or fall prone.
Hero's Edge (Stance) | |
Level: | 3 |
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Initiation Action: | 1 swift action |
Range: | Personal |
Target: | You |
Duration: | Stance |
Saving Throw: | None |
While in this stance, you suffer no falling damage as long as you are riding some object, creatures that are dead included, of at least two size categories larger than you down. In addition, you can move between such objects with surprising speed- by making Jump checks, you can go between different pieces at one half of your base land speed.
Hero's Edge (Strike) | |
Level: | 3 |
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Initiation Action: | 1 full-round action |
Range: | Melee attack |
Target: | One creature |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
When you initiate this maneuver, make a melee touch attack against the target. If it succeeds, make a Jump check. Both you and your foe move up a number of feet equal to half of the Jump check's result. You may then make a full attack with an extra attack at your highest attack bonus, with all attacks at a -2 penalty. At the end of this attack, both you and your foe fall back to the ground, taking falling damage. You are treated as though you fell half as far as you did for the purpose of falling damage taken.
Hero's Edge (Strike) | |
Level: | 3 |
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Initiation Action: | 1 full-round action |
Range: | Melee range |
Area: | All threatened squares |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
Saving Throw: | None |
You attack all creatures in your threatened range a number of times equal to the how many squares you threaten contain that occupied creature. You take a penalty equal to the number of threatened squares occupied by creatures.
For example, three medium zombies surround your character with a 5 ft reach. You attack each one each at your highest attack bonus -3 (for 3 squares). A huge creature appears, and 3 of its 9 squares are in your threatened range. You make three attacks against it at -3. Lastely you face the huge creature and the zombies all at once, making one attack per zombie and three attacks at the huge creature, all at -6.
Hero's Edge (Strike) | |
Level: | 6 |
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Prerequisite: | Two Hero's Edge Maneuvers |
Initiation Action: | 1 full-round action |
Range: | Melee attack |
Target: | One building or creature at least three size categories larger than you. |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
Saving Throw: | None |
As part of this maneuver, make a Balance check against a DC of the target's Armor Class. If it succeeds, make a move action to run up the (back of, if a creature) target. For every five feet that you travel on the target, you deal your standard melee damage. You may then make a Jump check to leap off the target and land safely on the ground, a distance away equal to the result of your Jump check, unharmed.
The distance you may move depends upon the individual target: You may move up to half of its height on this maneuver, rounding down to the nearest 5 foot interval.
Hero's Edge (Strike) | |
Level: | 5 |
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Prerequisite: | One Hero's Edge maneuver |
Initiation Action: | 1 full-round action |
Range: | long |
Target: | One creature |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
Saving Throw: | None |
When you initiate this maneuver, make a Jump check against a DC of 20. If you have allies in the area that you will be jumping through, you gain a cumulative +5 bonus on this jump check for each one within 10 feet of your trajectory.
At the end of your leap, make an attack roll against the target. If it hits, it deals an extra 4d6 damage, plus another 1d6 damage for every five points your Jump check exceeds 20.
After making the attack, you land in a square of your choice adjacent to the target of this maneuver.
Alternatively, you may initiate this maneuver without a target, gaining the extra damage from a high jump check and 'holding' it for a number of rounds up to one half of your initiator level. Any time during the time you are holding it, you may expend the 'charge' to add the extra damage to another Hero's Edge maneuver or a normal attack.
Hero's Edge (Boost) | |
Level: | 6 |
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Prerequisite: | Absurdly Sharp Blade and one other Hero's Edge maneuver |
Initiation Action: | 1 swift action |
Range: | Personal |
Target: | One weapon that deals piercing or slashing damage. |
Duration: | 1 round/initiator level |
Saving Throw: | None |
When you initiate this maneuver, select one of the following energy types- Fire, Cold, or Electricity. For the duration of this maneuver, all attacks made with that weapon deal an extra 3d6 points of damage of that energy type.
If you initiate this maneuver a second time before the duration expires, the first use is automatically canceled, and the newer initiation takes full effect. This maneuver is a Supernatural ability.
