TEXT: ™
  ®
  
  By Mike Mearls
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  ®
  BOOK
  IRON MIGHT
  A combat sourcebook
  THE
  OF
  
  Introduction: DEATH AND GLORY
  How Will This Book Help My Game?..............3
  Using This Book...............................................4
  Chapter One: COMBAT MANEUVERS
  Building Blocks...............................................5
  Game Balance Alert ........................................6
  The Rule of 20..................................................6
  Spells and Maneuvers ....................................6
  Key Abilities .....................................................6
  Maneuver Effects............................................7
  Melee Attack Effects.....................................................7
  Ranged Attack Effects .................................................13
  Maneuver Drawbacks ....................................14
  Drawback Descriptions ...............................................14
  Selecting Drawbacks ...................................................16
  Combining Maneuver Effects......................16
  Designing a Maneuver...................................17
  Preconstructed Maneuvers........................................17
  Customized Maneuvers................................................17
  Free-Form Maneuvers...................................................17
  Creating Maneuvers Step by Step...............................18
  Maneuvers and Your Campaign ..................20
  Using Maneuvers .........................................................20
  Working With Maneuver Drawbacks.........................21
  Sample Maneuvers..........................................21
  Character Maneuvers ..................................................21
  Creature Maneuvers ....................................................23
  Chapter Two: THE IRONBORN
  Ironborn Characters ...................................25
  Personality....................................................................25
  Physical Description ...................................................25
  Relations .......................................................................26
  Alignment......................................................................26
  Ironborn Lands ............................................................26
  Religion .........................................................................26
  Language........................................................................26
  Names .............................................................................26
  Adventurers..................................................................26
  Racial Characteristics.................................27
  Ability Score Modifiers ..............................................27
  Size..................................................................................27
  Ironborn Traits ............................................................27
  Ability Packages............................................................28
  Origin and Creator .....................................................30
  An Ironborn’s Burden .................................................30
  Ironborn in the Campaign...........................30
  Ironborn Details...........................................................31
  Creating Ironborn.........................................31
  Craft Ironborn .............................................................32
  Ironborn Feats...............................................32
  Holy Icon .......................................................................32
  Improved Natural Armor.............................................33
  Intricate Joints.............................................................33
  Memory Bank .................................................................33
  Spell Runes ....................................................................33
  Spring-Loaded Reflexes...............................................33
  Weaponized Limb...........................................................33
  Chapter Three: FEATS OF IRON MIGHT
  Arcane Battle Feats.......................................34
  General Rules ...............................................................34
  Magic Items and Arcane Battle Feats .......................34
  Arcane Battle Feats in the Campaign........................36
  Arcane Battle Feat Descriptions...............................36
  Battlemind Feats ...........................................42
  Battlemind Feat Descriptions ...................................42
  Fighting Style Feats .....................................46
  Fighting Style Feat Descriptions..............................46
  Chapter Four: SKILLS AND STUNTS
  Base Attack Checks........................................53
  Conjoined Skill Checks................................53
  New and Variant Skill Uses..........................53
  Appraise: Find Weak Point ...........................................53
  Balance and Climb: Vertical Run...............................53
  Bluff: Feign Death .......................................................54
  Climb: Scaling Attack..................................................54
  Concentration: Focused Determination ................54
  Diplomacy: Call for Truce..........................................54
  Disguise: Disguise Weapon .........................................55
  Handle Animal: Manipulate Beast.............................55
  Handle Animal and Sense Motive: Study Beast.......55
  Intimidate: Blood-Kissed Threat...............................55
  Jump: Leaping Charge...................................................55
  Sense Motive: Predict Action.....................................55
  Sense Motive: Read Foe ..............................................56
  Sleight of Hand: Conceal Weapon............................56
  Survival: Wilderness Tactics .....................................56
  Tumble: Tumbling Strike.............................................57
  Use Rope: Create Lasso.................................................57
  Stunts: Free-Form Combat Skill Use..........57
  Mechanics......................................................................57
  Determining a Stunt’s DC ...........................................57
  Skills and Stunts..........................................................57
  Free-Form Stunts .........................................................59
  Attack Stunts ...............................................................60
  The DM’s Judgment Factor.........................................60
  Descriptions and Stunts.............................................61
  Common Sense and Stunts..........................................61
  Optional Stunt Rules...................................................61
  Appendix: ARCANA UNEARTHED CONVERSIONS
  Stunts, Maneuvers, and Hero Points.........62
  The Ironborn .................................................62
  Feats ................................................................62
  Open Game License........................................62
  Tables
  Melee Attack Maneuver Effects..................................8
  Ranged Attack Maneuver Effects ..............................13
  Maneuver Drawbacks ...................................................14
  Ironborn Feats..............................................................33
  Arcane Battle Feats......................................................35
  Battlemind Feats ..........................................................44
  Fighting Style Feats.....................................................47
  Call for Truce...............................................................55
  Table of Contents
  The Book of Iron Might
  2
  
  Introduction 3
  Death and Glory 
  “Il nous faut de l’audace,et encore de l’audace,et toujours de l’audace.” 
  (“We must dare,and again dare,and forever dare.”) 
  — Georges Jacques Danton
  H
  ave you ever run a battle or participated in one during a roleplaying game session? Don’t answer too quickly. You
  might have to think about it for a few moments. It’s not as if combat is all that common in a game rife with rampag-
  ing dragons, foul trolls, towering giants, and other monsters. Why, fantasy
  roleplaying games are all about sitting at home, hoping that an adventure comes to call
  on the next-door neighbor, not here, no thank you.
  Wait, that’s not quite true. In fact, that’s utterly wrong. Fantasy roleplaying games
  are all about charging a dozen orcs, sword raised high. Wars, revolutions, terrible mon-
  sters, and epic clashes are par for the course. These are interesting times that our
  heroes live in, and may they forever remain so.
  The Book of Iron Might is a dash of hot sauce, a spicy kick for your heroic escapades.
  Within this book are new rules designed to make quite literally anything possible in a
  fight. New character options allow you to play an automaton built for war, or perhaps
  one designed to serve as a crafty scout. New feats broaden the horizons of all charac-
  ters, while many skills receive new variations crafted specifically for use in combat.
  Here’s a chapter-by-chapter overview:
  Chapter One:Combat Maneuvers: The crown jewel of this book, the combat
  maneuver system makes it possible to simulate almost any sort of action in combat. If
  a player wants to grab a fistful of sand and throw it into an ogre’s eyes, you can now
  quickly and easily resolve that action. The system presented here allows you to design
  combat moves that cover called shots to a foe’s vitals. Rules let you determine the effec-
  tiveness of a variety of creative ruses, such as yanking a carpet out from beneath a foe.
  Chapter Two:The Ironborn: Crafted from iron, built to serve, and now unleashed
  on the world, the ironborn are constructs that you can play as a character. Each iron-
  born was built to fulfill a specific purpose, allowing you to tailor your character (or an
  NPC) with racial abilities that fit his class.
  Chapter Three: Feats of Iron Might: This chapter introduces three new types of
  feat. Arcane battle feats introduce the art of magic to fighters and other combatants,
  building a whole new, feat-based method of using arcane power to improve one’s fight-
  ing ability. Battlemind feats are tailored for high-level characters. In many cases, they
  focus on granting powerful fighters fresh options at 10th level and above. Fighting
  style feats grow with your character, allowing you to choose a fighting specialty and
  improve it as you progress in skill.
  Chapter Four:Skills and Stunts: The Bluff skill has a direct application in combat.
  Why not extend that capability to other skills? This section provides new, combat-
  focused applications for several skills. It also introduces the concept of stunts, a set of
  rules that allows you to make use of a skill or attribute to gain an advantage in battle.
  How Will This Book Help My Game?
  Have you ever been a little bored by combat? Has there ever been a time when you
  had a great idea for a move in a fight, but you weren’t sure how it would fit into 
  the rules?
  A lot of DMs are understandably nervous about letting their players try weird,
  daring, or strange actions in a battle. Most of the time, the available choices include
  the actions from the core rules and a few other options. The Book of Iron Might
  breaks the disarm and trip attacks into their component pieces and uses that foun-
  dation for a comprehensive look at all the different effects you can create or produce
  About the Author
  Mike Mearls has worked as a freelance
  roleplaying game designer since 1999. This
  prolific writer maintains a high volume of
  work without compromising quality, which
  has won him a place on many gamers’ lists
  of favorite designers. Buoyed by positive
  reaction to his first d20 works, he went on
  to produce material for the leading RPG
  publishers, including AEG, Atlas Games,
  Decipher, Fantasy Flight, Fiery Dragon,
  Goodman Games, Mongoose Publishing,
  Necromancer Games, and others before
  joining Malhavoc Press. His work appears
  regularly in Dragon® Magazine.
  About the Illustrators
  Cover artist Kieran Yanner has always
  been interested in art, roleplaying games,
  and the fantasy/sci-fi genre. From Decipher
  to Malhavoc Press, White Wolf to Dream
  Pod 9, Kieran has produced hundreds of
  illustrations for the roleplaying industry
  and continues to do so.
  Leeds, England, illustrator Kev Crossley
  learned early on that a monster lived in the
  abandoned house down the street—after
  that, he saw monsters everywhere. He
  drew monsters all the way through school
  but in art college and university he was
  told to stop. After getting a job in comput-
  er games, however, people started paying
  him to draw monsters. Moral? Art college
  and university were a waste of time. 
  Scott Purdy, a UK-based illustrator, has a
  great love of horror, evil, and all things
  tentacular. He wills clients his way if they
  have need of nasty critters to bring to life.
  You can see more of Scott’s work at
  <www.scottpurdy.net>.
  Malhavoc Press
  Malhavoc Press is game designer Monte
  Cook’s d20 System imprint devoted to the
  publication of evocative game elements
  that go beyond traditional fantasy.
  Malhavoc Press products such as The
  Book of Eldritch Might exhibit a mastery
  of the d20 System rules that only one of
  its original designers can offer. 
  Current titles are available to purchase in
  either print or electronic (PDF) format at
  <www.montecook.com>.Look for Monte
  Cook’s Arcana Evolved, available soon.
  
  with a weapon. By linking these effects with a series of draw-
  backs, you can meld the two systems to create new combat
  moves. At the very least, The Book of Iron Might will change how
  you view actions in combat. Even if you don’t use the maneuver
  system as presented here, you’ll still have a better understand-
  ing of how to balance rewards with risks when making snap
  decisions during combat.
  The ironborn represent a whole new take on character races.
  You can customize this race of manufactured constructs to fit the
  character class a person wants to play. This change brings a whole
  new layer of options and opportunities to characters.
  The feats introduced in this book seek to establish new types of
  abilities tailored to benefit fighters. As the character class that
  receives the most feat selections, fighters have the greatest poten-
  tial for customization. The Book of Iron Might expands on a fight-
  er’s choices and runs with the idea that you can define fighters by
  the feats they choose.
  Finally, the skill rules demonstrate how abilities that might play
  only a tangential role in combat can become more important.
  Conjoined skill checks allow you to attempt dangerous maneuvers by
  making multiple,simultaneous skill checks to accomplish a single
  task.The stunt system builds on the maneuver rules to introduce a
  new set of options for all characters.
  Using This Book
  Like its predecessors, The Book of Eldritch Might and The Book of
  Hallowed Might, this tome is designed to present new character
  options and systems that you can use to improve your game.
  Where the first two books focused on arcane magic and divine
  magic, respectively, The Book of Iron Might covers combat.
  The Book of Iron Might is a toy box full of stuff that you can use
  to make combat more fun in your game. The maneuver system in
  particular features plenty of advice, including a step-by-step
  example, for using the new rules and incorporating them into
  your game. In addition, it presents new feats and options for
  fighters, but any character who wants to play a role in combat can
  benefit from the new material here. DMs can unlock the potential
  of monsters, creating tricky maneuvers that reflect a creature’s
  abilities and adding a new level of variety to the game.
  Throughout The Book of Iron Might, all references to spells,
  feats, and other rules come from the v. 3.5 revision of the three
  Core Rulebooks: the Player’s Handbook, DMG, and MM.
  Bonus source material and ideas to augment the information in
  The Book of Iron Might appear on Monte Cook’s website.To find the
  links to these free web enhancements,visit the book’s product page
  online at the following address: <www.montecook.com/BOIM>.
  This sourcebook is protected content except for items specifi-
  cally called out as Open Gaming Content on the title page. For
  full details, please turn to the Appendix. Open content is not 
  otherwise marked in the text of this book.
  The Book of Iron Might
  4
  
  U
  nder the core rules,attacks like the one described above
  are impossible.You can disarm a creature,trip it,grap-
  ple it,and attempt a few other special moves,but most
  of your attacks are an effort to wear down a creature’s hit points
  and knock it out of the fight.Most of the time,these options
  offer more than enough choices to keep players and DMs
  happy.However,sometimes you might want or need more
  options.Plenty of monsters rely on special attacks or abilities
  that might be vulnerable to special attacks.If a giant octopus
  surges over a small boat,it makes sense for the sailors to hack
  at its tentacles,chopping them away to allow the boat to escape
  from its grasp.Some monsters even have special rules for mak-
  ing attacks against their eyestalks and other body parts.
  The rules in this section present a system that you—
  players and DMs alike—can use to create special combat
  maneuvers. It treats an attack as any effort to negatively
  affect an opponent. That negative effect could be anything
  from hit points of damage to temporary blindness or a trip
  attack. You can build a maneuver by adding special effects to
  a standard attack. Unusual, powerful, or exotic special effects
  impose a penalty on your attack roll to reflect their difficulty.
  These rules are meant to produce special attack maneuvers
  that you can introduce into your campaign. If you don’t
  mind slowing down combat by adding more options, you
  can create dozens of them to allow the players (and their
  foes) to attempt almost anything. If you and your players are
  experienced gamers, you can even use this system to create
  maneuvers on the fly.
  Since the rules are rather abstract, a set of sample maneu-
  vers demonstrates how you can wrap a set of rules around a
  description to create actions that make sense. For example,
  the blinding combat option lacks any context. As far as the
  rules are concerned, it is up to a player or DM to justify why
  a blinding attack is possible in the current situation. Part of
  the fun in these rules is that you can take any stunt or
  thrilling maneuver from a comic book, movie, or novel and
  translate it into game terms. All you need to do is figure out
  the maneuver’s end result. Does the hero surprise his foe
  and get in a devastating shot? Does she confuse her oppo-
  nent and leave him unable to make an effective counter-
  attack? By using the effects described here, or others of your
  own devising, you can model a variety of actions in combat
  that open up the combat system’s possibilities.
  Building Blocks
  Maneuvers are made up of four basic “building blocks.”
  These elements are as follows:
  1.Effect.All maneuvers have an effect; many are described
  later in this chapter. The summary tables on pages 8 and 13
  list a variety of different effects you can use in maneuvers.
  They give an overview of the different effects and a brief
  summary of their mechanics. Some effects are designed to
  cause one of the conditions defined in the core rules, such as
  prone, blinded, and dazed. Others allow you to deal extra
  damage, or attach a penalty to your target’s Armor Class, skill
  check, or saving throw.
  Every maneuver effect is categorized by key abilities that
  describe, in broad terms, how you might accomplish a
  maneuver. For example, a maneuver designed to knock your
  opponent prone with a melee attack (such as Knockdown,
  described on page 11) could have both Strength and
  Dexterity as key abilities: A hulking warrior might use physi-
  cal power to perform the maneuver, while a dashing swash-
  buckler could use quickness to achieve the same result. Key
  abilities are discussed in more detail on the next page.
  Because maneuvers are more difficult to pull off than ordi-
  nary attacks,you must take a penalty on your attack roll when
  attempting one.However,some or all of that penalty can be
  offset by adding drawbacks to the maneuver (see below).
  2.Drawbacks.A maneuver also has assigned drawbacks that
  pertain when a character attempts it.For instance,you might
  try to blind an ogre by throwing sand in its eyes.The sand dis-
  tracts the ogre, giving it a penalty on attack rolls and maybe
  even blinding it for a few rounds, but your attack fails to deal
  any damage.Once the ogre clears its eyes,the maneuver’s effect
  ends.The fact that your attack doesn’t cause any hit point
  damage is incorporated into the maneuver as a drawback.
  3.Net Effect.Once you have a maneuver’s effect and draw-
  backs, you combine them to determine how the maneuver
  works in game terms. Each effect and drawback has charac-
  teristics that affect the die rolls—particularly attack rolls—
  that you make to resolve the maneuver attempt. Consolidate
  all these characteristics (use bonuses to offset penalties, and
  so forth) to determine the maneuver’s net effect.
  4.Visuals. The final element is a description of how the
  maneuver actually works.Roleplaying games are not wholly
  abstract board games or video games.You need to provide a
  Combat Maneuvers
  A barbarian slashes across a vampire’s eyes,hoping to prevent the fiend from using his dominate ability.This is a
  risky maneuver that requires skill and luck to complete,as the vampire takes special care to defend his head and other
  vital points,while the barbarian must take careful aim in the chaos of the fight.If the barbarian manages to hit,he can
  disable the vampire’s special ability for a few moments—perhaps enough time to defeat the horrid,undead beast.
  Chapter One 5
  
