The Martial Disciple: a pseudo-Vancian fighting class for 5th Edition

Hey folks. I realize that it seems I dropped off the face of the Internet blogging-wise. Much of the blame is other projects sucking away my time to commit. But fortunately the fruits of my labors resulted in a new book for Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition! As one raised on the 3rd Edition of Dungeons & Dragons, I am a big fan of options in games no matter the character concept. And while there are good parts in 5th Edition, the noncasting martial classes felt rather 'blah' in terms of things to do beyond basic attacks.

The Martial Disciple is, in short, a new system inspired by Tome of Battle/Path of War with special moves known as techniques. Techniques are akin to spells in that they are limited-use abilities which play off of the short/long rest and are grouped into 8 fighting schools based on style and thematics. There is a new eponymous class which draws off of this system as well as 5 archetypes for existing core classes to get in on the fun.

Techniques: Much like Path of War or Tome of Battle, you have Strikes which are offensive in nature; Counters, which are reactions triggered by attacks and effects; Boosts, which are 'buffs' to your abilities; and Stances, which are long-term buffs which last indefinitely but you can only choose one to use every long rest. Fighting schools represent groups of related abilities: Reaper's Field is optimized for heavy weapons and overwhelming force, Prowling Panther relies on trickery and misdirection, and Alchemic Warrior revolves around personal serums, bombs, and debilitating chemicals.

Class: The new class is the same as the book's title, meant to represent a sort of generic warrior akin to the Fighter save that they interact heavily with techniques. Unlike the Fighter they designate one of three mental ability scores as their Martial Ability akin to a spellcaster. Intelligence represents tactical masterminds, Wisdom for ascetic and hunter types, and Charisma for inspiring leaders and the like.

Archetypes for the Martial Disciple include the Avatar of War, who has a supernatural connection to a planar realm of conflict and can call weapons and figures from said realm; the Challenger, a seeker of self-improvement who can sense the strongest opponent on the battlefield and turn enemy attacks and strength against them; and the Wandering Stranger, who has a bit of a Clint Eastwood vibe with an offensive staredown and a limited legend lore used for gathering rumors said about themselves.

Archetypes for existing core class include:

Commando for the Rogue who specializes in misdirection and special operations style tactics such as being able to gain a floating tool proficiency reflecting training for specialized missions.
Daredevil for the Rogue who is all about flair and panache. Can do things like move through vertical spaces and open air as difficult terrain as long as they have rope for swinging or gambits where you voluntarily impose disadvantage on a roll in exchange for a potential boon if successful.
Path of the Destroyer for the Barbarian (think Juggernaut from X-Men), who is all about building up momentum and mobility while raging for self-buffs like freedom of movement (unstoppable object) or passwall effect (breaking through walls).
Tactician for the Fighter who can trade out a saving throw proficiency during a long rest for adapting to one's environment, adding proficiency bonus to skills related to soldiery matters, and the like.
Way of the United Spirit for the Monk who specializes in Alchemic Warrior and Trance Dancer (spirit-possessed warrior) who uses alchemy and esoteric religious rituals to push their body and mind to its maximum potential.

Hopefully I ignited your interest in my book. It was a fun thing to make for me, and I hope it is even more fun for you to use at your gaming table! You can find it below on these online storefronts:

Drive-Thru Link.

RPGNow Link.

Open Gaming Store Link.

Scarlet Heroes Homebrew: New Blademaster School, the Smoking Serpentine

Gunmage II by maykrender of deviantart

The advent of firearms technology was a game-changer on the field of battle.  Its penetrative power against armor and faster training time than longbows made it easy to field peasant militias who could deliver devastating artillery in war.  Cannons replicated the devastating power wielded by magic-users, at the expense of storing volatile gunpowder in large amounts to work.  As the great empires of the world sought to journey beyond their home continent to unknown waters beyond, a new kind of adventurer quickly entered the scene: the privateer.

Tales of riches, global hegemony, and the desire to start a new society far from Old World, and the pursuit of knowledge fueled legions of ships to set sail for the islands at the edges of the known world.  Dangerous monsters and rival colonists facilitated need for ships of well-armed sailors and soldiers for defense, and the tropical climate and constant tilting of seabound vessels made heavy armor impractical.  The adventurers of these lands fought not with plate mail and axes, but with black powder and cutlasses.