Hero's Edge (Boost) | |
Level: | 2 |
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Prerequisite: | None |
Initiation Action: | 1 swift action |
Range: | Personal |
Target: | You |
Duration: | One round |
Saving Throw: | None |
You may initiate this boost whenever you would deal damage to an inanimate object. If you deal more damage to the section that your are attacking than it has hit points, you may deal the excess hit point damage to an adjacent object, such as the next section of the wall, or the table the sword you were sundering was sitting on. You may repeat this process until you run out of damage to deal, or inanimate targets you wish to deal damage to.
Hero's Edge (Counter) | |
Level: | 4 |
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Initiation Action: | 1 immediate action |
Range: | Any |
Target: | Ranged Attack, Floor |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
Saving Throw: | None |
You may initiate this maneuver when you are being attacked from a range. By stabbing the ground and prying, you lift up a wall of whatever surface you're standing on that blocks all ranged attacks directed at you from one specified direction.
In the case of AoE spells, this maneuver opens a space the size of the initiator in the area, right behind the barrier. This barrier blocks 'line' effects outright, provided that the width of the line is equal to or less than the space of the Initiator of this maneuver.
Example: A wizard casts fireball at a party of adventurers. Their Warblade activates this maneuver, making a five foot hole in the fireball's circle, allowing him to escape the damage.
Hero's Edge (Strike) | |
Level: | 7 |
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Prerequisite: | Three Hero's Edge Maneuvers |
Initiation Action: | 1 full-round action |
Range: | Melee attack |
Targets: | Creatures in a 30 foot cone area. |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
Saving Throw: | None |
When you initiate this maneuver, you effectively make an attack on each square in the area of the cone. Make a single attack roll, and compare it to the AC of every creature in the area. If the roll is higher than a creature's AC, it hits that creature, dealing normal damage plus an additional 2d6 points of Slashing damage. If a creature occupies multiple squares, it may be hit more than once, receiving the extra damage per strike as normal.
Example: "Fog" initiates this maneuver, targeting an area that has three Medium creatures and one Huge creature in it. He makes an attack roll, getting a result above the AC of all creatures in the area. Each Medium creature takes his normal damage, plus 2d6 slashing damage. The huge creature, however, occupies nine squares. It receives nine applications of his normal attack damage, plus 18d6 slashing damage.
Hero's Edge (Strike) | |
Level: | 8 |
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Prerequisite: | Four Hero's Edge maneuvers |
Initiation Action: | 1 full-round action |
Range: | Melee attack |
Target: | One creature |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
Saving Throw: | None |
When you initiate this maneuver, make a Jump check, as well as a touch attack against the target. If the touch attack succeeds, your target follows you up into the air, floating above his space. You then may make a number of attacks at your full base attack bonus equal to 1/3rd your initiator level, plus one, using ghostly copies of your main weapon, finishing with your real weapon. At the end of your attack chain, you fall to the ground, taking no falling damage, and your foe falls back to their space, taking full falling damage and landing prone.
Hero's Edge (Strike) | |
Level: | 9 |
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Initiation Action: | 1 full-round action |
Range: | Melee attack |
Target: | One creature |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
Saving Throw: | None |
When you initiate this maneuver, make a Jump check, followed by a touch attack against the target. If the touch attack succeeds, your target follows you up into the air, floating above his space. You then may make a number of attacks at your full base attack bonus - 4 equal to one half of your initiator level, plus two, using ghostly copies of your main weapon, finishing with your real weapon. At the end of your attack chain, you fall to the ground, taking no falling damage, and your foe falls back to their space, taking full falling damage and landing prone.
You may not deal bonus damage from stances while using this maneuver.
Hero's Edge (Boost) | |
Level: | 5 |
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Prerequisite: | One Hero's Edge maneuver. |
Initiation Action: | 1 swift action |
Range: | Personal |
Target: | Yourself |
Duration: | See text |
Saving Throw: | None |
When you initiate this boost, you, and all of your equipment, grow to the same size category as the largest enemy that you are fighting, gaining all of the benefits and drawbacks of advancing one or more size categories. If you defeat that opponent, or attack a smaller opponent before defeating it, you and your equipment return to your original size at the end of the turn. Otherwise, you and your equipment return to your original size at the end of the encounter.
This maneuver is a supernatural ability.
Hero's Edge (Strike) | |
Level: | 1 |
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Initiation Action: | 1 standard action |
Range: | Melee attack |
Target: | One creature |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
When you initiate this maneuver, make a touch attack against the target. If it hits, make a Jump check. You send your opponent up a number of feet equal to the Jump check's result. If they are unable to keep themselves from falling, they take normal falling damage from their fall.
