User:Mkill/Combat School

Disclaimer:

The whole credit for inventing the combat school feats goes to User:dmilewski. I like the ideas a lot. The only reason I copied the stuff here is to make my own version of them as I think they should be, without changing his pages.

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Going to Combat School

Learning on your own is one thing. Being trained by a master is an entirely different thing. When a character goes to combat school, they gain knowledge and discipline that only a true master of melee can offer.

Schooled fighters are proud of their course of study and will proudly state who they studied under. Each master usually teach some variation of a certain style. These styles may be fanciful, such as "Flying Wind style," or more mundane, such as "Berlin" style.

Combat School feats build more strongly than regular feats. These feats may not be suitable for all games.

Combat School feats bring a uniqueness to melee characters that is not based on magic or supernatural abilities. These feats help a fighter in a low-magic or no-magic environment to perform closer to the default power curve.

Basic Combat School Feats

Pugilist Combat School [Combat School]

You were trained at a combat school.

Prerequisite

Fighter 1st level

Benefit

You have trained at an elite combat school with a focus on classic wrestling. The teachers there provided you a rigorous combat education.

This feat provides the following additional feats:

• Improved Unarmed Strike
• Improved Grapple
• Trained Stance

Normal

Characters must normally acquire these feats individually.

Special

This feat can only be taken by a first-level fighter. It costs both the first level feat and the fighter bonus feat.

Fencing Combat School [Combat School]

You were trained at a combat school.

Prerequisite

1st level Fighter

Benefit

You have trained at an elite fencing school. The teachers there provided you a rigorous combat education.

This feat provides the following feats as bonus feats, even if you don't fulfill the prerequisites:

• Weapon Finesse
• Improved Feint
• Trained Stance

Special

This feat can only be taken by a first-level fighter. It costs both the first level feat and the fighter bonus feat.

Trained Stance [Combat School]

Prerequisite

base attack bonus +1

Benefit

You can enter a Trained Stance as a swift action. During this stance, you gain your BAB as a competence bonus to Balance.

You lose your Trained Stance

• if you lose your balance, such as a failed Balance check
• if you fall prone, such as when you are tripped
• during Rage
• when you are climbing
• when you can't move, such as when you are entangled, stunned or paralyzed

If you lose your Trained Stance, you lose all feats which depend on that state.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Lesser Combat School Feats

Commando Training [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance

Benefit

While in Trained Stance, you gain half your base attack bonus as a competence bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks.

The maximum bonus you can get is +5, unless you have at least 5 Combat School feats, in which case the limit is removed.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Exotic Weapon Training [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance

Benefit

You gain proficiency with one exotic weapon for each Combat School feat that you have.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Expert Strike [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance, Power Attack

Benefit

You have learned to correctly put your entire body behind a hit. While in a Trained Stance, and wield a one-handed melee weapon, add one-and-a-half your Strength bonus and double the Power Attack penalty to damage.

Normal

One-handed Melee weapons add once your Strength bonus to damage.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Grounded Stance [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Trained Stance, [[Hardening Drill (DnD Feat)|Hardening Drill]]

Benefit

While in a Trained Stance, treat your size category as one larger for defensive purposes (such as defending against bull rush, disarming, grappling, and tripping). This feat stacks with any feat or ability that grants a similar bonus.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Hardening Drill [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance

Benefit

You gain three hit points for each Combat School feat that you have.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

This feat substitutes Toughness to fulfill prerequisites.

Power Fist [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance, Power Attack, Improved Unarmed Strike

Benefit

You have learned to correctly put your entire body behind a hit. While in a Trained Stance, add one-and-a-half your Strength bonus and double the Power Attack penalty to damage with unarmed strikes.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Trained Defense [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance

Benefit

Your training has toughened you and taught you how to protect yourself even if unarmored. When you are in a Trained Stance, you gain a +1 competence bonus to your AC, +1 for every 2 Combat School Feats that you have. This bonus applies against touch attacks, but you lose it when you are denied your Dex bonus to AC.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

This feat substitutes for Dodge to fulfill prerequisites.

Trained Step [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance, Dodge, Mobility

Benefit

You move across difficult terrain unhindered at your full move. If you have at least 5 Combat School feats, you can even charge across difficult terrain unhindered.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Warding Hand [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance, Two-Weapon Fighting

Benefit

When you are in a Trained Stance, and your off-hand is holding a light weapon, you gain a +1 shield bonus to AC, +1 for every 3 Combat School feats that you have.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Astonishing Leap [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Dex 13, Trained Stance, Jump 8 ranks, base attack bonus +6

Benefit

Multiply the distance you can jump for any Jump check DC by one-and-a-half. If you have at least five Combat School feats, double the jumping distance instead.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Balance Drills [Combat School]

Prerequisite

[[Trained Defense (DnD Feat)|Trained Defenses]], Trained Stance, base attack bonus +6