  visual description of how the maneuver produces its
  effect and why its drawbacks are part of the package.
  This process might sound complicated, but there
  are several ways you can get around this complexity
  during a game. You can create maneuvers before your
  game starts and make them available to characters
  and monsters. This chapter shows off a variety of
  sample maneuvers that illustrate the process of cre-
  ation in action. Finally, if you and your players are
  experienced gamers, you can create maneuvers on
  the fly. The maneuvers “cheat sheets” on the
  Malhavoc website (see www.montecook.com/BOIM)
  provide a handy reference for free-form creation, as
  do the summary listings of the maneuver effects and
  drawbacks in this chapter. Further optional rules
  for going this route are provided later in this
  chapter.
  Game Balance Alert
  If you plan on making extensive use of maneu-
  vers, particularly ones that can impart debilitating
  effects such as ability score damage or blindness,
  you should consider removing the true strike spell
  from your campaign. The maneuver system uses penal-
  ties on attack rolls in order to simulate and balance the
  more difficult maneuvers. True strike, by providing the
  +20 bonus on the caster’s next attack roll, can make even
  the toughest maneuver a simple undertaking.
  Alternatively, you can modify true strike as follows:
  “This spell allows any attack that misses to deal its nor-
  mal damage, including any relevant modifiers, but excluding
  any special effects due to a maneuver.”
  This change removes the bonus, allows you to deal damage even
  on an attack roll of 1, and prevents true strike from making it easy
  for casters of that spell to abuse the maneuver system.
  The Rule of 20
  Unlike a standard attack, a maneuver does not automatically suc-
  ceed on a natural 20. When you attempt a maneuver, you exchange
  this small piece of predictability for the opportunity to gain a
  greater than normal benefit from an attack. If a 20 always hits, it
  makes sense for players to have their characters attempt the most
  ridiculous maneuvers possible if they could not hit an opponent by
  rolling any lower result. They can always rely on that natural 20 to
  make their risk worth the investment.
  Spells and Maneuvers
  You can use a maneuver when casting any spell that requires an
  attack roll. The spell counts as a ranged attack or melee attack as
  normal, depending on its nature, and it gains the full benefits and
  drawbacks associated with the maneuver. The DM is free to judge
  that some maneuvers require the use of a weapon and cannot be
  used along with the casting of a spell.
  For example, you might use Mel’s acid arrow in a maneuver to
  blind someone. If you strike an orc’s eyes with the acid, you can
  ruin its sight. On the other hand, tripping the orc with the acid is
  almost impossible. A trip attack requires raw force to knock an
  opponent off his feet. Mel’s acid arrow deals damage by burning
  your opponent, not hammering him with a physical impact.
  Key Abilities
  All maneuver effects have at least one key ability (one of the six
  ability scores). A key ability provides some hint about how you
  must act to perform the maneuver. It also indicates the type of abil-
  ity check you would have to make if the maneuver has a drawback
  that requires such a check.
  •
  Strength:A Strength-based maneuver requires raw, brutal
  force. For instance, you might slam an opponent so hard
  that he flies through the air and crashes into a dungeon
  wall.
  •
  Dexterity: Maneuvers based on Dexterity rely on speed
  and finesse. A cunning goblin might duck between an
  ogre’s legs and hamstring the towering beast, rendering 
  it unable to move.
  The Book of Iron Might
  6
  
  •
  Constitution:Constitution comes into play primarily with
  defensive maneuvers.It draws on your toughness and
  endurance,perhaps allowing you to shrug off a powerful
  blow to gain some sort of benefit.
  •
  Intelligence: Maneuvers keyed to Intelligence allow you to
  outsmart an opponent,trick him into making a bad move,or
  use your wits to place him at a disadvantage.An elf fighter
  could notice that his opponent uses a specific pattern of
  attacks and parries and apply that information to make a
  quick feint followed by a devastating attack.
  •
  Wisdom:A maneuver based on Wisdom could draw on
  your awareness of the environment and your ability to read
  others’ emotions and intentions, or your ability to pick out
  hidden details and counter your opponent’s action before
  he completes it.
  •
  Charisma: Using your body language and personality, you
  trick your opponent to place him at a severe disadvantage.
  Using the Bluff skill to feint is a classic example of a
  Charisma-based maneuver.
  Maneuver Effects
  Maneuver effects are presented using the following format.
  Combat Category: All maneuver effects belong to one of two
  combat categories: melee or ranged. This book presents melee effects
  first, followed by a section on ranged effects starting on page 13.
  Melee effects allow you to injure, hinder, or harm someone else
  with a sword, dagger, or similar weapon. This category identifies
  effects that can be completed only with a melee attack.
  Ranged effects can be delivered by ranged attacks, such as thrown
  weapons, crossbows, and slings.
  Name: The maneuver effect’s name appears first in each descrip-
  tion, with its key ability (or abilities) following in parentheses. If the
  key ability entry is “Any,” all six abilities apply to the effect.
  Description: A basic description of the maneuver effect appears
  in a short paragraph after the name. This section lacks any game
  mechanics. Instead, it’s designed to make it easier to scan the effects
  for a maneuver effect you can use.
  Warning Flag: Some effects are powerful enough that the DM
  may not wish to use them. Although they are mechanically balanced,
  they present the possibility of making some class feature, feat, or
  magical ability redundant. For example, if a fighter can deal Strength
  or Constitution damage with a melee attack maneuver, then poison
  and certain spells lose some of their utility.
  In most cases, effects marked with a warning flag have rules built
  into them that render them less attractive than a spell, a poison
  attack, or some other special ability. The warning flag provides you
  with some additional advice and game balance commentary related
  to the effect.
  Prerequisites: In a few cases, you can use an effect only if you
  meet certain conditions or against a limited range of foes.
  Rules: This section summarizes how the effect works.
  Threat: Some maneuvers grant additional benefits if you confirm
  a critical hit while using them.
  Penalty: Maneuver effects offer a benefit at the expense of some
  sort of penalty (typically a penalty on your attack roll). Those penal-
  ties are listed here.
  Special Features: Some effects have options you can select to
  modify them. These added rules and benefits are not normally
  included in the effect. You must add their penalties or modifiers to
  the effect’s base characteristics in order to gain their benefit. Many
  special features have keywords, which appear in brackets following
  the feature’s name, where applicable. Treat these keywords as maneu-
  ver drawback keywords (described starting on page 14). In essence,
  drawback keywords prevent you from doubling up on certain effects
  to reduce a maneuver’s attack roll penalty.
  If an effect lacks one of these entries, no rule information exists
  regarding that topic. For example, an effect that has no Threat entry
  confers no special benefit on a critical hit.
  Melee Attack Effects
  Melee attack effects allow you to strike at an opponent in a way that
  brings you some benefit in place of or in addition to your weapon’s
  standard damage. This category includes most of the different effects
  you can inflict on a target. Melee attack strikes offer a wide array of
  options. You can attempt the melee attack maneuvers described
  below and listed on the table on page 8.
  Ability Score Damage [Strength, Dexterity]
  You hammer an opponent with great force or cut him in just the
  right spot so that you injure one of his physical or mental abilities.
  Warning Flag: This effect is deadly against wizards, sorcerers, and
  other creatures that rely on an ability score to use their primary class
  abilities effectively but that usually have a poor Armor Class. It could
  leave spellcasters too vulnerable in your campaign.
  Prerequisite: Target must be vulnerable to critical hits.
  Rules: You strike at a joint, nerve center, or other vulnerable area
  of your opponent’s body, temporarily damaging one of his abilities.
  You inflict a –2 penalty to a single ability score of your choice. This
  penalty lasts until the creature is restored to its full hit points or for
  one hour, whichever happens last.
  Threat: On a confirmed critical hit, you inflict a –4 penalty to a
  single ability.
  Penalty: You take a –20 penalty on your attack roll.
  Area Attack [Strength]
  You make an attack that covers a wide area. You might sweep over a
  group of enemies with a large weapon, throw a large object that
  crashes onto several of your foes, or send a ceiling or wall collapsing
  down upon them.
  Prerequisite:You must have some way of physically harming the
  entire targeted area, such as having reach to it. This effect represents
  a single attack that sweeps through an area, not multiple attacks.
  Rules: You attack an area rather than a single target.You may pick
  as many 5-foot squares as you could conceivably reach with your
  weapon.(Unless you are using a reach weapon,the most squares you
  could affect would be all those you are adjacent to.) You take a penalty
  Chapter One: Combat Maneuvers 7
  
  on your attack roll based on the number of squares you try to strike.
  You make a single attack roll and apply its result against all foes in
  the area. Roll damage separately for each target you hit.
  Penalty: You take a –5 penalty on your attack roll for each 5-foot
  square that you try to attack. For example, a strike against three
  squares entails a –15 penalty. You cannot score a critical hit with an
  attack that uses this maneuver.
  Blinding Attack 
  [Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom]
  You slash at an opponent’s eyes, temporarily blurring his vision
  with a bloody cut to his brow or directly injuring his eyes.
  Warning Flag:This maneuver has potential for abuse, in that
  once a creature suffers this effect, its foes have an easier time apply-
  ing it again (because a blinded creature automatically has a lower
  Armor Class than when it’s not blinded). A blinded opponent
  should behave logically under the circumstances, either trying to
  break off the fight or having its allies help it to safety. Only under
  extraordinary circumstances should a blinded foe stand fast and
  continue to fight. In some cases, this maneuver should result in a
  circumstance penalty to reflect the damage to a creature’s eyes
  rather than full blindness. For example, a halfling rogue might
  throw coal dust at an ogre’s eyes to distract it. The ogre might suffer
  a circumstance penalty, as per the effect described in this chapter,
  but the attack isn’t powerful enough to cause blindness.
  Prerequisite: Your target must use eyes or a similar organ in
  order to see.
  Rules: The target of this effect is considered blinded for 1d4
  minutes.
  Threat: On a critical hit, the target is blinded for 2d4 minutes
  instead of 1d4.
  Penalty: You take a –30 penalty on your attack roll. Not only
  must you strike at a foe’s eyes, but you must hit him in the precisely
  correct spot to cause injury to the visual organs. Most creatures
  wear helms or take special care to defend their faces.
  Bonus Damage [Any]
  You maneuver in a way that allows you to strike with greater
  damage-dealing potential at the cost of accuracy, perhaps
  employing brute force (with Strength as the key ability), using
  the benefits of terrain (which could play off Dexterity or
  Wisdom), or watching your foe’s actions to gauge the best time to
  strike (which would be an Intelligence-based maneuver) to get off
  a more lethal attack than you normally could manage. In essence,
  this maneuver is a poor man’s Power Attack. It is less efficient
  than Power Attack, since you take a bigger attack penalty and
  deal less extra damage than with the feat, but anyone can attempt
  this maneuver.
  Rules: If your attack hits, you gain a +2 bonus on your damage
  roll. You can increase this bonus in 2-point increments to a maxi-
  mum of +10.
  Threat: This extra damage is multiplied as normal on a critical
  hit.
  Penalty: You take a –5 penalty on your attack roll for every 
  2 points of extra damage you wish to deal.
  The Book of Iron Might
  8
  Name
  Key Abilities
  Attack Roll Penalty
  Benefit
  Ability Score Damage
  Str, Dex
  –20
  –2 penalty to single ability score
  Area Attack
  Str
  –5 per 5-foot square
  Attack an area and all targets in it
  Blinding Attack
  Dex, Int, Wis
  –30
  Target blinded 1d4 rounds
  Bonus Damage
  Any
  –5 per +2 of bonus
  Bonus on damage, max. +10
  Daze Attack
  Str
  –20
  Target dazed 1 round
  Deafening Attack
  Str, Dex, Int
  –10
  Target deafened 1d6 minutes
  Deny Dexterity Bonus
  Dex, Cha
  –10
  Opponent must make Sense Motive check or 
  Reflex save (DC 10 + half base attack bonus + 
  key ability modifier) or lose Dex bonus to AC
  Disable Natural Attack
  Str, Dex, Int, Wis
  –20
  Prevent use of one physical attack
  Disarming Attack
  Str, Dex, Int
  –20
  Target loses weapon
  Disrupt Special Ability
  Str, Int
  –20
  Prevent use of Su or Ex ability
  Forced Movement
  Int, Cha
  –10
  Opponent moves 5 feet
  Inflict Penalty
  Any
  –5 per –1 of penalty
  Cause penalty to foe’s attacks, AC, checks, or
  saves, max. –5
  Knockback
  Str
  –10
  Opposed Str check to push foe back
  Knockdown
  Str, Dex
  –20
  Knock opponent prone
  Movement Damage
  Str, Dex, Int, Wis
  –10
  Reduce foe’s speed by 5 feet
  Stagger
  Str
  –10
  Foe loses next move action
  Stun
  Str, Int, Wis
  –30
  Target stunned 1 round
  Sundering Attack
  Str
  –10
  Deal damage against object or weapon foe carries
  MELEE ATTACK MANEUVER EFFECTS
  