Guns are a controversial aspect in Dungeons & Dragons, and those groups that do use them have many different rules facilitating their use.  This homebrew school was designed in mind with Age of Exploration firearms, the kind which are typically fired once during a battle before switching to another or closing in for melee.  I found the "once per fight/day" schematic to work very well with this, representing the often deadly uses for firearms in spite of their hindrances.

I utilized game mechanics from Scarlet Throne and Thrashing Dragon disciplines from Path of War, as well as the guidelines for making new Blademaster Arts and Schools in The Sandbox #2.  Regarding the school's name, in 14th century Europe a type of gunpowder used for cannons was called Serpentine due to its resemblance to hellfire and thus Satan.  The Devil is given snake-like characteristics in various forms of Christianity.  I figured that this would be a cool name for a homebrew fighting style.

School of Smoking Serpentine

The Smoking Serpentine is named after the serpentine fuel used for primitive cannons, and was mastered by a pirate lord who incorporated a mix of swordplay and firearms training to devastating effect in battle.  The fighting style was taught to other pirates, and in turn was copied by other martial disciples watching them in battle.

Mysteries of the Smoking Serpentine

Students of the Smoking Serpentine learn to take very good care of guns in their possession.  Firearms will not jam or break as long as they're wielded by them, and environmental conditions such as total immersion in water or rainstorms will not cause the weapon's mechanisms or gunpowder to be ruined or ignite.  If necessary, this can be explained as waterproof cartridges and pouches sewn from the hides of fire-resistant monsters.

Adepts of the Smoking Serpentine develop a certain dashing quality which seems to get them out of trouble more often than not.  They treat their Charisma score as 4 points higher (effective maximum 18) for the purposes of social interactions.

Masters of the Smoking Serpentine learn how to create a long-lasting chemical agent to deploy in battle.  Once per day they can replicate the effects of a Wall of Fire spell, although it is non-magical and the concentration for its duration is represented by the blademaster feeding the flames.

Arts of the Smoking Serpentine

Level One

Blade Bind
Instant  Once Per Fight

If an opponent fails to hit the blademaster with a melee attack, the blademaster maneuvers so that the strong portion of his weapon is pressing against the weaker portion of his opponent's weapon.  Said opponent cannot maneuver out of melee range without suffering a free attack from the blademaster (said free attack costs no action to use), but as long as the Blade Bind is kept neither opponent can move out of range or attack another opponent due to the concentration involved in keeping the bind.

Fire and Steel
Instant  Constant

The blademaster learns to be fast with his hands so as to adapt quickly to changing circumstances.  He can fight with a pistol in one hand and a one-handed weapon in the other at no penalty, and freely sheathe and withdraw either during the course of an action should a free hand be required for a task.

Hindering Strike
Action  Once Per Fight

The blademaster confounds an opponent in addition to damaging them.  On a successful attack the blademaster may opt to automatically disarm an opponent of their weapon or another worn item such as a pouch, belt buckle, hat, or other removable item (GM's discretion).  The blademaster can also choose to trip and knock prone their opponent instead of a disarm.

Powerful Shot
Action  Once Per Day

Due to the long reloading times of most firearms, the blademaster learns to make his only shot count.  The blademaster makes an attack roll with a firearm, and on a successful hit he deals an additional 2d6 points of damage in addition to the base weapon damage.

Level Two

Duck and Weave
Instant  Once Per Fight

The blademaster knows that a moving target is hard to hit, especially when going through friendly targets and behind environmental obstacles.  As long as the blademaster moves at least half his movement speed before making an attack, he gains a +4 bonus on her attack roll.  If he ends his movement in a space next to an enemy target, a piece of furniture, or another object which can reasonably prove a hindrance, he gains a -4 bonus to his Armor Class on attacks made against him.

Experimental Alchemy
Instant  Constant

The blademaster's study and handling of black powder grants insight into alternative fuel sources for his firearms.  At the start of each day the blademaster may load elemental powder into his firearms.  These firearms suffer a -2 penalty to hit, but their damage is treated as a certain common energy type (cold, fire, electricity, or other elemental damage forms in your Edition/retro-clone) for the purposes of attacks.  This also applies to any Arts or Mysteries of this School which utilize firearms or explosives.