Benefit

You gain a +1 competence bonus to your Reflex save, +1 for every 3 Combat School feats that you have.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Battlefield Awareness [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Alertness, [[Trained Defense (DnD Feat)|Trained Defenses]], Trained Stance, base attack bonus +6

Benefit

While in a Trained Stance, gain Blindsight 5 foot radius. For each additional time that you choose this feat, add +5 feet to the radius.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Bodyguard [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Combat Reflexes, [[Trained Defense (DnD Feat)|Trained Defenses]], Trained Stance, [[Warding Hand (DnD Feat)|Warding Hand]], base attack bonus +6

Benefit

If you are within five feet of an ally, as an immediate action, you may take half that ally's damage from melee or ranged attacks until the beginning of your next turn. Assign the damage before applying damage reduction.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Deflecting Move [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance, Dodge

Benefit

While in Trained Stance, you gain a +1 competence bonus to bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity for each Combat School feat that you have.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

This feat substitutes for Mobility to fulfill feat prerequisites.

Deflecting Shield [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Shield Proficiency, Trained Stance, [[Warding Hand (DnD Feat)|Warding Hand]], base attack bonus +6

Benefit

While in a Trained Stance, you can deflect blows with your shield. If you carry a light shield or heavy shield, melee and ranged attacks against you have a 5% chance to miss for each Combat School feat that you have.

You cannot use this ability against attacks when you are denied your Dexterity bonus to AC and attacks that negate cover.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Exercise Regime [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance

Benefit

You gain a +1 competence bonus to your Fortitude save, +1 for every 3 Combat School feats that you have.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Exotic Protection [Combat School]

Removed, looks too much like an Artificer

Grounded Push [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, [[Hardening Drill (DnD Feat)|Hardening Drill]], Grounded Stance, [[Power Fist (DnD Feat)|Power Fist]], Trained Stance

Benefit

While in a Trained Stance, treat your size category as one larger for offensive advantages (such as attempting bull rushes, grappling, and tripping). This feat stacks with any feat or ability that grants a similar bonus.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Improved Astonishing Leap [Combat School]

Removed, useless (see this feat's talk page)

Magic Strike [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance, Magic Device Specialist

Benefit

When you wield a melee weapon with a magic enhancement bonus, treat that bonus as one higher.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Magic Shot [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance, Magic Device Specialist

Benefit

When you wield a ranged weapon with a magic enhancement bonus, treat that bonus as one higher.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Improved Warding [Combat School]

Removed, included in lower-level feat

Keep Focused [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance

Benefit

You gain a +1 competence bonus to Will saves, +1 for each three Combat School feats you have.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Magic Device Specialist [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance

Benefit

You gain half your BAB as a competence bonus to Use Magic Device and Use Psionic Device checks. This bonus is limited to +5, unless you have at least 5 Combat School feats, in which case the limit is removed.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Sure Shot [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance, Point Blank Shot

Benefit

Once per day for each Combat School feat that you have, you may reroll one ranged attack roll. You keep the second result, even if it is worse.

Special

You treat all feats that have Point Blank Shot as a prerequisite as Combat School feats.

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Trained Observer [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Trained Stance

Benefit

You gain half your base attack bonus as a competence bonus to Search, Spot, and Listen checks. This bonus is limited to +5, unless you have at least 5 Combat School feats, in which case the limit is removed.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

This feat doubles as Alertness to fulfill prerequisites.

Well Practiced Aim [Combat School]

Prerequisite

Point Blank Shot, Trained Stance, [[Sure Shot (DnD Feat)|Sure Shot]]

Benefit

You may take a penalty to all attacks in one round, and add this penalty to damage with ranged weapons. Mechanically, this works like power attack.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Slayer [Combat School]

You have been trained to kill a certain type of creature.

Prerequisites: [[Expert Strike (DnD Feat)|Expert Strike]], Trained Stance, Favored Enemy, base attack bonus 9+

Benefit: When in Trained Stance, and facing your favored enemy, you can attempt to kill an enemy with one blow. Make an attack as a full-round action. If the attack hits, the enemy must make a Fortitude save (10 + your favored enemy bonus + your number of Combat School feats) or be killed or destroyed. You may attempt one such attack per individual enemy per day.

Special

A fighter may select this feat as one of his fighter bonus feats.

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Rewrite done until here.

Greater Combat School Feats

These feats require at least seven Combat School feats and a BAB +10 or more.

Always Ready [Combat School]

Requirements: Combat School, [[Expert Strike (DnD Feat)|Trained Strike]], Grounded Stance, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, [[Trained Defense (DnD Feat)|Trained Defenses]], Trained Stance, [[Warding Hand (DnD Feat)|Warding Hand]], and any two additional Combat School feats.

You are always in a Trained Stance unless something causes you to lose that stance.

Useless, it's just a swift action to gain that stance anyway.

Energy Deflection [Combat School]

Requirements: Combat School, [[Expert Strike (DnD Feat)|Trained Strike]], Grounded Stance, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, [[Trained Defense (DnD Feat)|Trained Defenses]]<nowiki>, [[Trained Stance (3.5e Feat)|Trained Stance]], <nowiki>[[Warding Hand (DnD Feat)|Warding Hand]], and any two additional Category:Combat School Feat feats.

