Maister of the True Art: The Destreza
Prior to the advent of firearms, martial schools flourished throughout the Maru Sea. The Destreza is one such school, native to Crux. The Destreza are known for their miraculous skills, capable of acts that border on actual magic, so much so that some confuse Destreza with Magi. Some of them are, but most often Destreza just learn how to use their martial arts to subtly warp reality around them.
The Destreza specialize in what they consider to be the beauty of swordplay and martial arts. To a Destreza, each time a blade moves or a combatant maneuvers, it needs to be done to find the truest way that could be done. There is a true art to what they do, and uncovering it is one of the biggest motivations of the Destreza. These days they are so few in number that this search for the True Way often falls in priority to surviving. Most Destreza these days struggle to find new students, to make sure their art doesn't fade away in an era defined by the gun.
This uses my Prestige Titles Variant. Click here for more on that.
Prerequisites
Base Attack: +5
Feat: Weapon Focus (Any Slashing Melee Weapon), Destreza Style
Skills: Acrobatics 5 ranks, Perception 5 ranks
Special: You must be inducted into the Destreza school by a recognized master of the school, passing a test of skill and ability in order to do so.
Favored Saving Throw: Will
Bonus Skill Points At Each Achievement: 2
Bonus Hit Points At Each Achievement: 5
Prestige Class Skills: The Destreza's class skills are (and the key ability for each skill) are: Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Bluff (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Local)(Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Dance) (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex) and Swim (Str).
Title Feature: The True Art: All Destreza gain access to a Martial Pool of points. This pool of points is equal to the half the character's class level plus their Int modifier. As a swift action, you can spend a martial point to gain a +4 bonus on a single attack roll or CMB check, as long as it is with a weapon you have weapon focus in.
1st Achievements
Attack Mastery: Increase your Base Attack Bonus by 1. You can take this Achievement multiple times.
Combat Training: You gain a Combat feat of your choice, as long as you qualify for it.
Minor Destreza Strike: You select two of the following Destreza Strikes to learn. To use a Destreza Strike, you must pay a Martial point before attempting the strike. If your attack roll is successful, you can add the Strike's effects on your attack.
You can take this Achievement multiple times.
Destreza Training: You add your number of Destreza Achievements to Acrobatics, Climb and Swim checks as a competence bonus. In addition, you can spend a martial point to reroll your Initiative roll.
3rd Achievements
Counter: You react as soon as a opponent's attack touches you, taking advantage of the opening they've given you. As a immediate action, you can spend 1 martial point to make a attack of opportunity against any opponent that has struck you in melee combat. Their hit still resolves, however. You roll twice on this attack, taking the better result.
Major Destreza Strike: Select one of the following Destreza Strikes. To use one of these Destreza Strikes, you must spend two martial points before you make your attack roll. If the attack is successful, you add the Destreza Strike's effect to you attack.
You can take this Achievement multiple times.
Capstone: Perfect Blow: You learn the best of the True Art, unlocking the capacity to strike with a weapon in the Perfect way. You can spend 1 martial point to double the amount of damage you deal on a successful attack. If it is a critical hit, you must 3 martial points in order to double it. This doubling of damage doesn't double precision damage dice (like sneak attack), but it does double damage from magical enhancements or Destreza attacks (like Flaming or Iron Punishment Blow).
Sidebar: Martial Points and Other Points
Your pool of Martial points can be combined with other pools- if you are a Magus, it will combine with your Arcane pool, while for a Ninja it'll combine with your Ki pool. This is one of the benefits the Destreza have in the modern era, although they still struggle to find ways to make melee weapons matter in the face of guns.
Destreza Feats
Dodge Bullets [Combat]
Prerequisite: Dodge
Benefit: You gain a +4 Dodge bonus to your Touch AC, but only against bullets and gunfire that you are aware of.
Destreza Style [Combat, Style]
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus (Any Slashing Weapon), Int 13, BAB +3
Benefit: While using this style, you can use your Intelligence modifier in place of your Strength modifier on melee attack rolls.
Destreza Dancer [Combat, Style]
Prerequisites: Destreza Style, Weapon Focus (Any Slashing Weapon), Int 13
Benefit: Each time you successfully strike an opponent using Destreza Style, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to your AC until the start of your next turn.