  Daze Attack [Strength, Wisdom]
  You slam your opponent’s head or hit him in a sensitive spot, caus-
  ing him to become disoriented for a brief moment.
  Warning Flag: This effect could prove deadly for an opponent
  with a low Armor Class, since an attacker who hits the foe in every
  round could keep dazing it and leaving it unable to take any actions
  for the entire combat.
  Prerequisite: The target must be vulnerable to critical hits.
  Rules: Your opponent is dazed as a result of this effect. He loses
  his next action but takes no penalties to his Armor Class. He holds
  onto any items he had in his hands.
  Penalty: You take a –20 penalty on your attack roll.
  Deafening Attack 
  [Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence]
  You slash at an opponent’s ears or other auditory organs, temporari-
  ly deafening him with a well-placed attack.
  Prerequisite: The target must be vulnerable to critical hits,and the
  DM must judge that it hears in a manner similar to humans or animals.
  Rules: If your attack hits, your target is deafened for 1d6 minutes.
  A deafened creature takes a –4 penalty on initiative checks, automat-
  ically fails Listen checks, and has a 20 percent chance of spell failure
  when casting spells with verbal components.
  Penalty: You take a –10 penalty on your attack roll.
  Deny Dexterity Bonus [Dexterity, Charisma]
  With a quick, clever tactic, you confuse your opponent and leave him
  unable to respond to your next attack.
  Warning Flag: This effect is already covered by the feint applica-
  tion of the Bluff skill. A DM may rule that you must use the stan-
  dard rules for feinting to gain this effect’s benefits. In any case, this
  maneuver effect is more difficult to complete than a feint. It serves as
  a useful tool for skilled warriors who lack the Bluff skill.
  Rules: Your opponent must make a Sense Motive check or a
  Reflex save with a Difficulty Class equal to 10 + half your base attack
  bonus + your key ability modifier. If this save fails, your opponent
  loses his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against your next attack.
  Make your attack as normal, but apply your Dexterity or Charisma
  modifier to the attack roll in place of your Strength modifier—and
  do not apply an ability modifier to your damage roll.
  Penalty: You take a –10 penalty on your attack roll.
  Disable Natural Attack 
  [Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom]
  You compromise a creature’s ability to use one of its natural attacks,
  slicing a tendon or hitting a vulnerable spot.
  Prerequisite: This maneuver functions only against creatures that
  use natural weapons, such as a bite, claws, or a fist. In essence, it is a
  disarm maneuver against such attacks.
  Rules: Before attempting this maneuver, select one of your foe’s
  natural weapons. If you hit, your opponent cannot use that
  attack for 1d4 rounds.
  Penalty: You take a –20 penalty on your attack
  roll.
  Special Features: You can modify this
  effect so that it has a longer duration,
  depending on your foe’s ability to over-
  come the disabling injury or effect.
  Hinder Attack [Damage]: Your oppo-
  nent cannot use his attack again
  until he makes a Strength check 
  (DC 10 + your Strength modifier).
  Your attack deals no damage—
  instead,you pull off the maneuver
  by wedging an object into a crea-
  ture’s mouth,tying a sack around its
  claws to dull them,or otherwise
  neutralizing the attack form without
  actually striking with your weapon.
  This feature has no effect on the
  maneuver’s attack roll penalty.
  Chapter One: Combat Maneuvers 9
  
  Disarming Attack
  [Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence]
  You strike at your opponent’s weapon in an attempt to knock it
  from his grasp.
  Prerequisite: You can use this maneuver only against opponents
  that are armed with manufactured weapons as opposed to claws,
  fangs, and other natural weapons.
  Rules: You force your opponent to drop his weapon.
  Penalty: You take a –20 penalty on your attack roll.
  Special: Using a two-handed weapon grants a +4 bonus on
  your attack roll, while using a light one confers a –4 penalty.
  Ignore these modifiers if Intelligence is the maneuver’s key ability.
  An unarmed strike counts as a light weapon when you use such an
  attack in an attempt to disarm a foe.
  The larger of the attacker or the target gains a +4 bonus to
  Armor Class per size category of difference between the two
  combatants. You can attempt this maneuver if you are armed
  with a weapon that cannot be used in melee, but you take a –4
  penalty on your attack roll.
  Disrupt Special Ability 
  [Strength, Intelligence]
  You chop at a creature’s eyestalk, slice at its mouth, or otherwise act
  to disrupt one of its special abilities.
  Rules: When you attack, you must select a part of the creature’s
  anatomy that is obviously the source of, or provides the impetus
  for, a supernatural or extraordinary ability, such as a creature’s
  mouth (for a breath weapon) or its eyes (for a gaze attack). You
  cannot target a spell-like ability unless the DM judges that the
  creature generates it through the use of some organ or other body
  part. If your attack hits, the creature loses the benefit of that ability
  until it receives magical healing or heals naturally.
  Penalty: You take a –20 penalty on your attack roll.
  Forced Movement [Intelligence, Charisma]
  Your attacks slowly drive your opponent back,forcing him to yield his
  position.Unlike with a Knockback maneuver,which relies on the raw
  power of your attack,you pull off this maneuver by making a series
  of well-placed strikes to force an opponent gradually to give ground.
  Rules: On a successful attack, you may shift your opponent 5
  feet in any direction—except that you cannot force an opponent to
  move into terrain that would damage him or otherwise prove haz-
  ardous. This 5-foot move does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
  You cannot force your opponent into an occupied area.
  Penalty: You take a –10 penalty on your attack roll.
  Inflict Penalty [Any]
  You make an attack that somehow hinders your enemy’s ability to
  fight or use his skills. You might throw sand in his eyes, partially
  stun him, or otherwise leave him less effective than normal. In
  most cases, this maneuver is a good way to simulate a wide variety
  of attacks or actions that can hinder an opponent without render-
  ing him helpless.
  Rules: You inflict a –1 circumstance penalty on your opponent’s
  attack rolls, Armor Class, checks, or saves. Pick one type of penalty
  when designing the maneuver. You can increase this penalty to a
  maximum of –5. This penalty lasts for a number of rounds equal to
  1 + the modifier for your key ability, or until the opponent receives
  healing of any kind.
  A creature can only suffer the effects of one Inflict Penalty
  maneuver at a time. It always suffers the highest penalty inflicted
  upon it. For example, you could use a maneuver to grant a creature
  a –2 penalty to Armor Class, but you could not use Inflict Penalty
  to cause another penalty until the first penalty’s duration expires or
  you hit it with an attack that causes a –3 penalty.
  Threat: If you score a critical hit, the penalty you inflict worsens
  by –1 (to a maximum of –6, if you chose to inflict a –5 penalty with
  the maneuver).
  Penalty: You take a –5 penalty on your attack roll for each –1
  penalty you try to inflict on a foe.
  Special Features: This maneuver is perhaps the most versatile
  one in these rules, since it covers a wide range of situations.
  Touch Attack [Damage]: You need to make only a touch attack to
  hit your opponent, but you do not deal your normal damage.
  Instead, you cause only the circumstance penalty.
  Knockback [Strength]
  You hammer your foe with such a ferocious blow that he stumbles
  backward. You might simply knock him back a few steps, or you
  could push him forward with the momentum of your charge.
  Rules: If your attack hits, make a Strength check opposed by
  your opponent’s Strength check. If you succeed on the check, you
  push your foe 5 feet directly away from you. For every additional 5
  points by which your Strength check beats your opponent’s result,
  you push him back an additional 5 feet. Your foe suffers any nega-
  tive consequences for moving into lava, water, or similar terrain. If
  he hits a solid object, he takes 1d6 points of damage, +1 point for
  every 5 feet of knockback movement he had not yet completed. For
  example, a stone giant might use this maneuver against a foe and
  succeed in knocking the foe 30 feet back. If the opponent is
  knocked back only 10 feet before he hits a wall, then he takes 1d6+4
  points of damage. The extra 4 points of damage come from the 20
  feet of knockback movement the opponent was unable to complete.
  If a victim of this maneuver hits another creature,both of them
  must make Strength checks (DC 10) or be knocked prone.If the sec-
  ond creature in the collision is smaller than the victim,it takes a –4
  penalty on its Strength check for each size category of difference
  between it and the victim.If the knocked-back creature is larger than
  the second creature,it receives a +4 bonus on its Strength check for
  each size category of difference between it and the second creature.
  If you are larger than the creature you attempt to knock back,you
  gain a +4 bonus on your Strength check for each size category of dif-
  ference between you and your opponent.If you are one size category
  smaller than your opponent,you take a –4 penalty on the check.(If
  The Book of Iron Might
  10
  
  you attempt to use this maneuver against an opponent two or more
  size categories larger than you,the maneuver automatically fails.)
  If you made a charge just before attacking, you gain a +2 bonus on
  your Strength check. The defender gains a +4 bonus if he has four or
  more legs or is exceptionally stable, such as a dwarf.
  Penalty: You take a –10 penalty on your attack roll.
  Special: You cannot apply the Saving Throw or Opposed Check
  drawbacks to this effect. The Strength check described above already
  covers that drawback and is reflected in this effect’s cost.
  Special Features: You can use the following special features to
  modify a knockback attack.
  Close Quarters Push [Attack of Opportunity]: You must step into
  your opponent’s space in order to attempt the knockback, as you put
  the full force of your body into the effort. You provoke attacks of
  opportunity from the defender and anyone else who threatens you,
  but anyone other than your target has a 25 percent chance to acci-
  dentally strike your target with the attack of opportunity. If you use
  this special feature, reduce the maneuver’s attack roll penalty by 5.
  Knockdown [Strength, Dexterity]
  You force an opponent to the ground by striking him with a mighty
  blow or by catching him on your weapon and pulling him to the
  ground.
  Rules: If you hit, you knock your opponent prone.
  Penalty: You take a –20 penalty on your attack roll.
  Special Features: You can turn this maneuver into a touch attack,
  though this version of a knockdown attack does not deal damage.
  Touch Attack [Damage]: You can make a touch attack to initiate a
  knockdown. You might simply wrap your weapon around your oppo-
  nent or catch it on his clothing. In either case, resolve an opposed
  ability check based on the key ability you chose for this maneuver.
  However, this maneuver made as a touch attack never deals damage;
  you only gain the benefit of its effect. This special feature decreases
  your attack roll penalty by 5.
  Movement Damage
  [Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom]
  You slash at your opponent’s wings, feet, knees, or some other body
  part used for movement. If your maneuver succeeds, you can inhibit
  your foe’s ability to move.
  Warning Flags: This maneuver evens a character’s odds against a
  flying creature, since it allows him to knock such a creature from the
  sky or leave it unable to take wing. Also, keep in mind that successive
  uses of this attack make it more difficult for an injured NPC or mon-
  ster to escape from the party, and vice versa.
  Prerequisites: With this effect, you cannot negate a creature’s
  movement if it moves without the aid of an obvious anatomical
  Chapter One: Combat Maneuvers 11
  
  means, such as wings or legs. You target muscles, bones, and other
  physical organs. Thus, you could not negate the aerial movement of
  a wizard who is using a fly spell.
  Rules: Pick a movement mode used by your target, such as
  climbing, flying, or walking. With a successful attack, you reduce its
  speed by 5 feet. If you reduce its speed to 0 feet, it cannot move on
  its next turn using that mode.
  A flying creature drops one maneuverability category for every 10
  feet of speed it loses (to a minimum of clumsy). If it drops to a
  speed of 0 feet or below its minimum forward speed while in the
  air (or to less than half speed, if its maneuverability is average or
  worse), it immediately falls and takes damage as normal.
  Note that this effect reduces a target’s base speed as well as its
  speed after accounting for armor and encumbrance.
  The effects of this maneuver stack with other effects that reduce
  speed. They last until the creature receives healing of any kind.
  Threat: On a critical hit,you reduce the defender’s speed by 10 feet.
  Penalty: You take a –10 penalty on your attack roll.
  Stagger [Strength]
  This maneuver allows you to send your opponent reeling, forcing
  him to spend a precious moment to collect his wits before he can
  act again.
  Rules: If you hit with your attack, your opponent loses his next
  move action.
  Penalty: You take a –10 penalty on your attack roll.
  Stun [Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom]
  You slam your opponent, leaving him temporarily unable to act.
  Making this attack requires either tremendous strength, intense
  training, or an intuitive feel for the sensitive points in an oppo-
  nent’s anatomy.
  Warning Flag: This attack mimics the monk’s stunning fist
  ability and the feat of the same name. While this maneuver’s
  penalties make it far less efficient than the monk’s stunning fist
  ability, its presence in your game could detract from the unique
  status of the feat.
  Prerequisite: Your target must be vulnerable to stunning
  attacks.
  Rules: Your opponent is stunned for 1 round. A stunned creature
  drops whatever he holds, suffers a –2 penalty to Armor Class, and
  loses his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class.
  Penalty: You take a –30 penalty on your attack roll.
  Sundering Attack [Strength]
  You hack at an object carried by an opponent in the hope of
  destroying it.
  Prerequisite: You can only attempt to use this maneuver if
  you are using a natural attack or a bludgeoning or slashing
  weapon.
  Rules: You strike and deal damage against a weapon or shield
  carried by a foe. Against an object your foe wears or has secured to
  his person, make an attack roll against the object’s Armor Class. A
  The Book of Iron Might
  12
  