Shoot and Slice
Action  Once Per Fight

The blademaster makes a melee attack against an opponent while using a pistol to shoot a nearby opponent within the first range increment of the weapon.  This is resolved as a single attack roll and the results are compared to the Armor Class of two different opponents; damage is rolled separately for each.

Shrapnel Blast
Action  Once Per Day

The blademaster loads their firearm with glass shards, shell fragments, and other sharp pieces into their firearm instead of normal bullets.  When fired, the attack is resolved as an area of effect attack in the shape of a 20 foot cone-shaped emanation.  Those within the burst radius must roll a saving throw or take the base weapon damage.

Level Three

Acrobatic Flair
Instant  Constant

When the blademaster fights, it is very hard for anyone to stand their ground.  The blademaster may move, attack an opponent, and move again up to their base movement speed as part of a round's worth of actions.  Additionally, any opponent he strikes has to move 10 feet in a direction of the opponent's choice if capable of doing so. This represents running for cover, trying to keep up with the blademaster, getting knocked back and tripped, and similar actions undertaken by the enemy.

Dazzling Flash
Action  Once Per Day

By appropriating fireworks intended for entertainment purposes, the blademaster can fire a bright flash of light as a 20 foot burst radius with a range increment of 30 feet.  Those within the radius must make a saving throw or take 2d6 damage, as well as being blinded for a number of rounds equal to the blademaster's level.

The Right Moment
Instant  Once Per Fight

The blademaster reads their opponent and reacts at the best possible time once they let their guard down.  The blademaster rolls their attack roll twice and keeps the better result.

Up Close and Personal
Action  Once Per Day

The blademaster makes a melee attack against their opponent.  If successful he discharges the contents of his firearm point-blank, dealing the damage of both weapons to the opponent.  This leaves a particularly painful gunshot wound, dealing 1d6 points of fire damage per round (or another damage type if using Experimental Alchemy), to a maximum number of rounds equal to the blademaster's level.

Level Four

All-Out
Action  Once Per Day

The blademaster throws caution to the wind and brings his full fury to bear.  He performs 3 attack rolls against an enemy.  For every result which hits, he deals his base weapon damage plus 4d6 points per successful hit (meaning the maximum damage can be 12d6 plus triple the base weapon damage).  At the end of this attack, the blademaster suffers a +4 penalty to his Armor Class and can only move at half speed during their next round.  This attack can be made with multiple loaded firearms if desired.

Peerless Charm
Instant  Constant

The blademaster is now an iconic swashbuckler, one of the greatest legends to sail the seas.  Attacks made by opponents with six or less hit dice than the blademaster's level only deal the minimum possible result on damage dice against him.  He can also treat his attack roll die result as a 10 and his damage dice as the maximum possible result against such opponents.

Reckless Destruction
Action  Once Per Day

The blademaster outmaneuvers his opponents to such an extent that they have trouble striking who they want.  All opponents within 30 feet of the blademaster must make a saving throw or suffer as though under the Confusion spell for the remainder of combat or until the blademaster is taken out of the fight, whichever comes first.  Opponents with 3 hit dice or less are automatically confused and cannot attempt a saving throw.

Scarlet Heroes Homebrew: New Blademaster School, the Iron Hand

Scene from Shadow Skill Anime

Kevin Crawford of Sine Nomine Publishing has a free magazine called The Sandbox, where he displays miscellaneous gaming ideas and tools for fans of his work and other old-school games.  His latest issue contained a new class for Scarlet Heroes, the Blademaster.  Due to inter-connectivity, it can be adapted to other Basic D&D style retroclones.

What caught me off guard about the Blademaster was that it took some clear inspiration from 3rd Edition's Tome of Battle, which is best described as "Vancian casting for martials" without necessarily being magical (at least not most of the time).  Although the maneuver system spawned by the book is very popular, it has its fair share of critics who feel that its design principles run counter to their playing style.  Adapting it for an OSR fanbase would be a risky venture, but of all the designers out there to do it there are few better choices than Kevin Crawford.

The Blademaster is a scholar of war who can master the techniques of various fighting Schools.  They learn special abilities known as Arts, some of which are constant in duration, others can be used once per battle (or once with a 15 minute cooldown period outside of battle), and some can only be used once per day.  Like spells they are graded by level, with certain arts only capable of being learned by higher-level Blademasters.