Destreza Master [Combat, Style]
Prerequisites: Destreza Style, Weapon Focus (Any Slashing Weapon), BAB +8
Benefit: Anytime you would threaten a Critical hit, the critical hit is automatically confirmed. In addition, the critical hit damage multiplier for any slashing weapon you use is increased by 1.
In Crux: The Destreza style is allied with a few different icons, but most notably receives support from The Chancellor, The Blood Barons and The Voice. The Chancellor has long supported Crux University teaching multiple martial arts styles, and the Destreza has long shared the same philosophical goals of truth and freedom that the Chancellor often seeks. The Voice and those who serve her interests love the Destreza's emphasis on the beauty of their style, often hiring Destreza as bodyguards or as part of some performances. The Blood Barons, of course, have one or two members of their own families that practice ancient forms of the same style, and feel a traditional loyalty to the school despite the current age.
Other Icons have lambasted and mocked the old school of the True Art as well. The Publisher isn't afraid to publish stories of the lone Destreza that harasses the poor. The Police Commissioner continues to look for new innovative ways to train his officers, indirectly causing many to abandon support of the Destreza instead to learn more gun-oriented styles. The Demon's Orphans too, have a old grudge with the Destreza School, long having supported their rival martial school, The Viper School. The Vipers emphasize on cunning and distraction, focusing on fooling their opponent where the Destreza focus on finding the perfect way to deliver a blow.
Prior to the advent of firearms, martial schools flourished throughout the Maru Sea. The Destreza is one such school, native to Crux. The Destreza are known for their miraculous skills, capable of acts that border on actual magic, so much so that some confuse Destreza with Magi. Some of them are, but most often Destreza just learn how to use their martial arts to subtly warp reality around them.
The Destreza specialize in what they consider to be the beauty of swordplay and martial arts. To a Destreza, each time a blade moves or a combatant maneuvers, it needs to be done to find the truest way that could be done. There is a true art to what they do, and uncovering it is one of the biggest motivations of the Destreza. These days they are so few in number that this search for the True Way often falls in priority to surviving. Most Destreza these days struggle to find new students, to make sure their art doesn't fade away in an era defined by the gun.
This uses my Prestige Titles Variant. Click here for more on that.
Prerequisites
Base Attack: +5
Feat: Weapon Focus (Any Slashing Melee Weapon), Destreza Style
Skills: Acrobatics 5 ranks, Perception 5 ranks
Special: You must be inducted into the Destreza school by a recognized master of the school, passing a test of skill and ability in order to do so.
Favored Saving Throw: Will
Bonus Skill Points At Each Achievement: 2
Bonus Hit Points At Each Achievement: 5
Prestige Class Skills: The Destreza's class skills are (and the key ability for each skill) are: Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Bluff (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Local)(Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Dance) (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex) and Swim (Str).
Title Feature: The True Art: All Destreza gain access to a Martial Pool of points. This pool of points is equal to the half the character's class level plus their Int modifier. As a swift action, you can spend a martial point to gain a +4 bonus on a single attack roll or CMB check, as long as it is with a weapon you have weapon focus in.
1st Achievements
Attack Mastery: Increase your Base Attack Bonus by 1. You can take this Achievement multiple times.
Combat Training: You gain a Combat feat of your choice, as long as you qualify for it.
Minor Destreza Strike: You select two of the following Destreza Strikes to learn. To use a Destreza Strike, you must pay a Martial point before attempting the strike. If your attack roll is successful, you can add the Strike's effects on your attack.
- Iron Wind Strike: You immediately gain a second attack, but you can only performt that attack against a different opponent than the one you first struck.
- Shattering Blade Move: Your opponent's melee ability is broken. For the next minute, all your opponent's melee attack rolls are rolled twice, and they must use the worse result.
- Speed of Steel: You gain a +10-foot enhancement bonus to your speed. If you move at least 10 feet during the rest of this turn, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to your AC until the beginning of your next turn.
- Muscleslicer: You also deal 1d3 points of Strength damage to the opponent as well.
- Iron Punishment Blow: You deal an additional 1d6 points of damage. This damage increases by additional die for each extra attack you could make. You take a -2 penalty to your AC until the start of your next turn.
- Glorious Trip Slice: You get to make a free Trip attempt against the opponent, without provoking an attack of opportunity. For this trip attempt, you roll twice and take the better result.