  carried or worn object’s Armor Class is equal to 10 + its size modifier
  + the Dexterity modifier of the carrying or wearing character.
  You cannot use this action against a target’s armor, since armor is
  designed precisely to absorb and deflect such attacks. If this weren’t
  the case, every attack that missed a target could potentially be a sun-
  der attempt against its armor.
  Penalty: You take a –10 penalty on your attack roll.
  Ranged Attack Effects
  Compared to melee attacks, ranged strikes offer a much more limit-
  ed array of options. You can grab an opponent with your bare
  hands and throw him to the ground, for instance, but it is much
  more difficult to make someone fall prone with an arrow or sling
  bullet. Many of the effects you can achieve with melee attack
  maneuvers are possible with ranged attacks as well, but are more
  difficult to complete. A ranged weapon doesn’t have the same lever-
  age or force of impact as many melee weapons. In addition, hitting
  a specific point on an opponent is much harder from long range
  than at close quarters.
  You can attempt the ranged attack maneuver effects described in
  this section and listed on the table below. Some of the ones in the
  table have the same names and work the same way as certain melee
  attack maneuver effects described above. These are not reprinted in
  full here; refer to the table below and to the appropriate melee attack
  effect for details. In certain of these cases, the penalty on your attack
  roll is more severe for the ranged effect than for the corresponding
  melee maneuver effect.
  You can use the following maneuvers with any ranged attack.
  Immobilizing Shot
  [Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence]
  Your shot pins your target in place.You may skewer his hand to the
  wall,or you might catch his clothing or armor with a well-placed shot.
  Prerequisite: Your target must be adjacent to something that you
  could pin him to.
  Rules: If your attack hits, you make a Strength, Dexterity, or
  Intelligence check, as appropriate to this effect’s key ability, opposed
  by your opponent’s check. If you succeed at the opposed check, your
  target cannot move until he succeeds at a Strength, Dexterity, or
  Escape Artist check with your check result as the Difficulty Class.
  Penalty: You take a –20 penalty on your ranged attack roll.
  Sniping Shot [Dexterity, Wisdom]
  You take aim at a small gap in your target’s cover,allowing you to strike
  him even if he is almost completely protected by a wall or other barrier.
  Prerequisite: There must be at least some hole in your opponent’s
  cover, even if it is above him.
  Rules: By accepting drawbacks that would reduce your –20 attack
  roll penalty to –5 or eliminate the penalty altogether (see “Maneuver
  Drawbacks” on the next page),you can use this maneuver to ignore a
  target’s cover.The drawbacks represent the time and effort you expend
  to take careful aim and the risks of making a difficult trick shot. You
  might still end up with a penalty on your attack roll, but in the end it
  should be less than your opponent’s cover bonus to Armor Class.
  This is the only maneuver effect that can have a total penalty less
  than –5. The idea behind it is that you can take drawbacks to reduce
  the penalty below the Armor Class bonus your opponent would gain
  for cover. You can also use it to make an attack against a foe who has
  total cover.
  Penalty: You take a –20 penalty on your ranged attack roll.
  Surprise Shot [Dexterity, Intelligence]
  With this maneuver effect, you can get off a shot that attacks from
  an unexpected direction or one that manages to surprise a ready foe.
  Rules: Your target loses his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class
  against your attacks.
  Penalty: You take a –20 penalty on your ranged attack roll.
  Chapter One: Combat Maneuvers 13
  Name
  Key Abilities
  Attack Roll Penalty
  Benefit
  Bonus Damage*
  Any
  –5 per +2 of bonus
  Bonus on damage, max. +10
  Disarming Attack**
  Str, Dex, Int
  –30
  Target loses weapon
  Forced Movement*
  Int, Cha
  –10
  Opponent moves 5 feet
  Immobilizing Shot
  Str, Dex, Int
  –20
  Target can’t move until it makes a Strength,
  Dex, or Escape Artist check
  Inflict Penalty‡
  Any
  –10 per –1 of penalty
  Cause penalty to foe’s attacks, AC, checks,
  or saves, max. –5
  Movement Damage*
  Str, Dex, Int, Wis
  –10
  Reduce foe’s speed by 5 feet
  Sniping Shot
  Dex, Wis
  –20
  Ignore a foe’s cover
  Surprise Shot
  Dex, Int
  –20
  Deny foe Dex bonus to AC
  *
  This effect is the same as the melee attack effect of the same name. (See “Melee Attack Effects,” page 7, for details.)
  **
  This effect is the same as the melee attack effect of the same name, except you take an additional –10 penalty on your attack roll.
  ‡
  This effect is the same as the melee attack effect of the same name, except that you suffer a –10 penalty on your attack roll
  (instead of a –5 penalty) for each –1 circumstance penalty you wish to confer.
  RANGED ATTACK MANEUVER EFFECTS
  
  Maneuver Drawbacks
  Maneuvers are risky, but the benefits they offer can outweigh the
  drawbacks they incur. The greater the effect a maneuver has on a
  target, the more difficult it is to complete.
  As you can see from the maneuvers described above, you must
  endure crippling penalties to attempt them. Against all but the
  most pitiable of foes, many of the effects are nearly impossible to
  achieve. However, by adding drawbacks to a maneuver, you can
  make it easier to complete while increasing the consequences of
  failure. Think of the trip combat action. You provoke an attack of
  opportunity for attempting it. If you fail to trip your opponent, he
  gets a free chance to send you tumbling to the ground. Using these
  maneuver rules, you could try to trip someone without risking
  those consequences, but your attack is made with a significant
  penalty. If you apply some drawbacks to the maneuver, you can
  reduce your attack roll penalty at the expense of increasing the cost
  of failure and accepting attacks of opportunity.
  You cannot use drawbacks to change an attack roll penalty into a
  bonus. For example, say the maneuver you want to use carries a –10
  penalty to your attack roll. You can add drawbacks that reduce this
  penalty by 10 (removing the penalty altogether), but if you added
  an additional drawback that allowed you to reduce your penalty by
  5 more, you still make your attack roll with a +0 modifier, not +5.
  The extra 5 points of penalty reduction are wasted (which means,
  of course, that adding that additional drawback would be point-
  less—you get no benefit in return for the drawback).
  Most drawbacks have a keyword (sometimes one word, some-
  times a phrase) listed alongside their names. You cannot select dif-
  ferent drawbacks that share the same keyword for a single maneu-
  ver. You can use multiple drawbacks that lack keywords, but you
  can never use the same drawback more than once per maneuver.
  Ranged attack maneuvers, by their nature, already provoke
  attacks of opportunity. Thus, they cannot use drawbacks that have
  the Attack of Opportunity keyword. In addition, ranged attacks
  cannot use drawbacks with the Counter keyword.
  Within the constraints of the rules above, you can incorporate as
  many drawbacks into a maneuver as you want: Add their penalty
  modifiers together and apply the total to the effects and penalties
  of your maneuver.
  Drawback Descriptions 
  Each drawback description includes advice about how and why you
  should use it. These comments show how to use the drawbacks in
  conjunction with a maneuver’s description, and they should help
  you decide how to apply drawbacks to a maneuver.
  Attack of Opportunity, Target Only
  [Attack of Opportunity]
  Executing your maneuver requires you to drop your guard long
  enough for your opponent to take a swing at you. Before you can
  begin your maneuver, you provoke an attack of opportunity from
  your target.
  Modifier: Reduce the penalty on your attack roll by 5. You can
  opt to reduce the penalty by 10 if you decide that your maneuver
  automatically fails if your opponent hits with the attack of oppor-
  tunity it provokes. In this case, a successful attack of opportunity
  ruins your focus and causes your maneuver to fail even before it is
  attempted.
  Usage: This drawback is a good choice for a maneuver that
  requires the attacker to put himself in harm’s way. For example, a
  Disarming Attack requires the attacker to swing at an opponent’s
  blade rather than his body, leaving him unable to parry the oppo-
  nent’s attack or block it with his shield. If the attacker has to block
  or parry, then obviously he’s in no position to make a disarming
  attack.
  The Book of Iron Might
  14
  Penalty
  Name
  Keyword
  Reduction
  Description
  Attack of Opportunity, Target Only
  Attack of Opportunity
  5 or 10
  Suffer attack of opportunity from target,
  perhaps ruining maneuver
  Attack of Opportunity, Total
  Attack of Opportunity
  10 or 15
  Provoke attack of opportunity from all foes,
  perhaps ruining maneuver
  Effects Only
  Damage
  5
  Inflict only maneuver effects, not standard 
  damage
  Free Strike
  Attack of Opportunity
  10
  Foe automatically hits with free strike
  Full-Round Action
  Action
  5
  Maneuver requires full-round action
  Opposed Check
  Defense
  5
  Target makes opposed attack roll, skill 
  check, or ability check to avoid effect
  Overpowering Effort
  Effort
  5
  Lose Dex bonus to AC until next action
  Overwhelming Effort
  Effort
  5
  Fall prone after completing maneuver
  Reflective Attack
  Counter
  5
  Foe has chance to use your maneuver on you
  Reflective Effects
  Counter
  10
  You suffer maneuver’s effects
  Saving Throw
  Defense
  5
  Target allowed save to avoid effects
  MANEUVER DRAWBACKS
  
  Attack of Opportunity, Total 
  [Attack of Opportunity]
  When you attempt a maneuver with this drawback, you must com-
  pletely disregard all defensive actions and throw yourself entirely
  into your strike. You provoke attacks of opportunity from every
  opponent who threatens you.
  Modifier: Reduce the penalty on your attack roll by 10. You can
  opt to reduce your penalty by 15 if you decide that your maneuver
  automatically fails if any of your opponents hits you with an attack
  of opportunity. In this case, a successful attack of opportunity
  ruins your focus and causes the maneuver to fail.
  Usage: This drawback makes sense for a maneuver that
  demands a brief moment of preparation, during which the attacker
  cannot defend himself. For example, an Area Attack may require
  the attacker to wind up, steady his feet, and unleash his attack.
  This relatively methodical action leaves him open to attack.
  Effects Only [Damage]
  An attack made using a maneuver with this drawback never deals
  damage. Executing the maneuver produces its full effect as normal,
  but you do not roll for damage.
  Modifier: Reduce the penalty on your attack roll by 5.
  Usage: The effect of this drawback is usually obvious from the
  nature of the maneuver or the attacker’s intentions. A fighter might
  slam an orc’s helm with the flat of his blade, dropping the monster’s
  headgear over its eyes to leave it blinded but otherwise unhurt.
  Free Strike [Attack of Opportunity]
  When you attempt a maneuver with this drawback, you cannot
  attempt any sort of defensive action. Your opponent automatically
  hits with his melee attack and rolls damage as normal.
  Modifier: Reduce the penalty on your attack roll by 10.
  Usage: This drawback is best used for maneuvers that require a near-
  ly suicidal lack of defense.A monk might leap into a dragon’s mouth
  to wedge its fanged maw open with his staff.In this case,the monk
  takes damage from a bite attack while putting his staff into place.
  Full-Round Action [Action]
  A maneuver with this drawback requires you to gather your energy for
  a single powerful swing,or it otherwise requires planning and careful
  timing. You must use a full-round action to attempt the maneuver.
  Modifier: Reduce the penalty on your attack roll by 5.
  Usage: Use this drawback with maneuvers that take some time
  to complete or that require special preparation. For example, an
  archer may have to take careful aim before attempting to disarm a
  foe with an arrow.
  Opposed Check [Defense]
  You must overcome your opponent’s natural talents or skills to com-
  plete a maneuver with this drawback. Make your attack as normal,
  with all relevant standard and maneuver penalties. If you hit, you
  must either win an opposed check using the key ability for the
  maneuver, an opposed skill check, or an opposed attack roll to inflict
  the maneuver’s effects.You still inflict damage as normal,if applicable.
  On an opposed attack roll, you make an attack using the base attack
  bonus and modifiers that apply to the attack made as part of the
  maneuver, but ignoring the maneuver’s base attack roll penalty. Your
  foe uses his best base attack bonus and all relevant modifiers.
  Modifier: Reduce the penalty on your attack roll by 5.
  Usage: If a maneuver can succeed only if the attacker somehow over-
  comes the target’s abilities in addition to striking him,this drawback
  fits the maneuver.Trip attacks are an excellent example.The attacker
  may need to force his target to the ground with his raw strength.
  Chapter One: Combat Maneuvers 15
  
  Overpowering Effort [Effort]
  You must throw your full strength into your maneuver, causing you
  to lose your balance and end in an awkward position. You lose your
  Dexterity bonus to AC until your next action even if you have class
  abilities that normally allow you to avoid this state.
  Modifier: Reduce the penalty on your attack roll by 5.
  Usage: This drawback is a good fit for a maneuver that leaves the
  attacker in an awkward position.
  Overwhelming Effort [Effort]
  A maneuver with this drawback requires such tremendous effort
  that you must throw yourself into it with reckless abandon. After
  attempting it, you fall prone in your current space.
  Modifier: Reduce the penalty on your attack roll by 5.
  Usage: Use this drawback for daredevil maneuvers that require
  leaps or acrobatics to complete.A barbarian might leap from a balcony
  to crack a troll over the head with his greatclub.While the barbarian
  gains extra damage, he flops to the ground at the end of his leap.
  Reflective Attack [Counter]
  This drawback places you at a temporary disadvantage.If you fail to
  complete your maneuver, your target immediately can attempt to
  inflict the maneuver’s effect on you.You may make any saving throws
  or opposed ability checks normally associated with the maneuver to
  avoid this fate.If you fail the save or check,or if the maneuver allows
  no save or check, your foe makes an attack against you using the
  maneuver. If he succeeds, you suffer the maneuver’s full effect.
  Modifier: Reduce the penalty on your attack roll by 5.
  Usage: Some attacks require you to put yourself in a position
  where the defender can turn the tables on you. In slashing at an
  opponent’s weapon to disarm him, you might tangle your weapons
  and lose yours instead.
  Reflective Effects [Counter]
  When you attempt a maneuver with this drawback, you must suffer
  the effect of the maneuver, including damage, as well as your oppo-
  nent. In order to inflict a penalty or condition on your opponent,
  this drawback requires you to inflict it upon yourself also, regard-
  less of the maneuver’s outcome.
  Modifier: Reduce the penalty on your attack roll by 10.
  Usage: With this drawback, a character inflicts a maneuver effect
  on himself at the same time he inflicts it upon his foe. A warrior
  might leap down from horseback to tackle a foe standing on the
  ground, causing both of them to become prone.
  Saving Throw [Defense]
  Your opponent has one final chance to resist the effect you are try-
  ing to inflict.He receives a saving throw to avoid the maneuver’s
  effect,with the type of save depending on the maneuver’s key ability.
  •
  Strength or Constitution: Fortitude save.
  •
  Dexterity: Reflex save.
  •
  Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma: Will save.
  The Difficulty Class of this save equals 10 + half your base attack
  bonus + your key ability modifier. On a successful save, the target
  takes damage from your attack as normal but avoids any of the
  maneuver’s special, nondamaging effects. You can also choose to
  apply a save to only one or a few of a maneuver’s effects. In this
  case, the penalty reduction cannot exceed the total penalty generat-
  ed by the effects that the save applies to.
  Modifier: Reduce the penalty on your attack roll by 5.
  Usage: This drawback, along with the Opposed Check drawback,
  is a versatile tool in designing maneuvers. A defender may be able
  to avoid or shrug off many of the maneuver effects described in this
  chapter because of his reflexes, willpower, or stamina.
  Selecting Drawbacks
  As a rule of thumb, you should at least consider adding an Attack
  of Opportunity, Target Only drawback and either a Saving Throw
  or Opposed Check drawback to each maneuver. Not only does this
  reduce the attack roll penalty to a manageable level, but in most
  cases these drawbacks provide a good fit for a maneuver. If, when
  thinking over how a maneuver works, you can’t come up with any
  good drawbacks for it, default to the suggestions given here. That
  way, a maneuver has a tangible drawback that offsets its benefits
  and gives the target the opportunity to avoid its effects. (See also
  “Working With Maneuver Drawbacks” on page 21.)
  Combining Maneuver Effects
  The heart of these rules lies in the flexibility and adaptability they
  offer. When building a maneuver, you can link together as many
  maneuver effects as you want. Simply combine their effects and
  penalties using the following guidelines.
  If more than one effect requires the same skill check, ability
  check, or saving throw, you suffer a –2 penalty on that check or
  save for each one after the first. Your opponent gains a +2 bonus
  per check or save he must make after the first. You resolve these
  multiple checks with a single die roll using the relevant modifiers.
  These modifiers also apply in the case of an opposed check.
  Remember that you gain only half the normal attack penalty reduc-
  tion for using the same drawback more than once.
  For example, a maneuver might be built with three effects that all
  require Strength checks. That’s two checks after the first one, lead-
  ing to a –4 penalty on your check and a +4 bonus for your oppo-
  nent. You make one roll, as does your opponent, and you apply the
  result to all of the effects.
  Use the standard rules for stacking multipliers, penalties, and
  bonuses. If you combine two effects that inflict a morale penalty,
  use the most severe penalty on your opponent.
  If your maneuver requires multiple checks, your DM chooses the
  order in which you resolve them. Any penalties or damage you
  inflict take effect after you have completed the entire maneuver.
  As usual, the DM is the final judge on whether effects can be
  combined.
  The Book of Iron Might
  16
  