Arts are like spells, Schools are like, well, schools of magic.  There are many sample Arts and two Schools provided, but Crawford provides guidelines for Game Masters wishing to adapt and create their own Blademaster techniques for their home setting.

It goes without saying that I'm a big fan of Tome of Battle and Sine Nomine Publishing, so this motivated me to come up with some Schools and Arts of my own which I'll be displaying as part of a series.  Many of them take inspiration and in some cases convert game mechanics from existing material.  In the case of the Iron Hand, I went with a fighting style which relies on fighting unarmed and with improvised weapons in cases where a full armament is not an option.  I took ideas from Path of War and Tome of Battle, such as the Broken Blade school for unarmed fighting, Solar Wind and Thrashing Dragon for thrown weapons, and the Crusader and Warder classes for shrugging off physical punishment.

School of the Iron Hand

Not all warriors can afford to own and train with proper weapons.  Many of them use their own hands or make do with common farming instruments.  Blademasters initiated into this school learn to look upon the environment around them and their own bodies to defeat their enemies in lieu of common arms and armor.

In modern times the Iron Hand is favored among ascetic monks, bare-knuckle brawlers, and peasant rebels.

Mysteries of the Iron Hand

Students of the Iron Hand are more than capable of fighting with no weapons at all.  They deal either 1d6 points of damage or their base weapon damage with unarmed attacks and common farming tools (whichever is greater), and they do 1d4 points of damage or the base weapon damage (whichever is greater) with improvised throwing weapons such as rocks and sewing needles.

Adepts of the Iron Hand learn to harness their bodies and minimize environmental harm.  They ignore the first 10 feet of falling damage per Blademaster level and land on their feet if they do not take any damage at all.

Masters of the Iron Hand are intimately familiar with the vital flow of life and animating forces that hold physical shells together.  Once per day they can touch a target resolved as a melee attack.  If the touch hits and the target fails a saving throw, they die or become inanimate depending on the nature of said target.

Arts of the Iron Hand

Level One

Fighting Dirty

Action  Once Per Day

The blademaster delivers a sharp blow to an opponent's weak spots, causing the opponent to be unable to do anything on their next action due to the staggering pain.

Guided Hand

Instant  Constant

The blademaster feels the wind upon the air and the dynamic properties of the objects they wield in their hands.  They may increase the range of thrown missile weapons such as darts and javelins by 30 feet.

Parrying Counter

Instant  Constant

The blademaster learns to use his own hands to parry blows, granting him the AC benefits of wielding a shield as long as he has one free hand.

Rapid Assault
Action  Once Per Fight

The blademaster makes two rapid strikes against his opponent, resolving this art as two attacks which can be made against one or two targets within reach of his melee attack.

Level Two

Disorienting Blow

Instant  Once Per Day

The blademaster knows that an opponent who loses their sight or hearing is greatly weakened.  Upon a successful melee attack, the blademaster can blind or deafen an opponent for 1 minute.

Ricochet Strike

Action  Once Per Fight

The blademaster can fling a thrown weapon in such a way that it rebounds off of surfaces and opponents, striking up to two targets within the first range increment and returning to the blademaster's hand at the end of the attack.  The attack roll is resolved only once and compared separately, dealing 2d6 points of bonus damage to each target.  This art can be used to strike out of sight opponents provided the blademaster can accurately pinpoint their location.

Riposte

Instant  Once Per Fight

If a target fails to hit the blademaster in melee, the blademaster can grab their opponent and hurl them through the air.  This inflicts the blademaster's normal unarmed strike damage and moves their opponent up to 10 feet away in a direction of their choice.

Stonebreaker

Instant Constant

Through punishing trials and focusing their energies, the blademaster's limbs become superhumanly tough.  They can deal damage to opponents who would otherwise normally be immune to physical attacks due to material properties, such as a werewolf and silver or a golem and magic weapons.  They can also bend iron bars or punch a hole through three feet of solid stone, but cannot affect material harder or thicker than this.

Level 3

Adamantine Kick

Instant Once Per Fight

As part of a successful melee attack, the blademaster deals an additional 3d6 points of damage.