In Trained Stance, when fighting defensively or using Combat Expertise, you gain energy resistance (all) equal to your armor enhancement bonus.

Energy Strike [Combat School]

Requirements: Combat School, [[Expert Strike (DnD Feat)|Trained Strike]], Grounded Stance, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, [[Trained Defense (DnD Feat)|Trained Defenses]], Trained Stance, [[Warding Hand (DnD Feat)|Warding Hand]], and any two additional Category:Combat School Feat feats.

When using [[Improved Expert Strike (DnD Feat)|Improved Expert Strike]] or [[Sure Shot (DnD Feat)|Sure Shot]], you need not take the full enchantment bonus. Instead, you may use some of that bonus to give your weapon a weapon enhancement. At 10th-12th is a +1 enhancement, 13th-14th +2, 15th-16th +3, 17-18th +4, 19th-20th +5. You may not use an effect opposite to any of your alignments.

Improved Deflecting Shield [Combat School]

Requirements: Combat School, [[Expert Strike (DnD Feat)|Trained Strike]], Grounded Stance, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, [[Trained Defense (DnD Feat)|Trained Defenses]], Trained Stance, [[Warding Hand (DnD Feat)|Warding Hand]], and any two additional Category:Combat School Feat feats.

While in a Trained Stance and while you have a shield bonus, opponents have a 50% chance to miss you. This is considered cover.

Trained Evasion [Combat School]

Requirements: Combat School, [[Expert Strike (DnD Feat)|Trained Strike]], Grounded Stance, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, [[Trained Defense (DnD Feat)|Trained Defenses]], Trained Stance, [[Warding Hand (DnD Feat)|Warding Hand]], and any two additional Category:Combat School Feat feats.

While in Trained Stance, you gain evasion.

Flying Leap [Combat School]

Requirements: Combat School, [[Expert Strike (DnD Feat)|Trained Strike]], Grounded Stance, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, [[Trained Defense (DnD Feat)|Trained Defenses]], Trained Stance, [[Warding Hand (DnD Feat)|Warding Hand]], and any two additional Category:Combat School Feat feats.

While in a Trained Stance, your DC for Jump checks is reduced to 5 + 1 per five feet.

Not useful, this just increases jumping distance even more.

Hard Knock Life [Combat School]

Requirements: Combat School, [[Expert Strike (DnD Feat)|Trained Strike]], Grounded Stance, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, [[Trained Defense (DnD Feat)|Trained Defenses]], Trained Stance, [[Warding Hand (DnD Feat)|Warding Hand]], and any two additional Category:Combat School Feat feats.

You gain a +4 bonus to your Constitution for purposes of determining your hit points.

Force Against Force [Combat School]

Requirements: Combat School, [[Expert Strike (DnD Feat)|Trained Strike]], Grounded Stance, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, [[Trained Defense (DnD Feat)|Trained Defenses]], Trained Stance, [[Warding Hand (DnD Feat)|Warding Hand]], and any two additional Category:Combat School Feat feats.

As a standard action or an attack that is part of a full attack action, you may strike at an inanimate object or a force effect. It the attack hits, treat this blow as if it were a disintegrate cast by a caster of level equal to your BAB. In addition, this ability may be used with a hurled weapon up to a distance of thirty feet.

Improved Sure Shot [Combat School]

Gain the absolute weapon enhancement bonus of a magic ranged weapon's to hit and damage. This stacks with [[Sure Shot (DnD Feat)|Sure Shot]] enhancement bonus. For example, a +1 light crossbow of speed has a +3 speed enhancement. The absolute enhancement bonus of this weapon is +4, giving the weapon a +4 to hit and damage, in addition to acting with the Speed enhancement.

One With Steel [Combat School]

Requirements: Combat School, [[Expert Strike (DnD Feat)|Trained Strike]], Grounded Stance, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, [[Trained Defense (DnD Feat)|Trained Defenses]], Trained Stance, [[Warding Hand (DnD Feat)|Warding Hand]]

When wielding a melee weapon, you gain the full magical bonus of the weapon in addition to any special properties that it may have. For example, if you wielded a +1 flaming sword (a +2 weapon), you would gain +2 to hit and +2 damage in addition to the flaming ability. In addition, your enhancement bonus from [[Expert Strike (DnD Feat)|Expert Strike]] now stacks with your damage bonus from your magic weapon.

Vertically Grounded [Combat School]

Requirements: Combat School, [[Expert Strike (DnD Feat)|Trained Strike]], Grounded Stance, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, [[Trained Defense (DnD Feat)|Trained Defenses]], Trained Stance, [[Warding Hand (DnD Feat)|Warding Hand]]

While in a Trained Stance, you gain Up the Walls. (You do not become psionic.) You may stay on a vertical surface between rounds.

Grandmaster Combat School Feats

This section will detail feats for characters above 15th+ level.