  Designing a Maneuver
  A maneuver should never exist in a vacuum.The effects are intention-
  ally generic to allow you to apply them in the widest range of situa-
  tions possible,but any actual maneuver you design should have some
  link to an action that a character can take in combat.Inflicting a cir-
  cumstance penalty requires doing more than simply waving your
  weapon at a foe,making an attack,and slapping a modifier on his
  actions.You,or your DM,must create a framework for a maneuver.
  The rest of this section directly addresses the DM.If you’re a player,
  keep that in mind as you read.Remember,your DM has final say in
  how these rules apply,how they are interpreted,and how they will be
  used in the campaign.
  Preconstructed Maneuvers
  Using maneuvers that have been built ahead of time is the best
  option for DMs who want to keep the game moving,who would pre-
  fer to look over a rule and okay it before adding it to the game,and in
  games where the DM or the players are relatively inexperienced.In
  this situation,you or your players come up with a set of maneuvers
  that anyone can attempt,and you treat them just like the special com-
  bat actions from the core rules,such as sunder,disarm,and trip.
  This method is perhaps the best way to use these rules when you first
  add them to your game.It gives you a chance to sort through them,
  try a few combinations,and identify the effects you find balanced for
  your game and the ones you think might cause trouble.
  Customized Maneuvers
  This option provides greater player access to the maneuver design rules.
  In essence,you or your players create maneuvers designed for specific
  monsters or characters.A beast with a long tail could gain an area
  attack,while the party’s cunning duelist learns a variety of defensive
  moves.In this case,you allow a wider range of maneuvers but
  restrict their availability.Allow your players to design two or three
  maneuvers for each of their characters.This gives them some
  exposure to the system,lets you see what they would like to
  do with it,and helps keep the game moving by granting each
  player’s character only a few extra maneuvers rather than
  a huge number of them.You can also create maneuvers
  for your monsters and NPCs,adding another element of
  the unknown and unexpected to the game.Over time,
  you can learn the system well enough that you don’t
  need to look up the rules for many of the effects.
  When your players design their maneuvers,have
  them select the benefits they want to gain.Once they
  are done,sit down with each of them and pick out
  drawbacks that reduce the total penalty to at least –5.
  It is important to show players the sort of drawbacks
  their maneuvers will incur.If they consider the draw-
  backs too harsh,they may never use their maneuvers.
  On the other hand,as DM,you have final say in the
  drawbacks.Try to keep the players happy,but don't
  let them dictate your final decision.Keep in mind
  that the drawbacks are balanced.An end penalty of
  –5 is usually equivalent regardless of how you came to it.Sometimes,
  the drawbacks aren’t applicable to certain cases.An attack of opportu-
  nity means little to a character who fights with a spiked chain and is
  beyond his target's reach.If a maneuver works best against a single tar-
  get,pick drawbacks that work well for one opponent.If it is designed
  to affect multiple foes,the Attack of Opportunity,Total,drawback is an
  excellent choice.In this case,the drawback becomes more daunting as
  the maneuver becomes more useful.
  Free-Form Maneuvers
  Under this option,anything goes.Your players can build maneuvers on
  the fly to reflect the environment,tactical circumstances,and any cool
  actions that spring to mind based on your description of the scene.If
  you or the players can envision an action in your minds,you can use the
  maneuver effects rules to recreate it at the gaming table.
  This option opens up some exciting vistas but has some disad-
  vantages, too. First and foremost, it could slow down the game. If
  players have to look over a list of effects and drawbacks, juggle the
  benefits and penalties in their heads for a minute or two, then
  decide that they just want to use a normal attack anyway, the play
  around the table might come to a screeching halt.
  The maneuver cheat sheets available as a free
  web enhancement from our website
  <www.montecook.com/BOIM>
  can help you flesh out
  maneuvers on
  the fly.
  Chapter One: Combat Maneuvers 17
  
  Even under this option, you as DM have the final say in choos-
  ing drawbacks. The drawbacks should have a direct effect on the
  game—it is all too easy for the players to choose ones that, in the
  current encounter or situation, have little effect. You can also limit
  the players to one benefit per maneuver to speed things up. That
  way, the players don't have to spend as much time juggling all their
  options. They can choose one benefit, you can select a drawback or
  two, and you're ready to resolve the attack.
  Creating Maneuvers Step By Step
  Building a maneuver involves more than simply putting together a
  combination of effects and drawbacks. In many ways, it is more of
  an art than a craft. Creating a maneuver requires you to break down
  the logical outcome of an action, including its drawbacks, and then
  combine all of the action’s components to produce an effect.
  However, the big list of effects and drawbacks might seem intimi-
  dating at first. This section is designed to walk you through the
  process and give you insight into how it can work.
  Remember that bringing an arbitrary set of rules into a unified
  system might yield maneuvers that work differently from the ones
  in the core rules. As DM, you can rule that a maneuver already
  described in the core rules trumps one that was designed using this
  system. For example, you might use the core rules for a disarming
  attempt instead of rebuilding the maneuver from scratch if you are
  happy with that rule as is. Remember, just because an option is
  available doesn’t mean you have to use it.
  In the steps described below, you’ll see the process for designing
  a maneuver that could serve as a called shot—an attack aimed at a
  specific portion of a foe’s anatomy—to the head.
  Step 1: What Does the Maneuver Do?
  This is the most important step in this process, and it requires a
  fair amount of judgment and thought. Look over all the maneuver
  effects presented earlier, and identify the ones that apply to the
  maneuver you want to design. The key to this step lies in figuring
  out the logical outcome of an attack. The easiest way to do this is to
  picture a successful maneuver in your mind. What happens to the
  defender?
  Example: For an attack directed at a creature’s head, we would
  expect a few effects. First, the head is a vulnerable area, so the
  attack should deal extra damage. Some players might see an attack
  to the head as an easy way to score a one-shot, decapitating kill,
  but such results play havoc with game balance. A bonus on damage
  (which might still result in a kill) is a good way to model this sort
  of effect. In addition, it makes sense that an attack to the head
  could send a target reeling; even if the attack isn’t instantly fatal, it
  might leave the target dazed.
  Step 2: Translate English Into Rules
  Once you have figured out the effects an attack should have, look
  over the list of effects and pick ones that provide the best match.
  In some cases, you may have to pick from several options that
  seem similar. For instance, Daze Attack, Stagger, and Stun all
  seem to have the same basic effect, but they offer several shades of
  the same result. A dazed target loses his actions but retains his
  defenses. A staggered target can attack on his next action, or he
  can move, but not both. A stunned target loses his actions, drops
  his weapon (perhaps causing him to waste an action on his next
  turn reclaiming it or drawing a new one), and is easier to hit. As
  you can see, these are perhaps subtle but nonetheless important
  differences.
  If you want to provide special attacks for a wide variety of levels,
  you can create a multitude of effects that offer varying penalties.
  Low-level fighters might opt for a head shot that staggers a foe,
  while more skilled ones try to stun their foes. On the other hand,
  you might find it unrealistic that a warrior could so precisely select
  his effects. In this case, you would build and offer only one type of
  head shot maneuver.
  Example: As I picture it, a called shot to the head relies on raw,
  brute force, making Strength its key ability. Since I want head shots
  to inflict extra damage and hinder a foe, I pick Bonus Damage (+4)
  and Stagger. I want a head shot to be a relatively simple tactic with
  a low total attack roll penalty and correspondingly diminished
  attacks. It’s a good way for lower-level characters to attempt a lucky
  shot in my game. Right now, the attack roll penalty for this maneu-
  ver is –20, including a –10 penalty for the +4 damage and a –10
  penalty for the stagger effect.
  Step 3: What Happens to the Attacker?
  At this stage, you need to consider the drawbacks that an attacker
  might endure when performing a maneuver. Once again, picture
  the attack in your mind and think about the barriers that make it
  difficult to accomplish. Go through each effect you assigned in 
  Step 2 and, ignoring game mechanics, think about the obstacles
  that could prevent success.
  Example: A head shot inflicts extra damage and staggers its tar-
  get. The extra damage comes from hitting a vulnerable spot, but
  attacking the head is never easy. Most warriors wear helms and take
  care to protect their faces, making the head a tough place to land a
  good hit. The Stagger effect, if the attack hits, depends on the qual-
  ity of the hit and the target’s toughness. A big, mean troll might
  shrug off a hit to the head, while a frail sorcerer might sustain a
  concussion.
  Step 4: Assign Drawbacks
  With the results of Step 3 fresh in your mind, find the best match
  for the drawbacks you envisioned from among those described
  earlier in this chapter. Perhaps the attack roll penalty associated
  with a maneuver already provides the effect you want. In such a
  case, you don’t need to use any of the drawbacks. You may find
  that some of the drawbacks fit for purely game-mechanics reasons.
  A maneuver might be so powerful that it carries a tremendous
  penalty on the attack roll, even after reducing that penalty by
  means of logically applicable drawbacks. Attacks of opportunity
  are always a good choice for a pure mechanics-based penalty
  reduction, since the maneuvers built into the core rules (grapple
  The Book of Iron Might
  18
  
  and trip, for instance) already make use of them. Your players prob-
  ably are already accustomed to their characters being targeted by
  attacks of opportunity in exchange for a benefit, making it a good
  choice.
  Example: Looking over the effects of a called shot to the head, it
  seems we have already compensated for the bonus damage by the
  attack roll penalty. After all, a creature’s head is a small, well-defend-
  ed target. The Saving Throw drawback is a perfect fit to account for
  the Stagger effect, reflecting the fact that tougher creatures can shrug
  off this effect. Adding a saving throw against the Stagger effect
  leaves the total attack roll penalty for a called shot to the head at –15.
  After giving it some more thought, I decide that the Full-Round
  Action drawback also looks like a good fit. I want this called shot to
  be a viable tactic at low levels. If one can undertake the maneuver
  only as a full-round action, it becomes a bad choice for higher-level
  fighters, since they lose their multiple attacks. Thus, the final attack
  roll penalty for this maneuver is –10.
  Step 5: Finishing Up
  Once you have picked out the effects, you need to combine them
  using the rules provided earlier in this chapter. It helps to keep a
  list of the different factors used to create a maneuver. That way, you
  can later modify it without having to start from scratch. For exam-
  ple, I might modify the called shot to the head as the characters
  grow more powerful, giving them the option to daze or stun a tar-
  get, or perhaps drop the Full-Round Action drawback to allow high-
  level characters to make their multiple strikes. If I have everything
  organized with all the relevant modifiers noted, I can easily swap
  parts in and out to achieve a new effect.
  Example: The final called shot to the head maneuver is described
  on page 22 (“Called Shot: Glancing Blow to Head”), along with
  some other sample maneuvers. Notice how the listing breaks down
  all the component parts. You can easily modify it, and it’s simple to
  reference the attack’s effects.
  Step 6: The Art of the Maneuver
  At this point, look at the finished product and decide how it fits
  into your game. The most important question to ask yourself is
  this: Does this maneuver always provide a better option than a
  normal attack? If the answer is yes, it’s back to the drawing board.
  If you can’t think of a good reason why the average character or
  monster would decide not to use a maneuver, it might be too good.
  Beware of maneuvers that have a total attack roll modifier of +0
  and do not provoke attacks of opportunity or otherwise imperil
  the attacker. These are good candidates for a second visit to the
  drawing board.
  Chapter One: Combat Maneuvers 19
  
  Maneuvers and Your Campaign
  The process of introducing and using maneuvers in your campaign
  requires forethought, planning, and careful consideration. The
  maneuver system introduces a tremendous level of flexibility into
  the campaign, but that flexibility could be prone to abuse. Many of
  the maneuver drawbacks inflict a penalty based on the situation in
  your game. The Attack of Opportunity, Total, drawback is deadly if
  six or seven creatures threaten a character's space. It is an easy,
  harmless restriction if one or even none threaten it.
  This section gives additional advice on how to incorporate
  maneuvers into your game. If Chapter One is a new tool for your
  game, this section is the user's manual that explains how to make it
  work. Some extra advice and insight into the system can go a long
  way to keeping a gaming group happy. This section discusses each
  of the maneuver drawbacks and shows you how best to apply them.
  Using Maneuvers
  The maneuver drawbacks are the most important tool you have to
  make this system a balanced but usable part of your game. If you
  ignore the drawbacks, the maneuvers you design may have such
  crippling attack penalties that the PCs can never succeed at them.
  If you apply drawbacks without thinking of the game situation, you
  might create maneuvers that are too easy on the characters and
  clearly superior to a normal attack. Picking the right drawbacks
  helps place a maneuver in that perfectly balanced position between
  an impossible attack
  and a clearly broken
  game option.
  If you want to make con-
  sistent use of maneuvers in
  your game but keep the action
  moving fast while avoiding any
  chance of unbalancing things, focus on
  maneuvers that you create ahead of time to
  simulate various actions. Tie these maneuvers
  to encounter areas or opponents and present them
  as added options the PCs can attempt in specific situ-
  ations. In this case, you control how maneuvers affect
  the game while gradually introducing them to the cam-
  paign. Later, you might feel comfortable with a more open
  approach. You can then allow the players to describe their
  actions to you, then apply the maneuver effects and drawbacks
  that you see as appropriate. You should let the players have full
  access to the rules to build their maneuvers on the fly only if they
  can do so without bogging down the game. Some players may
  endlessly plot out the most advantageous maneuvers, while others
  might be paralyzed by all the options before them. By slowly intro-
  ducing things, you give the players time to learn the rules without
  overwhelming them.
  In any case, the final decision on maneuver drawbacks rests with
  you. As DM, you have the final say in what happens in your game
  and how things work. Even if you let the players construct maneu-
  vers on the fly, you must retain the final decision on drawbacks. Let
  the player select the maneuver effects, then you pick drawbacks that
  reduce the total penalty to –5. The drawbacks you pick should
  always be based on the situation the characters face. Try to avoid
  making a canonical, final decision on a maneuver built on the fly.
  Even in the case of maneuvers that you build ahead of time and
  introduce to the game as new combat options, you should reserve
  the right to revisit them and make changes.
  The important thing to remember is that any changes you make
  should reflect the reality of the game and everyone's level of fun. If
  the players like using a maneuver and it has no unbalancing effect
  on the game, don't simply change it to ruin their fun. Part of the
  excitement of roleplaying games lies in coming up with creative
  solutions to daunting problems. If you simply nullify the PCs' abil-
  ities, the game isn't much fun for them. Players build their charac-
  ters as a means of expressing what they want to do in the game. If
  you simply forbid options, or change them in the middle of the
  game, your players might feel unhappy, angry, and betrayed. When
  you must make a change, sit down with your players and talk it over
  The Book of Iron Might
  20
  
