Night Wind (3.5e Martial Discipline)

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Author: T.G. Oskar (talk) Date Created: January 21, 2013 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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A hybrid school combining the powers of Desert Wind and Shadow Hand, allowing the practitioner to execute cold and shadow-based maneuvers based on existing Desert Wind maneuvers

The Ancestral School of Night Wind

Formed of two disciplines that would naturally oppose each other, Night Wind reflects the power of the desert night. Many of the Night Wind school maneuvers are mirrors of existing maneuvers from Desert Wind or Shadow Hand, invoking the cold energies of the desert night, or the deadly reflections of daylight.

Difference between Ancestral Schools and Disciplines

The ancestral school is a variant of one of the existing disciplines, but behaves in many ways as a discipline proper. By definition, "ancestral schools" act like the different styles of a same martial art (such as Shotokan Karate, Shitō-ryū Karate, Gōjū-ryū Karate, etc.), teaching the basics of the primary discipline; however, unlike the different styles of martial arts, ancestral schools teach an entire new set of maneuvers (not merely variants of maneuvers). Maneuvers thought by ancestral schools share some traits of their parent discipline (or disciplines, as some ancestral schools are hybrids of two different disciplines), but each school has a specific trait that makes it distinctive. Some ancestral schools specialize in one aspect of the discipline, others offer an alternative approach to the key aspects of the discipline, and others require specific traits (such as racial or class features) to execute the maneuvers.

In game terms, ancestral schools offer a completely new set of maneuvers and stances. Due to their connection to a discipline (or disciplines, in certain occasions), maneuvers of the ancestral school qualify as maneuvers of the primary discipline. To gain maneuvers from ancestral schools, the character must choose the corresponding ancestral school feat. "Ancestral school" feats work as Martial Study feats, granting a free maneuver from the ancestral school, a benefit appropriate to the school, and grants the ability to choose maneuvers and stances from the ancestral school whenever the character has access to maneuvers from its primary discipline. A character may also learn maneuvers and stances from ancestral schools by means of the Martial Study and Martial Stance feats, but this doesn't allow the ability to learn additional maneuvers as the "ancestral school" feats allow; being based off primary disciplines, gaining one of these maneuvers through the Martial Study feat grants the primary discipline's key skill as a class skill, instead of offering its own.

Because ancestral schools are not fully developed disciplines, they lack a legacy weapon (though that doesn't mean a character can't found a legacy weapon based off them), and lack a signature tactical feat. Items granting maneuvers from ancestral schools are largely unknown; the DM is free to determine if magic items from their primary disciplines can be reworked to offer maneuvers from their ancestral schools, if desired.

Game Mechanics of the Night Wind

Available To: None (requires the Night Wind Disciple feat)

Discipline Skill: Hide (Dex) - Being an ancestral school based on two disciplines, Night Wind also has Tumble as a class skill.

Discipline Weapons: As Desert Wind and Shadow Hand disciplines - Being an ancestral school based on two disciplines, Night Wind teaches fighting with both weapon types. 

Saves: 10 + maneuver level + Wisdom modifier 

Special: Treat maneuvers or stances from Night Wind as if they were Desert Wind or Shadow Hand maneuvers for purposes of qualifying for new maneuvers or stances.

Maneuvers of the Night Wind Ancestral School

To see the full, expanded description of every maneuver, click here.

1st-Level Maneuvers

• Chill Blade: Boost [Cold] — Deal 1d6 cold damage +1/initiator level
• Night's Blessing: Stance — Gain cold resistance based on Hide checks
• Nocturnal Shadow: Strike [Cold] — Surround area with cold shadows.
• Phantom Mirage: Stance — You gain concealment from all attacks as long as you stay still

2nd-Level Maneuvers

• Chill Breath: Strike [Cold] — Cone deals 2d6 damage
• Fell Riposte: Counter [Cold] — Counter foe’s attack with chilling touch that deals 2d6 cold damage, potential Strength damage
• Shadow Brand: Boost [Cold] — Extend shadow to gain 5 ft. reach, deal cold damage.
• Withdraw: Counter [X-Discipline] — Escape attack, vanishing from sight and leaving a mirage behind in your place.

3rd-Level Maneuvers

• Breeze of Nightly Death: Strike [Cold] — Enemy takes extra cold damage and absorbs ambient heat in area
• Searing Sand: Strike [Fire] — Ranged touch attack deals 2d6 heat damage; Reflex save or blinded for 3 rounds

4th-Level Maneuvers

• Hoarfrost Blade: Boost [Cold] — Attacks deal +2d6 cold damage + 1/initiator level
• Shadow Mirage: Boost [Cold] — Create a mirage for 1 round; assist on attacks

5th-Level Maneuvers

• Creeping Chill: Strike [Cold] — Attack deals cold damage, and target takes 1d6 cumulative cold damage per round for 3 rounds
• Death Veil: Stance [Cold] — Attacker must succeed on Fortitude save or take 5 points of cold damage, fatigue
• Deathly Breath: Strike [Cold] — Cone deals 6d6 cold damage, fatigue

6th-Level Maneuvers

• Cold Blacksand Shards: Strike [Cold] — Ranged touch attack deals 6d6 damage, half cold and half negative energy; Reflex save or blinded for 3 rounds.
• Shadow Drop: Strike [Teleportation] — Teleport and make a single attack; target becomes flat-footed against this attack.

7th-Level Maneuvers

• Blade of Cocytus: Boost [Cold] — Melee attacks deal +3d6 cold damage +1/initiator level
• Step into Night: Counter [Teleportation] — Teleport into hiding spot; leaves image that lasts for 1 round

8th-Level Maneuvers

• Breath of the Night Dragon: Strike [Cold] — Cone of cold deals 10d6, Fortitude save or take 1 negative level.
• Shadow Servant: Stance — Use mirror image, as the spell; images assist on attack
• Step of the Shadow Assassin: Strike [Teleportation] — Teleport and make a single attack; attack is considered an automatic critical hit

9th-Level Maneuvers

• Shadow Death Strike: Strike [Death Teleportation] — Teleport and make a single attack; Fortitude save or death, attack is considered a critical hit

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