Philomactous the Forbidden Disciple (3.5e Vestige)
 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
 | |||||||||
|
Rate this article Discuss this article | |||||||||
Contents
Philomactous, the Forbidden Disciple[edit]
A battle scholar who sought to learn all disciplines, he succeeded in a sense. But some disciplines were not meant to be handled by the limitations of mere human frames... Philomactus grants its binder martial maneuvers, the ability to combat other initiators and demonic beings, and the power to fight armed or unarmed.
Level: 5th
Binding DC: 23
Special Requirement: Must not be a chaotic evil subtyped outsider.
Legend[edit]
Many are the martial disciplines taught the world over, from the temple of nine swords to the secret teachings of raptorians with their highly specialized flying techniques, to disciplines extraplanar and far. It would be a momumental task to gather them all in one spot and within one area, and yet it is precisely that which the battle scholar Philomactous attempted to do. He traveled far and wide across the multiverse to many wierd and varied locales, through various dimensions, and even through time, collecting the knowledge of a thousand disciplines into a tome of sublime insight. As the book grew, Philomactus began to wonder if there would ever be an end to its growth, as every time he divined what disciplines remained, he would always be told that there were more, until one day he was told there was one discipline yet left unrecorded. And so, determined to finish the book, Philomactus sought out this final discipline. But though he sought long and hard for a practitioner of this last art, he found none. His divinations turned up little, and he began to notice resistance and interference from the higher powers and gods. Somehow, they were discouraging him from completing his task, much to his chagrin. Lost on where to go next, his story would have ended there were it not for one night that the abyss whispered her dark call into his ear.
"I am the last practitioner of the forgotten, forbidden discipline. The last."
Though he knew the abyss dangerous and evil, Philomactous had grown strong and unafraid of things born from evil. He followed the whispers into the abyss, down deep into its layers. Upon the 73rd layer known as the Wells of Darkness, the whispers came from one well forgotten in the distance. What happened there is unclear, but one thing is certain. Philomactous was successful in learning the last discipline, one forgotten by all but one being forever imprisoned. And no sooner did he leave the wells of darkness with this knowledge most forbidden was he beset upon the infinite demons of the abyss.
Long and hard he fought, using every technique known to him from now through time, but the demonic hordes continued to adapt to his attacks. And so Philomactous decided to attempt to use the maneuvers of the forbidden art. On that day, the forces of the abyss perished in the trillions, and the resulting explosion of power obliterated the non-deific frame of Philomactus asunder, his body and soul falling ever deeper through the layers until finally he found a "bottom" to the infinite abyss, somewhere neither here nor there...
Special summoning[edit]
You must draw Philomactous' seal upon a book or paper which is inscribed with some manner of martial maneuver, such as a martial script or a book on the history of the temple of nine swords. The book or script is not consumed and may be used again.
Manifestation[edit]
There is a loud, low rumble as air and dust seem to suck into a point of increasing brightness, as if watching an explosion in reverse as the form of a surprisingly frail-looking old man appears, one eye permanently sealed shut from a wound and his body inscribed with a thousand martial scripts in many languages. As the implosion ends, he settles, feet never quite touching the ground as he picks up the martial book and pauses to read its contents, mumbling softly about how it is "an incomplete shadow" and "Reshar didn't go deep enough". As you address him, he replies but never looks up from his intense studying.
Sign[edit]
You gain martial scripts running down your arms, which flux and change their contents constantly. When you initiate martial maneuvers, you feel a discomforting power flow through your body, a power you can't quite place.
Influence[edit]
Philomactus is obsessed with learning new fighting styles. Whenever he encounters a creature which uses martial maneuvers, he insists you allow it to stay alive long enough to display at least two maneuvers, attempting to coax it to show you what it knows. You cannot kill the creature beforehand, though you may knock it out for the purpose of waking it later, or your allies may finish it off (which makes for a cranky Philomactus).
Granted Abilities[edit]
Countermaneuver[edit]
You gain a +4 dodge bonus against martial maneuvers from others.
Demonbane[edit]
Philomactus has a particular hatred for demons. Any attacks you make are considered to have the Bane enhancement against outsiders with the chaotic and evil subtypes. You gain +2 to attack and +2d6 extra damage.
Discipline Proficieny[edit]
While bound to Philomactus, you are proficient in all weapons of the discipline you chose when first binding him. You also are considered to have maximum ranks in the skill associated with the discipline, as well as maximum ranks in Martial LoreToB.
Forbidden Power[edit]
You channel but a small fraction of the forbidden discipline's power to strengthen your martial maneuvers. As a swift action, you gain a massive power boost for 1 round; your initiator level doubles, any save DCs rise by +4, and any damage is automatically maximized. The power shock deals 1d4 points of nonlethal damage to you per level of any maneuver used during this time. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so for 5 rounds.
Martial Maneuvers[edit]
When you bind Philomactus, you must choose any one martial discipline. For the duration you are bound, you have access to that discipline. You know one maneuver per level, up to 5th-level maneuvers, and ready all five maneuvers as maneuver-like abilities. You do not need to meet the prerequisites of the maneuvers, and may refresh them all as a full-round action which does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Unarmed Strike[edit]
While bound to Philomactus, you have Improved Unarmed Strike and have the unarmed damage of a monk whose level is equal to your BAB.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Class Ability Components → Vestiges
| Eiji-kunv |
|---|
| Author | Eiji-kun + |
| Binding DC | 23 + |
| Identifier | 3.5e Vestige + |
| Level | 5th + |
| Rating | Undiscussed + |
| Summary | A battle scholar who sought to learn all disciplines, he succeeded in a sense. But some disciplines were not meant to be handled by the limitations of mere human frames... + |
| Title | Philomactous the Forbidden Disciple + |