  with them. Communication can go a long way to soothing hurt feel-
  ings and keeping everyone involved in the campaign.
  Working With Maneuver Drawbacks
  Each of the maneuver drawbacks has certain strengths and weak-
  nesses in balancing an attack. These different facets are discussed
  below. The key thing to remember is that, if the person using the
  maneuver doesn't feel its effects, it isn’t an effective drawback.
  Attack of Opportunity,Target Only:This choice is a reliable way
  to inflict a drawback in return for a better chance to hit, but it is also
  the easiest one to abuse. The most obvious situation is a case where
  a character attacks an NPC who is unarmed or carries a missile
  weapon. In that case, the PC doesn't have to worry about incurring
  the attack of opportunity. Characters who use reach weapons also
  can avoid this drawback. These warnings go double for attacks of
  opportunity that can ruin the PC’s attacks if they hit.
  This drawback is a good penalty to a maneuver. Aside from the sit-
  uations outlined above, you should use it as a standard way to
  reduce a maneuver's penalty.
  Attack of Opportunity,Total:The advice given above for the nor-
  mal attack of opportunity applies doubly so to this choice. In addi-
  tion, you should only use it in situations where the person using the
  maneuver is likely to face multiple opponents. An Area Attack is a
  great example of a natural fit for this drawback. Otherwise, this
  drawback is best used in specific situations to model the difficulties
  of a maneuver that requires on-the-fly drawbacks. It works very well
  in some situations, but in many others it becomes a free, low-risk
  method to make a maneuver easier.
  Effects Only:At first glance this might seem like an excellent way
  to limit an attack's effects, but it is easily abused. A player character
  with a poor Strength or one who fights with a dagger, whip, or other
  light weapon may find that sacrificing a point or two of damage is a
  small price to pay for a maneuver. This drawback works best with
  maneuvers that apply to heavy weapons or that benefit from the
  attacker’s high Strength score. Use it to build maneuvers that punish
  low-Strength-score characters and light weapons. Otherwise, save it
  for drawbacks that you build on the fly.
  Free Strike:This is another drawback that can be either devastat-
  ing or weak, depending on the game's circumstances. A Free Strike
  from a wizard is far less daunting than one from an ancient red
  dragon. This drawback is best used for maneuvers that prove more
  useful against opponents skilled in combat than against weaker or
  punier creatures. The general advice given above for attacks of
  opportunity also applies here. Since Free Strike provides a signifi-
  cant reduction to a maneuver's penalty, you should restrict it to situ-
  ations where you select drawbacks to fit a specific situation as you or
  the players build a maneuver on the fly.
  Full-Round Action:This drawback is easy to use. In general, it
  hurts high-level characters who gain multiple attacks and means little
  to fighters, paladins, barbarians, and rangers below 6th level and
  other characters below 8th. These characters have only one attack
  per round, making a full-round action for an attack a small sacrifice.
  However, in many cases these characters lack the base attack bonus-
  es to reliably succeed at maneuvers. This drawback is best used with
  maneuvers whose success is tied to a character's total base attack
  bonus, whether it is used as part of an opposed check or to calculate
  a saving throw Difficulty Class.
  Opposed Check:Generally speaking, this is a good way to bal-
  ance a maneuver. There will be times when a PC simply has an over-
  whelming advantage in the Opposed Check. That's just part of the
  game. However, this drawback illustrates why the DM should choose
  drawbacks. It's easy for the players, especially if they create maneu-
  vers on the fly, to match up against an opponent's worst stats. A
  swashbuckler could use an opposed Intelligence check against a
  troll, then switch to a Strength check against a puny wizard. This
  doesn't meant you should always call for a check based on the PC's
  worst attribute, but it does show why it's important for the DM to
  make these decisions. If a situation logically calls for an Opposed
  Check, let the dice fall where they may.
  Overpowering Effort:This drawback is best saved for PCs who
  rely on speed or in situations where an opponent can take advantage
  of the PCs' situation. Try not to use it with maneuvers that inflict
  conditions that prevent the target from making a counterattack,
  such as blindness or stun. If the maneuver succeeds, the attacker has
  earned a free pass that makes this disadvantage evaporate.
  Overwhelming Effort:The advice given above for Overpowering
  Effort applies here, too.
  Reflective Attack:Like an attack of opportunity, this is a reliable,
  useful way to make a maneuver dangerous but easier to complete.
  The advice given under that drawback applies here.
  Reflective Effects:Generally, this drawback is best used for situa-
  tions where the players face multiple foes. Against a single enemy,
  one PC becoming stunned to stun the lone foe is a good trade-off.
  While that character is out of the fight, the rest of the party can
  beat up on the villain. Reserve this drawback for assigning hin-
  drances on the fly.
  Saving Throw:This is perhaps the most reliable drawback in the
  system. A saving throw is an excellent choice for maneuvers that you
  build and incorporate into your game, and it is also a good first
  choice for maneuvers built on the fly.
  Sample Maneuvers
  This final section gives you a number of sample maneuvers, for both
  characters and monsters, to show you how to use this system to add
  more variety to your game. Each maneuver description includes a
  summary of its various elements. Where applicable, these samples
  include commentary on how and why they were designed the way
  they were, to give you some insight into the process.
  Character Maneuvers
  These sample maneuvers include a number of called shots, an old
  standby of many game systems and gaming groups. A called shot is
  an attack against a specific body part or portion of a foe’s anatomy.
  The called shot maneuvers given here show you how to transform
  the descriptive elements of an attack into game mechanics.
  Chapter One: Combat Maneuvers 21
  
  Called Shot, Arm Strike [Strength]
  Effect: Inflict Penalty (–2 on attacks): –20
  Drawback:Attack of Opportunity, Target Only: +5
  Drawback:Saving Throw (Fortitude, DC 10 + half base attack + 
  Strength modifier): +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty: –10
  You slash at an opponent’s arm, tentacles, or another body part
  that it uses to make attacks. The pain of the injury and the damage
  you deal to its tendons and muscles cause a –2 penalty on all its
  attacks.
  Called Shot, Glancing Blow to Head
  [Strength]
  Effect: Bonus Damage (+4): –10
  Effect: Stagger: –10
  Drawback:Saving Throw (Stagger, Fortitude, DC 10 + half base 
  attack + Strength modifier): +5
  Drawback:Full-Round Action: +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty: –10
  This attack is meant to model a careful, deliberate strike. The
  maneuver avoids provoking attacks of opportunity by waiting for
  the proper moment to strike (hence the full-round action), but it
  comes at a cost. This attack can only stagger a foe, since it lacks the
  wild strength of the other called shots.
  Called Shot, Hand [Strength]
  Effect: Disarming Attack: –20
  Drawback:Effects Only: +5
  Drawback:Saving Throw (Fortitude, DC 10 + half base attack + 
  Strength modifier): +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty: –10
  You smash your foe’s weapon and hand, causing stinging pain
  and forcing him to drop his weapon. This attack focuses on brute
  force to knock a weapon away. Compare it to the standard disarm
  attack from the core rules to see how the maneuver system can
  use a different path to achieve a similar end. This attack forgoes
  dealing normal damage to reflect the fact that it is a strike against
  a weapon and hand, and to keep the attack roll penalty manage-
  able.
  Called Shot, Legs [Dexterity]
  Effect: Movement Damage: –10
  Drawback:Saving Throw (Reflex, DC 10 + half base attack + 
  Dexterity modifier): +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty: –5
  You slash at your opponent’s legs, wings, or other body parts
  associated with movement, slicing tendons and muscle to slow him
  down. This relatively low-risk maneuver proves useful for capturing
  opponents or for slowing down a mighty foe who could pursue you
  if you attempted to flee.
  Called Shot, Vitals [Intelligence]
  Effect: Bonus Damage (+2): –5
  Effect: Stun: –30
  Drawback:Attack of Opportunity, Total: +10
  Drawback:Full-Round Action: +5
  Drawback:Saving Throw (Stun, Will, DC 10 + half base attack + 
  Intelligence modifier): +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty: –15
  You land a blow at a sensitive portion of an opponent’s anatomy.
  This maneuver shows how Intelligence can serve as a key ability.It
  relies on knowing where to strike rather than striking with tremen-
  dous force.The attack of opportunity drawback is a great leveler,
  making this maneuver most useful in one-on-one fights where the
  attacker doesn’t have to worry about multiple attacks of opportunity.
  Glowering Display (Charisma)
  Effect: Forced Movement: –10
  Drawback:Full-Round Action: +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty: –5
  You make a show of easily knocking aside an opponent’s attacks
  before easily breaking through his defenses. Daunted by your skill,
  your opponent steps away from you.
  Jawbreaker (Strength)
  Effect: Disable Natural Attack: –20
  Drawback:Free Strike: +10
  Drawback:Saving Throw (Fortitude, DC 10 + half base attack + 
  Strength modifier): +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty: –5
  As a monstrous foe snaps at you with its bite attack, you slam its
  jaw, shattering teeth and bone.
  Joint-Piercing Strike (Wisdom): 
  Effect: Disable Natural Attack: –20
  Drawback:Attack of Opportunity, Target Only: +5
  Drawback:Effects Only: +5
  Drawback:Full-Round Action: +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty: –5
  You carefully study a creature’s moves, seeking the one perfect
  place to strike it to ruin a joint and disable one of its natural
  attacks. Contrast with jawbreaker, above.
  Overpowering Strike [Strength]
  Effect: Bonus Damage (+10): –25
  Drawback:Attack of Opportunity, Target Only: +5
  Drawback:Overwhelming Effort: +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty: –15
  This wild shot represents a hurried strike aimed at a foe.It has lit-
  tle chance of hitting a competent foe,but when it strikes,it can be
  devastating,making it the preferred attack of the desperate,the
  crazed,or the lucky.Unfortunately,the attacker loses his guard (pro-
  voking the attack of opportunity),and the wild,uncontrolled swing
  sends him tumbling to the ground.This maneuver puts the attacker
  The Book of Iron Might
  22
  
  in a bad position after his strike.Hopefully for him,it’s the last attack
  he needs to make against this foe. Otherwise, he’s in trouble.
  Power Hammer [Strength]
  Effect: Knockback: –10
  Effect: Knockdown: –20
  Drawback:Attack of Opportunity, Target Only: +5
  Drawback:Full-Round Action: +5
  Drawback:Reflective Effects: +10
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty: –10
  This maneuver is useful against smaller foes that have superior
  combat training and are outnumbered. By throwing yourself at your
  opponent, you send him reeling backward and off his feet. While
  your leap also leaves you knocked back and prone, your allies are in a
  good position to step in and finish off your now very vulnerable foe.
  Taunting Defense (Charisma)
  Effect: Inflict Penalty (–2 to attacks): –10
  Drawback:Full-Round Action: +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty: –5
  Using your skill at arms and your natural ability to manipulate
  others, you deliver a series of stinging blows that enrages your oppo-
  nent and makes him take wild, poorly aimed attacks.
  Throw Debris (Dexterity)
  Effect: Inflict Penalty (–3 to AC): –15
  Drawback:Effects Only: +5
  Drawback:Full-Round Action: +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty: –5
  You grasp a fistful of dirt, sand, or some other debris and cast it at
  your opponent’s face. While he coughs and wipes at his eyes, you can
  take advantage of the distraction.
  Weapon Lock [Strength]
  Effect: Disarming Attack: –20
  Drawback:Effects Only: +5
  Drawback:Opposed Check (Strength): +5
  Drawback:Reflective Attack: +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty: –5
  You lock your opponent’s weapon with your own, tangling it on
  your pommel or blade. The two of you struggle for a moment, giving
  you the opportunity to tear your foe’s weapon from his grasp.
  Creature Maneuvers
  The following maneuvers illustrate how you can use these rules to
  spice up monsters and give them more options in a fight. Take
  advantage of the rules to create vivid, dangerous encounters where
  the PCs’ enemies use their natural abilities and attacks in new, inter-
  esting ways. If you build unique maneuvers for certain foes, you can
  develop signature moves for them that make your villains unique
  and memorable.
  While these maneuvers are tied specifically to dragons, you can
  easily adapt them to other creatures. They serve as examples of how
  you can sculpt maneuvers to fit a specific creature’s anatomy, style,
  and background.
  Crushing Bite (Strength)
  Effect: Ability Score Damage (Constitution): –20
  Drawback:Attack of Opportunity, Target Only: +5
  Drawback:Full-Round Action: +5
  Drawback:Saving Throw (Fortitude, DC 10 + half base attack + 
  Strength modifier): +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty: –5
  A dragon or other massive creature with a bite attack can clamp
  down on a smaller opponent, crushing him in its jaws and leaving
  him horribly injured.
  This maneuver shows how drawbacks can play a much larger role
  than does a simple attack penalty for a maneuver.An attack that
  requires a full-round action limits a dragon’s abilities,as it can normally
  use a variety of attack forms,but the benefits of inflicting Constitution
  damage can stop a PC dead in his tracks.A barbarian’s rage drops by 1
  round,and any character loses the equivalent of 1 hit point per level.
  Draconic Tail Sweep (Strength)
  Effect: Area Attack: –5 per 5-foot square
  Effect: Knockdown: –20
  Drawback:Attack of Opportunity, Total: +10
  Drawback:Saving Throw (Knockdown, Fortitude, DC 10 + half base
  attack + Strength modifier): +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty:–5 to attack,–5 per target square
  With a mighty sweep of its tail, a dragon can send the entire party
  tumbling to the ground. Dragons use this maneuver when faced with
  a large number of smaller, humanoid opponents.
  Note that this maneuver makes use of the Attack of Opportunity,
  Total, drawback. A dragon is most likely to use it against multiple
  foes, making that drawback a good choice. Each target has the
  chance to strike the dragon as it completes the maneuver. A
  Fortitude save models a character’s ability to absorb the shock of the
  dragon’s tail. In most cases, it is simply too big for a character to
  duck beneath or leap over.
  Draconic Wing Strike (Strength)
  Effect: Stun:–30
  Drawback:Full-Round Action: +5
  Drawback:Overpowering Effect: +5
  Drawback:Saving Throw (Fortitude, DC 10 + half base attack + 
  Strength modifier): +5
  Net Effect:Total attack roll penalty –15
  A dragon can swipe at an opponent using its wings, hammering a
  single foe with concussive, stunning force. The dragon rises into the
  air and slams its wings together on an opponent, pummeling him
  into submission.
  The penalty to this attack, along with the save it allows, makes the
  wing strike ideal against spellcasters. For that reason, this maneuver
  avoids attacks of opportunity as a balancing mechanism. Instead,
  the dragon must leave itself vulnerable to other attackers.
  Chapter One: Combat Maneuvers 23
  