Earth Lift

Action Once Per Day

Through sheer strength the blademaster picks up an incredibly heavy object, sometimes even the very ground under him, and darkens the sky with a frightening throw.  The blademaster may make a thrown attack with a 20 foot range and a 10 to 30 foot radius (depending on the relative size of said object).  Any opponents within this radius take 1d6 damage per blademaster level on a failed saving throw, half damage (round down) on a successful save.

The attack need not be a single object; it can be a flurry of furniture, boulders, and the like, but its mechanical effects remain the same.

Endure

Instant Once Per Day

The blademaster is capable of pushing their body past its natural limit for punishment.  Should a blademaster be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, they can still move and act for a number of rounds equal to their blademaster level before they succumb.  Any further damage during this time is negated, but the blademaster must receive healing before this art's duration ends should they wish to avoid death's embrace.

Flowing Grace

Instant Constant

The blademaster hones their body to move across their environment with sublime dexterity, unhindered by the chaos of battle.  The blademaster's base movement speed doubles, and they can move across water, fragile tree branches, and other surfaces normally too weak to hold their weight.  They cannot use this ability to walk on gaseous or insubstantial terrain.

Level Four

Body of Iron

Instant Constant

Enduring things even veteran warriors never experienced, the blademaster is a living armor of sheer will.  They are treated as wearing plate mail (or the retro-clone's best equivalent armor) for the purposes of Armor Class while suffering none of the negative effects.  They can also reroll any failed saving throw, but must abide by the result of the reroll even if it's worse than the original roll.

Hurricane Kick

Action Once Per Day

With a singular rapid spin, the blademaster creates a cyclone 30 feet in radius.  Any target within the area takes 1d6 points of damage per blademaster level, and the blademaster can place the opponents anywhere within the radius upon resolution of the attack.  This last part represents the battering winds tossing people about the place, and targets cannot end up in the same space as part of this art.

Lingering Wound

Action Once Per Day

Upon resolution of a successful attack, the blademaster can deal significant internal injury to an opponent.  The opponent suffers 4d6 points of damage the following round, and another 4d6 the round after that.

Incorporating Tome of Battle into Campaign Settings: Forgotten Realms (pre-Spellplague)

Monk by William O'Connor

Those who game with me for any length of time soon learn of my love for martial adepts in D20 D&D.  Without going into too much detail, I feel that the Tome of Battle (along with its spiritual successor the Path of War) is still one of the best ways of adding versatile and interesting mechanics to martial characters.  It may not bridge the all-too-wide gap between caster and noncaster, but the class and maneuver system remain a reasonable upgrade to an underpowered shtick while not trying to engage in a Tier 1 arms race with Clerics, Druids, and Wizards.

Although the Tome of Battle is pretty much setting-free, its ideas do incorporate a sense of history in its pages: the disciplines of the Sublime Way count hobgoblin practitioners as their earliest devotees, and the legacy weapons and prestige classes give a sense of shared stories among ancient warrior societies.

I think that immersing the disciplines and prestige classes into the world can help give a sense of backstory encouragement for gaming groups.  Although many archetypes can serve as generic replacements for standard warriors, dedicating martial schools, societies, and the like to the realms enmeshes it in the world much as the gods and fantasy races.

Martial Adepts in the Realms

The art of war is something virtually every culture of Faerûn knows well, and the myriad styles of battle are nearly uncountable.  From the slave-gladiators of Thay who delight at the roar of the crowds to the gnomish gunsmiths of Lantan, warriors defy easy categorization.

Still, like the Art of magic, there was a common thread linking this universal desire of power and conflict, which came to be expressed in the human Reshar's writings of the Sublime Way.  The Temple of Nine Swords in the Galena Mountains of Damara united warrior-scholars of these traditions together before its untimely demise.  Although their foundations crumbled and treasured swords were scattered to the four winds, the disciples carried their teachings on the open road and penned their secrets in scrolls for others to learn.  Nowadays one can find warpriests and crusaders trading spells and maneuvers in Tempus' sacred halls, and the hardened hobgoblin warlord is just as likely to know the ways of Iron Heart as an Illuskan sellsword.  Just like the desire for conflict, the art of the Sublime Way transcends cultural boundaries with only dedication and willpower remaining the primary obstacles for those willing to learn.