- Gasp of the Art's Truth: For a brief moment, your blade moves so beautifully that your opponent's defenses shatter in surprise by it. Your attack resolves against your opponent's touch AC instead of their normal AC.
You can take this Achievement multiple times.
Destreza Training: You add your number of Destreza Achievements to Acrobatics, Climb and Swim checks as a competence bonus. In addition, you can spend a martial point to reroll your Initiative roll.
3rd Achievements
Counter: You react as soon as a opponent's attack touches you, taking advantage of the opening they've given you. As a immediate action, you can spend 1 martial point to make a attack of opportunity against any opponent that has struck you in melee combat. Their hit still resolves, however. You roll twice on this attack, taking the better result.
Major Destreza Strike: Select one of the following Destreza Strikes. To use one of these Destreza Strikes, you must spend two martial points before you make your attack roll. If the attack is successful, you add the Destreza Strike's effect to you attack.
- Strike thy Heart: Your attack also deals an additional 2d4 points of Constitution damage to the opponent.
- Seven-Pointed Strike: Your attack targets a critical junction of muscle and nerves, and doesn't deal any damage. Instead, your opponent must make a Fort Save (DC 10+ Your Strength Modifer +1/2 your character level) or become Paralyzed for 1d4 minutes.
- Recovered Glory: You become healed from the glorious moment of your attack. You heal 2d6 plus your character level worth of hit points.
You can take this Achievement multiple times.
Capstone: Perfect Blow: You learn the best of the True Art, unlocking the capacity to strike with a weapon in the Perfect way. You can spend 1 martial point to double the amount of damage you deal on a successful attack. If it is a critical hit, you must 3 martial points in order to double it. This doubling of damage doesn't double precision damage dice (like sneak attack), but it does double damage from magical enhancements or Destreza attacks (like Flaming or Iron Punishment Blow).
Sidebar: Martial Points and Other Points
Your pool of Martial points can be combined with other pools- if you are a Magus, it will combine with your Arcane pool, while for a Ninja it'll combine with your Ki pool. This is one of the benefits the Destreza have in the modern era, although they still struggle to find ways to make melee weapons matter in the face of guns.
Destreza Feats
Dodge Bullets [Combat]
Prerequisite: Dodge
Benefit: You gain a +4 Dodge bonus to your Touch AC, but only against bullets and gunfire that you are aware of.
Destreza Style [Combat, Style]
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus (Any Slashing Weapon), Int 13, BAB +3
Benefit: While using this style, you can use your Intelligence modifier in place of your Strength modifier on melee attack rolls.
Destreza Dancer [Combat, Style]
Prerequisites: Destreza Style, Weapon Focus (Any Slashing Weapon), Int 13
Benefit: Each time you successfully strike an opponent using Destreza Style, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to your AC until the start of your next turn.
Destreza Master [Combat, Style]
Prerequisites: Destreza Style, Weapon Focus (Any Slashing Weapon), BAB +8
Benefit: Anytime you would threaten a Critical hit, the critical hit is automatically confirmed. In addition, the critical hit damage multiplier for any slashing weapon you use is increased by 1.
In Crux: The Destreza style is allied with a few different icons, but most notably receives support from The Chancellor, The Blood Barons and The Voice. The Chancellor has long supported Crux University teaching multiple martial arts styles, and the Destreza has long shared the same philosophical goals of truth and freedom that the Chancellor often seeks. The Voice and those who serve her interests love the Destreza's emphasis on the beauty of their style, often hiring Destreza as bodyguards or as part of some performances. The Blood Barons, of course, have one or two members of their own families that practice ancient forms of the same style, and feel a traditional loyalty to the school despite the current age.
Other Icons have lambasted and mocked the old school of the True Art as well. The Publisher isn't afraid to publish stories of the lone Destreza that harasses the poor. The Police Commissioner continues to look for new innovative ways to train his officers, indirectly causing many to abandon support of the Destreza instead to learn more gun-oriented styles. The Demon's Orphans too, have a old grudge with the Destreza School, long having supported their rival martial school, The Viper School. The Vipers emphasize on cunning and distraction, focusing on fooling their opponent where the Destreza focus on finding the perfect way to deliver a blow.
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