  The Ironborn
  The ironborn arose in the darkest,most forbidding recesses of the world.Created by a madman who preferred the quiet,
  unswerving loyalty of machines to living beings,they have slowly spread to the surface.While rare,they have the potential to
  alter the course of history—whether for good or ill remains to be seen.
  D
  eep within the earth, past the shadowed cities of the
  dark elves, beyond the monstrous caverns of the cave
  trolls and the roiling chaos of their mad gods, beneath
  the tunnels bored by the Great Earth Serpent, stands the Tower
  Esoteric. Suspended within a sphere of magical force that floats
  in a sea of lava, the Tower was once the domain of the dwarf
  archmage Storstrup Gerringsen. He traveled many worlds,
  gathering magical artifacts for his hoard and claiming whatever
  wealth his eternally greedy hands could grasp. In time, he came
  to distrust the few apprentices and friends who had gathered
  around him. He banished them from his domain, leaving them
  to face the long trek back to the surface without the protection
  of his magic. He forswore all contact with outside realms and,
  using the collected might of the relics he had gathered, he cast
  his tower into the heart of the world, where it still rides the
  fiery currents to this day.
  Some say that the artifacts he claimed drove him mad,warp-
  ing his view of reality.Others theorize that the magical power he
  gained caused him to see the world with a new clarity,and to
  realize that his supposed allies and friends had plotted against
  him to gain his wealth.For whatever reason,Storstrup went to
  work replacing his flesh-and-blood allies with constructs and
  mechanical substitutes.He crafted the first shield guardians and
  charged them with defending his lair against the efreet and sala-
  manders that sometimes assailed it.Many sages accept that his
  theories and designs gave rise to iron golems and other con-
  structs that are now part of established magical tradition.Yet
  these achievements pale next to his greatest creation,the iron-
  born.By fusing organic and artificial components into a single,
  humanoid whole,Storstrup crafted truly loyal warriors and
  defenders rather than mindless automatons.His new war
  machines,while lacking a golem’s strength and raw power,were
  flexible,cunning,and intellectually independent.
  The first ironborn was christened Firstborn.It served as
  Storstrup’s closest companion and apprentice.Firstborn helped
  him design the next generation of ironborn,tactically skilled
  warriors who would command the shield guardians and golems
  arrayed to defend the Tower Esoteric against the shadowy
  legions that grew in Storstrup’s paranoid mind.In time,
  Storstrup progressed deeper and deeper into dementia.The
  many artifacts he had gathered wore away at his psyche,taking a
  tremendous toll in exchange for the might they offered.With his
  attention distracted,Storstrup gave Firstborn limited freedom.
  The first of the ironborn devoured the books in its master’s
  library and researched the processes behind its own creation.
  Using the lore it uncovered, Firstborn crafted an ironborn
  entirely on his own. He then commanded the new construct to
  build another one, and so forth. Together, these first ironborn
  created a variety of new intellects, personalities, and forms for
  the next generation of warriors. Some were excellent combat-
  ants who could stand against any foe; others were cunning
  scouts who could spend months alone in the passages and
  caves near the Tower Esoteric. In time, Firstborn’s progeny
  became able to produce ironborn capable of nearly any martial
  vocation that a human, elf, or dwarf could follow. Drawing on a
  collection of dwarven holy texts that Storstrup kept in his
  library, Firstborn’s children forged divinely inspired ironborn
  who offered prayers to the gods. In battle, their healing
  prowess proved valuable. These clerics erected a small chapel to
  the dwarven gods of war. Others followed in Firstborn’s foot-
  steps and became wizards and sorcerers, tapping into their fun-
  damentally arcane nature to wield potent spells.
  In time,Storstrup passed away.Before he died,Firstborn and
  the most skilled divine and arcane spellcasters among the growing
  number of ironborn worked to restore their creator’s mind.They
  cast many of his most baleful artifacts into the lava,destroying
  them and freeing Storstrup from their influence.Rational once
  again,Storstrup bade the ironborn leave the Tower Esoteric and
  seek their fortune in the world.He saw in his creations a potential
  for tremendous good,as they mirrored his fundamentally benevo-
  lent soul.Firstborn stayed behind to guard the remaining arti-
  facts,along with a few of the older ironborn,but the rest made
  their way to surface.Some carried copies of the Codex Ferranium,
  a thick tome that told the method of their creation.
  Many of the ironborn never made it to their destination.Some
  of those who carried the Codex were ambushed and slain by the
  dark things that lurk deep within the world—dark elves,trolls,
  purple worms,and other terrible creatures.The secret of manu-
  facturing ironborn passed into the hands of dark elves,evil
  dwarves,and others who corrupted it to their own ends.An iron-
  born always reflects the ethos and morality of the one who craft-
  ed it;a few evil spellcasters took advantage of this fact to build
  small cadres of them, but limits on the process prevent most
  mortals from assembling large groups of these constructs. In
  the places where ironborn reached the surface, they faced
  ostracism and suspicion because of their unheralded arrival and
  strange nature.In this way,the surface-dwelling ironborn have
  been pushed to the edge of society,while deep within the earth a
  few ambitious mages slowly build small cadres of these tireless
  warriors.Increasing numbers of dark elf and duergar mages
  Chapter Two
  
  forged loyal ironborn bodyguards who would fight to the death
  for their creators.Nevertheless,some of these evil constructs have
  escaped their masters, whether by design or by accident. Now,
  in isolated, forgotten caverns around the world, tiny enclaves of
  evil, conquest-minded ironborn have begun to take root.
  Ironborn Characters
  Some ironborn have taken up the adventuring life. These char-
  acters have come to the surface or found solace in the subter-
  ranean fortresses of dwarves and gnomes within the past few
  years. Many people have never heard of these creatures, and
  few who know of them trust them. The ironborn are known for
  their dedication, stunning array of body forms, varied personal-
  ities, and intense curiosity about the world. After all, as the
  youngest of the intelligent races, the mundane or normal seems
  wondrous and fresh to them.
  Personality
  Ironborn are as varied in personality,aptitude,and ambition as
  humans.Each of them was crafted for some specific purpose,and
  many pursue their vocations with a focused,passionate intensity.
  An ironborn warrior may practice its parries and strikes for days
  on end,never pausing to rest or sleep.An ironborn wizard might
  speak under only the most important circumstances,since it is
  too absorbed in pondering the mysteries of arcane magic or care-
  fully reflecting on its prepared spells. An ironborn paladin may
  never question the moral weight of its actions.It merely assumes
  that, since it is a tool of the gods, all of its decisions are guided
  by a higher power. The concept of moral fallibility is alien to it.
  These ironborn turn their intrinsic curiosity inward, using it to
  find the utmost limits of their potential.
  Not all ironborn exhibit such a mechanical fixation on the
  task they were designed to perform. Some question the method
  of their creation. They wonder if they are truly alive, or if they
  have only the illusion of free will or consciousness. They delve
  into philosophy and seek to become part of society, and in so
  doing learn what it means to be alive. These ironborn try to
  learn from humans and other intelligent beings. They might
  even select a gender, take a name that fits the local culture, and
  wear local clothing styles in an attempt to fit in. They are the
  most likely of all ironborn to feel the sting of rejection if they
  are cast out or unwanted. These ironborn focus their curiosity
  on society and the interplay between living things. Some of
  them have spurned civilization, living as barbarians and
  rangers among wolves and other wild animals.
  Most ironborn lie somewhere between these two extremes in
  personality and outlook.Each of these “moderates” has a funda-
  mental confidence in its vocation—it simply feels right to follow
  the prescribed path.Other intelligent beings fascinate them.They
  see themselves as equal to organic beings,but in many ways
  wholly distinct.These ironborn are the most likely to form settle-
  ments of their own and remain forever separate from other cul-
  tures.They hold no malice toward other races but recognize that
  they may never enjoy full acceptance from elves,halflings,or
  humans.While other ironborn may seek to fit into the world or
  remain aloof and test the limits of their abilities,these constructs
  attempt to find a stable,harmonious relationship between their
  manufactured nature and the organic world around them.
  Physical Description
  While other folk fall into standard ranges of height,weight,and
  size,ironborn face no such restrictions.Each one was crafted to
  fulfill a specific purpose. Warriors might be as much as 8 feet
  tall, with massive barrel-shaped torsos and hulking, spiked
  arms.A scout or explorer might be no taller than a halfling,with
  nimble hands and strong legs that allow it to outrun bigger folk.
  Most ironborn are crafted from iron, steel, and bronze. They
  have humanoid shapes and durable bodies built to withstand
  punishment. In all other respects, their shapes and forms are as
  varied as their personalities and vocations.
  Chapter Two: The Ironborn 25
  Ironborn paladin
  
  Relations
  As newcomers who have yet to earn the world’s trust, ironborn have
  few friends and many potential enemies. They can sometimes per-
  form evil or reckless actions out of ignorance. An ironborn warrior
  might save a thief from his pursuers, wrongfully assuming that one
  man being chased by twenty must be an innocent victim. Ironborn
  tend to get along well with half-orcs and half-elves, because those
  races also know what it feels like to be an outsider. Because of the
  dwarves’ involvement with their creation, ironborn have a natural
  bond with that race. Halflings sometimes adopt ironborn into their
  settlements and caravans, seeing them as wayward children in need
  of guidance. Since these “children” can sometimes lift hundreds of
  pounds and take on difficult physical jobs, they are handy to have
  around when the big folk cause trouble.
  Overall, ironborn have the easiest time fitting in with residents
  of borderland areas, wilderness outposts, and other places where
  toughness, hard work, and reliability can mean the difference
  between ruin and prosperity. Such folk might be slow to trust oth-
  ers, but they never turn away someone who proves himself a worthy
  friend. In more civilized areas, ironborn are likely to face suspicion
  and fear from those who see them as an unknown, possibly threat-
  ening presence to the established order.
  Alignment
  An ironborn has the same alignment as its creator. The mystic ritu-
  als and spells used to create them forge a strong bond between cre-
  ator and created. The ironborn who can trace their ancestry to
  Storstrup and Firstborn are lawful good. As the Codex Ferranium
  has spread through the caverns below and the lands above, iron-
  born of all alignments have emerged.
  Ironborn Lands
  Ironborn tend to cluster in forbidding, desolate areas that other
  intelligent creatures find unsuitable. Since ironborn eat and drink
  less than other creatures, they can survive on the scant resources
  that rocky foothills, sandy wastelands, and other treacherous areas
  offer. By settling in these regions, ironborn hope to avoid contact
  with those who may fear or despise them.
  An ironborn village or town is a mishmash of architectural styles.
  Many of the buildings are rudely built shelters,little more than logs
  or stones piled up to provide shelter from wind and rain.Those iron-
  born who are curious about civilization adopt the structural styles of
  the cities they have seen in an attempt to create “proper” cities—
  though they may not realize that architecture and design arise from a
  culture’s heritage and values,rather than the other way around.Some
  ironborn go so far as to mimic the conventions of civilized life,build-
  ing “stores” that offer rocks,driftwood,and other junk to customers
  who pay for their goods with pebbles or even coins they have man-
  aged to collect.At the end of the day,the ironborn return the goods
  they purchased and reclaim their money.The next day,they go
  through the elaborate pantomime once again.By imitating these
  aspects of civilization,the residents of isolated ironborn settlements
  hope to understand the societies of humans,dwarves,and elves.
  In some cases,members of other races may settle among the iron-
  born and teach them the ways of the world.Such characters are revered
  as sages,even though they may not deserve the title—but at the same
  time,ironborn are not fools.Would-be tricksters and con men often
  discover that ironborn are not simple children or bumbling dupes.
  Religion
  Ironborn tend to worship the dwarven pantheon, because
  Storstrup’s library held numerous religious texts describing the
  worship of those deities. When left to their own devices, ironborn
  sometimes seek out gods of metal, earth, and creation to find a reli-
  gious doctrine that better suits their experiences. A few ironborn
  pursue an exhaustive study of the gods and their teachings. Driven
  by the belief that their creation was divinely inspired, they seek out
  the god that first gave Storstrup a vision of their creation. These
  ironborn, known as the seekers, believe that they may be the fol-
  lowers of a god long ago lost in the mists of history. They believe
  that if they can reconnect with that deity and establish a new reli-
  gion, they might finally learn something of their role in the world.
  A few ironborn pray to Storstrup, feeling that their creator
  should be treated as a god. The ironborn clerics who follow this
  emerging faith gain access to the domains of Fire, Magic, and
  Protection. They hold the heavy mace as a favored weapon. It is
  unclear if Storstrup has ascended into divinity or if some interme-
  diary provides these followers with divine magic.
  Language
  Ironborn speak Common and whatever language their creators use.
  A few of them have attempted to create a new language called
  Metereon, which uses Dwarven runes arranged in long columns
  rather than horizontal lines. The speakers and writers of this lan-
  guage use it to communicate messages meant only for others of
  their kind. It is most commonly used to leave signs and signals,
  such as directions to a nearby ironborn settlement or warnings
  about a hostile town or village.
  Names
  Ironborn tend to receive nicknames from their creators, usually
  ones that describe their function or unique traits. When an iron-
  born creates one of its own kind, the naming process either follows
  this approach or makes use of a name from some other race that
  the new ironborn likes or thinks is particularly apt. Many of them
  select a single descriptive word that summarizes their personality
  and attitude, or one that reflects on their creator.
  Sample Names: Arrogance, Cloud Chaser, Deepthought,
  Haste, Lightbearer, Longrunner, Noble, War Bearer.
  Adventurers
  Few ironborn enjoy a wholly simple,civilian life.All of them were
  designed for some duty,and though they can deny this calling for long
  periods of time,eventually they must give in to it.An ironborn built as
  a fighter could try to lead a sedentary life,spending only an hour of
  each day in sword practice,but that activity is not enough to slake its
  The Book of Iron Might
  26
  