Crusaders: Although not always bound to the tenets of Law and Good, the crusaders' zeal burns just as passionately as any paladin's.  Their number can be found among warriors who court the favor of the gods, and those deities who value straightforward might count the most crusaders.  Those of Tempus exult in the battle itself, fighting for all manner of causes and each other so that they may achieve glory and enlightenment.

A few belonging to Tyr's service are surprisingly adept with one-handed weapons in emulation of their patron.  The Order of the Single Blade takes an unorthodox approach to enforcing Tyr's will, adopting the ways of the duelist and relying upon their holy endurance to protect them all the way.

The Iron Fasces are an international organization of Zhentarim soldiers dedicated to Bane. Emphasizing the group tactics of the White Raven, they seem to act as one with near-supernatural clarity.  Combined with the wealth and political clout of their superiors, they are some of the most feared warriors in the Dalelands and Moonsea regions.

Swordsage: Blending the mundane and supernatural with their practices, swordsages are the most cerebral and least-understood of martial disciples.  It is quite common for folk to mistake them for monks, and while it is true that some of them pursue physical and mental perfection to achieve enlightenment it is by no means the only path.

The Scholars of Illmater are humble folk who seek out society's disenfranchised elements.  From the slums of great cities to refugee colonies in need of aid, they protect these communities from all manner of evil, be it organized crime elements to predatory monsters thinking that their targets won't be missed.  Using nothing but their bodies and conviction, these swordsages give hope to the powerless, that one does not wealth or magical might to fight for one's beloved.

Somewhere within the Underdark is a conspiracy of drow outcasts fallen out of Lolth's favor.  Unable to join her priesthood nor learn at the arcane academies, they sought out other means of power and found the old scrolls of a Shar cult.  In a realm of eternal night the Shadow Hand discipline is might, and the masked agents are sowing discord among the many cities of the Spider Queen.

Warblade: A warblade is not identified as such by their fighting expertise, nor by the disciplines they know.  A master swordsman may gain many titles, but how he fights determines whether or not he wears this title.  When you see a knight in shining armor, you see a warrior.  When you see a knight who fights with passion, whose form in the chaos of bloodshed and death is darkly beautiful in its execution, you know you're viewing a warblade in action.

Aided by the oversight of ancient and magically-adept dragons, the Blood of Morueme counts many hobgoblin warblades among its number.  True to tradition they are all skilled in the Iron Heart discipline.  Many an orcish chieftian or warmage has looked on in horror when otherwise-insignificant goblinoid grunts shrugged off grievous blows and spells with nothing more than sheer will.

Thanks to their long lifespan and emphasis on swordplay and dancing, the worshipers of Eilistraee find the Diamond Mind discipline a natural fit.  Emphasis on grace and perception in battle complements their traditional fighting arts, and folk of Waterdeep often tell tales of dark elves who strangely come to the aid of lone wanderers beset by monsters.  Armed with nothing but swords they manage to slay dire animals and aberrations to the shock of onlookers.

The Disciplines in the Realms

Desert Wind: The genasi who claim lineage to the mighty efreet ply the forlorn roads between Calimshan's bastions of civilization.  They seem unaffected by the elements, even less so than most planetouched, and many a foolish brigand or greedy sultan sought to extract wealth and tribute from them.  Every act was met with failure, for these genasi commanded the very element of fire itself.

Practitioners of the Desert Wind now live far beyond their homeland, men and women of humble means with a reverence for nature and its power.  They are willing to teach those who share common ground, as well as some wayward sorcerers and genasi of similar heritage in need of controlling their inborn powers.

Devoted Spirit: From as far back as old Netheril to as recent as the Time of Troubles, it became apparent that the power of deities, however mighty they may be, can call just as much as anything else in the world.  The practice of drawing divine magic from one's patron deity via inner wisdom is a potent tool, but it is not the only way of forging a connection with the gods.  A few pious mortals throughout Toril's history found favor shining upon them, even if they lacked the gifts of divine magic.  By drawing on one's own inner spirit and dedication to the moral tenets of the multiverse, martial adepts could channel holy and unholy energy into themselves.

Diamond Mind: Practitioners of this discipline act as quickly as they think, their counters and strikes to fast and precise only other skilled warriors have a chance at noticing their blows, much less deflecting them.  Many elves who take up the blade gravitate to this school, and some of the earliest historical records of its techniques can be found in the halls of Myth Drannor.  Diamond Mind is also popular among the noble courts of countless nations and the Strongheart halflings of Luiren.