Hero's Edge (Strike) | |
Level: | 2 |
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Prerequisite: | None |
Initiation Action: | 1 standard action |
Range: | close |
Target: | One creature |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
Saving Throw: | Reflex half |
When you activate this maneuver, you swing your sword at the ground beneath you, kicking up chunks of stone (or whatever you're standing on) and batting the pieces at your foe, dealing 4d6 points of damage. Targets may make a Reflex save with a DC of 12+ the Initiator's Strength modifier to take half damage.
Hero's Edge (Stance) | |
Level: | 5 |
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Prerequisite: | Two Hero's Edge Maneuvers |
Initiation Action: | 1 swift action |
Range: | Personal |
Target: | You |
Duration: | Stance |
Saving Throw: | So... You jump obscenely high when using this stance? Nice. |
While in this stance, you no longer divide your Jump check by 4 to determine jump height, you are treated as three size categories larger for the purpose of your vertical reach, and you gain a +5 competence bonus on all Jump checks. In addition, you ignore the first 5d6 points of falling damage.
Hero's Edge (Stance) | |
Level: | 1 |
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Prerequisite: | None |
Initiation Action: | 1 swift action |
Range: | Personal |
Target: | You |
Duration: | Stance |
Saving Throw: | None |
While in this stance, you may take part of your move action(s) to move along a vertical surface, provided that these two conditions are met:
- You start the move action on a horizontal surface
- You have a second vertical surface parallel to the surface you're moving up.
In effect, you bounce between walls to climb up.
In order to move onto the wall, you must first succeed on a DC 10 Jump check. For every five points by which you exceed the DC, you may move a further five feet up, to a maximum of your land speed.
If you finish your turn on a vertical surface, and lack a way to remain there (such as by sticking a sword into the wall and holding on to it), you will fall.
Hero's Edge (Strike) | |
Level: | 2 |
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Prerequisite: | Absurdly Sharp Blade |
Initiation Action: | 1 standard action |
Range: | Melee attack |
Target: | One building or creature. |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
When you initiate this maneuver, make a single attack against the target. If it hits, that attack deals an additional 3d6 Slashing damage and ignores hardness (if made against an inanimate object).
Hero's Edge (Strike) | |
Level: | 8 |
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Prerequisite: | Absurdly Sharp Blade and two other Hero's Edge maneuvers |
Initiation Action: | 1 standard action |
Range: | Melee attack |
Target: | One building or creature of at least Huge size |
Duration: | Instantaneous |
Saving Throw: | Fortitude partial, Reflex half (see text) |
When you initiate this maneuver, make a single attack against the target. If it hits, this attack deals normal melee damage plus an extra 2d6 damage to the creature or building for each square it occupies, ignoring hardness if an inanimate object and up to 20 points of damage reduction if a creature. In addition, any creature hit by this attack must make a Fortitude save (DC 18+ Str Modifier) or be stunned for 1d3 rounds.
If you are using this on a building, and you have enemies near it, you can aim it to hit them, inflicting damage as the SRD recommends. If the target succeeds on a Reflex save (DC 16+ Str modifier), they take half damage.
Level | 3 +, 6 +, 5 +, 2 +, 4 +, 7 +, 8 +, 9 + and 1 + |
Summary | No falling damage as long as you're riding a piece of building down to ground level. +, Toss 'em up, cut 'em down. +, Hit every square around you. +, Deal weapon damage for every 10 feet you move across an enemy/building. +, Deal extra damage to an opponent based on Jump check. +, Deal energy damage with normal attacks. +, Now with rollover damage! +, Create a barrier out of the floor to block attacks. +, Strike a cone of foes with all your might! +, Make your foe say "Oh, crap." as copies of your sword appear around them. +, As Omnislash v5, but moreso. +, Grow to match the largest foe, but return to normal if you attack something smaller. +, What goes up, must go down. Including your opponent. +, Throw rocks at your foe. +, Jump checks have no limits based on your height, other benefits. +, Bounce off one wall to head further up another. +, Dynamic Entry! + and Destroy stuff in a single blow! + |
Type | Stance +, Strike +, Boost + and Counter + |