Iron Heart: Historically forced into extreme living conditions, the hobgoblins of Faerûn lacked the technological and magical edge of their human, dwarven, and elven enemies.  Instead they adopted a martial culture to ensure that all among their number would be ready and willing to die for their clan.  A particularly fearsome and prosperous tribe in the Nether Mountains of the North erected a monastery which gave birth to what we now know as the Iron Heart discipline.  Other civilizations which fought against the goblins sought to learn their language and culture so as to better defend against them.  The human scholar Reshar learned of Iron Heart and taught it to the other races in his Temple of the Nine, a fact which fills many hobgoblins with anger at their ways being stolen.

Setting Sun: In a world full of humanoids at least twice their size, the halflings knew early on that they could not rely on strength alone to survive.  While witnessing the martial techniques of monks in a monastery, a strongheart halfling by the name of Forrick Greenberry came upon a realization.  The use of deception against a much stronger and larger opponent in melee could give rise to potentially devastating consequences as their own size and strength were turned against them.  He took his findings to the clerics of Yondalla, who taught it to the farmers and laborers of their communities and the rest is history.

In spite of its halfling origins, other small races have adopted Setting Sun techniques as well, and its emphasis on unarmed trips and maneuvers makes it a favored school for peasants and other folk whose background denies them easy access to quality arms and armor.

Shadow Hand: It is hard to research this discipline's history with any degree of accuracy, for several groups lay claim to its invention.  Shar claims that it is a manifestation of her will; a few genealogical records of Tethyrian noble families point to its more martially-inclined members becoming one with the darkness to bring woe upon rival houses; finally, the Shadow Thieves of Amn count more than a few members who bring the chilling touch of night with their poisoned blades.

In spite of its sinister reputation, the Shadow Hand discipline is not intrinsically evil, and some more moral swordsages value its uses when one must walk in darkness.

Stone Dragon: Focusing on sheer power and a physical connection with the land itself, the dwarves of the ancient empire of Bhaerynden mastered the precursor of this discipline.  From the shield dwarves of the North to the gold dwarves of the Great Rift, all clans share a common legend of the Wardens of the Mountain.  By drawing upon the surrounding stone which comprised reality as they knew it, the Wardens gained an almost druid-like union with the rock and accomplished mighty deeds impossible for their strength and size.

Today the Stone Dragon discipline can be found among tutors in every significant dwarven hold, and more than a few Underdark races learned of it themselves by trading and stealing dwarven secrets.

Tiger Claw: The many tribes of Uthgardt barbarians long respected the power and cunning of nature's predators, and the Red Tigers sought to emulate their totem animal.  Focusing on vicious speed, vaunting leaps, and twin strikes, the Red Tigers more than lived up to their name with their favored discipline.  Sometimes a member of this tribe might teach what they know to a fellow Uthgardt or the rare warrior who has earned their respect.  Worshipers of Malar and various lycanthrope tribes also adopted this discipline, turning its power to their own deadly use.

White Raven: It was said that long ago a valiant general finally gave way to despair.  Even though she knew her cause was just and that her side's loss would lead to great suffering, the horrors of war seemed unending, that every victory of today would be washed away by the tragedies of tomorrow.  She prayed to Lathander for guidance, and was answered by the omen of a white raven.

"Do not despair," the raven said, "for your trials today bring peace and prosperity to the people of the future.  Without the shining light of Good, the world would be a bleak field of unending sorrow."

At this point she realized that her despair blinded her to her own accomplishments.  Tomorrow she marched into battle, filled with new purpose, and her hope gave strength to the soldiers who marched before her.  The story of the White Raven is is a noble tale of how one person's efforts can aid another, turning the tide of battle.  The leaders of Evil change the tale to suit their own agendas, but military historians who study the lore of this era gain insight into battle.

What the Future has in store for us

I hope you enjoyed this read.  If I feel the inspiration I might write similar articles for other official and non-official settings.  Generally speaking I plan on matching Tome of Battle with pre-Pathfinder 3rd Edition worlds, Path of War with Pathfinder worlds.  But I may mix and match depending on what seems right at the moment.