  inborn desire for combat.The ironborn call this compulsion their “bur-
  den,” and it drives most of them to go out adventuring.Even those who
  have relatively undemanding burdens are still pushed by their innate
  curiosity and industriousness to take their abilities to their limit.
  Racial Characteristics
  Unlike other player character races, ironborn are designed and built
  to fulfill a specific role. If you play an ironborn character, you must
  first determine how and why your character was built. These deci-
  sions will shape your character’s racial drawbacks and benefits. In
  addition, you must pick your character’s burden and establish some
  information regarding its creator. These aspects of an ironborn’s past
  play an important role in shaping the character as a person.
  Ability Score Modifiers
  Ironborn display a wide range of physical and mental abilities. Some
  of them are built for combat, while others are designed for recon-
  naissance or duty as battle wizards. Thus, their ability scores tend to
  reflect their intended role.
  When building your character, you may give a +2 racial bonus to
  any ability score other than Strength in return for a –2 penalty to
  any other score. Or, if you want a +2 bonus to Strength, you must
  assign –2 penalties to two other scores. You do not have to take any
  ability score modifiers if you do not wish to.
  Size
  Most ironborn are Medium, but a few are built for roles where a larg-
  er or smaller size would be advantageous. Ironborn of a size other
  than Medium tend to have fewer special abilities relating to their
  mechanical heritage.
  Medium: Ironborn of this size gain no disadvantages due to size.
  They enjoy the full range of benefits from the ability packages described
  on the next page.A Medium ironborn’s base land speed is 30 feet.
  Small: Ironborn of this size are built as scouts or rogues. Most of
  them are designed to take advantage of their size to sneak past their
  enemies or remain hidden in battle. A Small ironborn gains all the
  standard benefits for this size: +4 size bonus on Hide checks, +1 size
  bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 size bonus to Armor Class. Its base
  land speed is 20 feet. A Small ironborn may opt for a –2 penalty to
  Strength, or it can drop its ability package’s secondary feature. See
  the next page for more information on ability packages.
  Large: Ironborn of this size are invariably built for war. They use
  their great bulk to wield heavy weapons and slam opponents before
  they can draw near. A Large ironborn gains a natural reach of 10 feet,
  but takes a –4 size penalty on Hide checks and a –1 size penalty on
  attack rolls and AC. Its base land speed is 30 feet, and its space is 10
  feet rather than 5 feet for Small and Medium characters. (In terms of
  the v. 3.0 version of the rules, its facing remains 5 feet by 5 feet.)
  A Large ironborn does not gain its ability package’s secondary fea-
  ture. Also, a Large ironborn takes a –2 penalty to Dexterity due to its
  ponderous bulk. Large ironborn are too heavy and unwieldy to move
  with the agility of their smaller brethren.
  Ironborn Traits
  All ironborn share the following traits and features:
  Ironborn Subtype:Ironborn have the humanoid creature type
  with the ironborn subtype. This categorization indicates their par-
  tial, but not complete, artificial nature. Ironborn are, in essence,
  beings with the outer body of a construct but the inner workings of
  an organic creature.
  The following traits are shared by all humanoids with the iron-
  born subtype: Ironborn do not need to sleep and are immune to all
  sleep-based spells,poisons,and other attacks.They need one-quarter
  of the food and water required by other creatures of their size; as a
  rule of thumb, multiply the days’ worth of food and water that an
  ironborn carries by 4 to determine how long it can make its supplies
  last. Unless otherwise noted, ironborn do not gain any of the other
  standard construct traits, such as immunity to critical hits.
  Immortal:As artificial creatures, ironborn suffer none of the
  drawbacks and gain none of the benefits of aging. They never die of
  natural causes, and they are immune to any attacks or effects that
  age a character.
  Natural Armor:All ironborn have heavy, metallic bodies. They
  gain a +1 natural armor bonus to Armor Class.
  Rust Vulnerability:An ironborn suffers damage from a rusting
  attack, as it disintegrates its body. Use the damage value given for
  the spell or effect if one is mentioned. If a damage value is not given,
  the ironborn makes a save using the Difficulty Class and save type
  Chapter Two: The Ironborn 27
  Ironborn fighter
  
  indicated for the effect, if any. If no save is allowed or if the save
  fails, the ironborn takes 1d6 points of damage for each of its Hit
  Dice, with half damage on a successful save.
  Humanoid:Unless otherwise noted,an ironborn is treated as a
  humanoid creature.For example,it falls below 0 hit points,stabi-
  lizes,and dies using the same rules as any other creature and has no
  other vulnerabilities or immunities based on its type and subtype.
  Skills:Ironborn are ignorant of the ways of society and other crea-
  tures.They are born as adults and have few of the social skills that
  other intelligent beings take for granted.They take a –2 racial penalty
  on all Bluff,Diplomacy,Gather Information,and Sense Motive checks.
  Favored Class:An ironborn’s favored class fits whatever role it
  was built to fulfill. You may choose any class as an ironborn’s
  favored class, and once you make this choice you cannot change it.
  Ability Packages
  In addition to the traits described above, ironborn have other abili-
  ties based on their purpose. An ironborn crafted to serve as a cleric
  might be covered in holy runes, while one built as a warrior could
  have a thick, heavy layer of armor. These specialized abilities are
  organized into a series of packages. You may choose one ability
  package for a Medium ironborn character. Each package comes
  with a primary ability and a secondary ability. Once you have cho-
  sen a package, you cannot switch to a new one.
  Acrobat: With its slender, long limbs, sleek chassis, and elegant
  design, an ironborn with this ability package can move with a
  speed and agility that belie the image of constructs as shambling,
  creaky machines. This set of features is most common in ironborn
  designed as monks, scouts, and other warriors who rely on mobility
  rather than heavy armor and brute strength.
  Enhanced Agility (Primary Ability): Your slender but strong limbs
  and intricately designed joints allow you to perform difficult feats
  of agility and acrobatics with ease. You gain a +2 racial bonus on all
  Escape Artist, Jump, and Tumble checks.
  Enhanced Mobility (Secondary Ability): With your long, powerful
  legs and efficiently designed frame, you move faster than normal.
  You gain a +5 foot increase to base land speed.
  Centurion: This package is normally used for warriors and other
  ironborn meant to take a direct hand in fighting. It is easily the
  most common package, reflecting the fact that most ironborn are
  crafted for use in war.
  Armored Body (Primary Ability): The centurion’s body includes a
  number of heavy plates, reinforced joints, and additional shielding.
  This protection provides a +8 armor bonus to Armor Class,a +1 max-
  imum Dexterity bonus to Armor Class,a –6 armor check penalty,and
  a 35 percent arcane spell failure chance, and you reduce your speed
  as normal for wearing heavy armor. You gain these attributes in
  addition to the +1 natural armor bonus to Armor Class that all iron-
  born enjoy. Note that if you lack proficiency with heavy armor, you
  apply your armor check penalty to attack rolls and all skill checks
  involving movement. You can add magical abilities and enhance-
  ment bonuses to this armor as if it were any other suit of armor.
  You cannot remove this armor, nor can you wear armor over it.
  Tough as Iron (Secondary Ability): The thick armor plating that
  covers a centurion helps shield it from critical hits. There is a 25
  percent chance that any critical hit against a centurion deals only
  normal damage.
  Divine Mark: Your body is covered in religious icons and holy
  symbols. You have been blessed by your creator, soaked in holy or
  unholy water, and consecrated within your faith’s sacred chapels.
  You are a living divine artifact. When you select this package, pick
  an alignment opposed to your own. Your abilities help you defeat
  followers of that ethos.
  Divine Vengeance (Primary Ability): You can channel your divine
  energy in several different ways. If you have the ability to turn or
  rebuke undead, you can augment your ability with your body’s
  divine energy. You gain a +2 bonus on all turning or rebuking
  checks. You can create a surge of divine power to harm your ene-
  mies, sheathing your weapon or fist in a nimbus of energy that
  grants you a +2 bonus on damage rolls against enemies that have
  your chosen opposing alignment as a subtype. Choose a single
  alignment subtype, such as chaotic, evil, or good. Against oppo-
  nents that have that subtype, you gain a +2 bonus on damage rolls.
  For example, if you chose evil, you would gain this bonus against a
  vrock because its subtype is evil.
  Blessings of the Divine (Secondary Ability): You gain a +1 bonus on
  all saving throws against spells cast by someone of your chosen
  The Book of Iron Might
  28
  Ironborn monk
  
  opposing alignment. Your patron god’s protective energy wards dan-
  ger away from you.
  Iron Heart: Unlike other ironborn,you have only the slightest
  shred of an organic component.You were built to serve as an obedient
  warrior or soldier.Your intellectual abilities were given only passing
  attention,but the magical processes that power you are too strong to
  keep your personality and mind dormant.You have phenomenal
  toughness and durability thanks to your manufactured nature.
  Machine Body (Primary Ability): You are immune to poison and do
  not need air to breathe, allowing you to survive indefinitely underwa-
  ter. Your natural armor bonus increases to +2.
  Machine Mind (Secondary Ability): You are immune to all mind-
  affecting effects, since your mechanical mind is simply too alien for
  such spells and magical attacks to affect it.
  Shadow Friend: Your mechanical form was crafted from the solid
  stuff of shadow contained within a metallic shell. You can command
  the shadow to seep from your body and cover an area, allowing you
  to conceal your approach or escape under cover of darkness.
  Shadow Master (Primary Ability): You can bind and fold a thick veil
  of shadowy darkness that cloaks your presence and confuses your ene-
  mies. You gain a +2 bonus on all Hide checks. In addition, you gain a
  +4 bonus on Bluff checks made to create a diversion that allows you
  to hide. You create a sudden surge of shadows that allows you to
  divert your opponent’s attention while you slip into the darkness.
  Darkvision (Secondary Ability): Your close attunement to shadow
  allows you to see through even the deepest darkness. You gain dark-
  vision with a range of 60 feet.
  Slayer: You were designed to use stealth and cunning to defeat
  your enemies. Many of the evil folk who have learned the secret of
  the ironborn prefer this set of abilities, because it produces an effi-
  cient, loyal assassin.
  Blood Seeker (Primary Ability): You can see and smell the blood that
  flows through your enemies, allowing you to make a deadly strike
  when their guard is relaxed. You gain a +2 bonus on melee attack
  rolls against opponents that you flank or that have lost their
  Dexterity bonus to Armor Class. You do not gain this bonus against
  foes that are immune to sneak attacks.
  Weapon Spike (Secondary Ability): You have a short blade that can
  retract into your hand, leaving you armed and ready for combat at all
  times. This weapon is a dagger of the appropriate size. It cannot be
  disarmed, and a Search check (DC 25) is required to notice it if you
  leave it sheathed. You ready it like any other weapon. This blade can
  receive magical abilities just like a normal dagger and be upgraded to
  masterwork status. If it is sundered, use the standard price for a dag-
  ger of its size and features to determine the repair time and cost.
  Spellmaster: Your outer shell is augmented with a lattice of care-
  fully worked metals enchanted with arcane energy. Lead, copper, sil-
  ver, and other metals treated by an alchemical process turn your body
  into a magnet for magic. This lattice makes it easier for you to use
  and focus magic, allowing you to handle spells with greater preci-
  sion. Ironborn created to serve as wizards and sorcerers commonly
  have this set of features, though many clerics built for combat also
  feature it.
  Spell Precision (Primary Ability): When drawing magical energy and
  shaping it into a spell, you can direct it with greater precision than
  normal. You gain a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls with spells
  that require attack rolls of any kind, such as touch spells.
  Spell Durability (Secondary Ability): The arcane lattice in your body
  absorbs and holds magical energy even when you are on the verge of
  losing it. Once per day, if you fail a Concentration check when
  attempting to cast a spell, you can opt to reabsorb the spell’s energy
  into your body before you lose control of it. You do not lose the
  spell’s slot and can attempt to cast it again later.
  Trailblazer: Your chassis was designed to withstand the elements,
  allowing you to endure extreme temperature, heavy rains, and other
  hazards of the natural world. You survive on the water and nutrients
  available in the environment around you, allowing you to spend
  months in the wilds without supplies. Ironborn created to serve as
  druids and rangers are usually built with this ability package, as are
  scouts who spend months seeking out enemy units and pathways
  through difficult terrain.
  Survivor (Primary Ability): You gain resistance to cold 2 and fire 2.
  In addition, you no longer need to eat or drink.
  Scion of Nature (Secondary Ability): Your mechanical body is laced
  with tiny plants and soil and rock blessed by a druid. These modifi-
  cations grant you an innate affinity for the natural world. You gain a
  +2 bonus on all Handle Animal and Survival checks. You can feel the
  ebb and flow of natural energies, granting you an almost intuitive
  sense of nature.
  Chapter Two: The Ironborn 29
  Ironborn wizard
  
  Origin and Creator
  All ironborn were built for a purpose and designed by another per-
  son, be it a wizard interested in copying Storstrup’s work or an
  ironborn interested in spawning another member of its race.
  All ironborn have an innate connection to their creators. They
  share their builder’s alignment as a consequence of the magical rit-
  uals required to give them life. An ironborn must make a Will save
  (DC 10) to disobey any direct order it receives from its creator. The
  ironborn automatically succeeds at this save if the order would
  destroy it or is suicidal in nature. Otherwise, anything goes. An
  ironborn’s creator can choose to forgo this control at any time, and
  once he does so, his hold over his creation is forever broken. Many
  ironborn who build descendants use their power over their chil-
  dren to help them learn of the world and adapt to it. At the com-
  ing-of-age ceremony, usually held two or three years after an iron-
  born’s creation, its creator relinquishes this hold.
  These stipulations serve to add some color and weight to an
  ironborn’s background. The save Difficulty Class is low enough that
  high-level characters can ignore potentially harmful instructions
  most of the time. Since an ironborn shares its maker’s alignment, it
  usually obeys reasonable orders without question.
  For DMs, using this feature requires some care. It is all too easy
  to have an ironborn’s creator show up and force it into undertaking
  an adventure or performing tasks like a pet or slave. This weakness
  should be used rarely—perhaps only once in an entire campaign, if
  at all. The player should decide if her PC’s creator would abuse this
  power, since this feature serves as a roleplaying and plot device, not
  a mechanical balance to the ironborn’s racial abilities.
  An Ironborn’s Burden
  All ironborn have what they call a burden, which is the role or posi-
  tion they were created to fulfill. The magical process used to create
  them uses this overriding purpose to help give an ironborn’s nas-
  cent personality the force and will it needs to achieve true life.
  An ironborn must engage in activities relating to its class each
  day, whether it simply practices its skills or uses them to accom-
  plish a task. For example, an ironborn fighter might have to engage
  in combat, whether a mock fight or a real one, each day. For each
  day an ironborn fails to exercise its abilities, it slowly becomes
  more irritable, angry, and prone to lashing out with its talents in
  order to use them. At the start of each new day, an ironborn must
  make a Will save with a DC equal to 10 + the number of consecu-
  tive days it has been unable to use its abilities. If it fails this save, at
  some point during the day the ironborn loses control and makes
  use of its abilities regardless of the situation. If it cannot do so for
  any reason, such as if the proper materials are not available or it is
  physically restrained from exercising its abilities, it lashes out at the
  nearest living creature, attacking by any means available for 2d6
  rounds. At the end of this time, it returns to normal. If no foes are
  present, it vents its rage against inanimate objects. An ironborn
  that lashes out in this manner must still make another save the
  next day, since it has not yet fulfilled its burden.
  This drawback is intended as a piece of background color to
  illustrate an ironborn’s mechanical nature. All of these creatures
  were built for a purpose, and they pursue it with a focus that is at
  times maniacal. Most PC ironborn can easily get around this draw-
  back, and it does not serve as a balance against the benefits of the
  ironborn’s abilities. Instead, DMs can use it as a part of an adven-
  ture or as part of a story in the game. For example, an ironborn pal-
  adin might be thrown in jail by suspicious townsfolk. When the
  jailers stop him from praying each day, he may go berserk and make
  it that much harder for the other PCs to convince the mayor to
  release their friend.
  Ironborn in the Campaign
  Compared to the other races available in the game,ironborn offer
  flexibility and options that make them suited to almost any class.
  Dwarves might make poor sorcerers,and halflings are typically poor
  fighters,but an ironborn can be altered to excel in almost any area.
  While this overall versatility reflects their manufactured nature—
  after all, someone had to build and design them for a specific
  purpose—the campaign might feature an entire party of ironborn
  The Book of Iron Might
  30
  Ironborn cleric
  
  if the players like the concept. Regardless of their expertise, ironborn
  are poorly suited for the bard, paladin, and sorcerer classes. Their
  abilities also make them inferior to other races when it comes to the
  ranger and druid classes. Not all of the ability packages are equally
  useful. This was an intentional design decision; ironborn can per-
  form almost any function, but they are better at some than others.
  When the DM introduces ironborn into the campaign,he must
  consider the role and frequency of such creatures in the setting,par-
  ticularly with respect to the local area where the PCs’ adventures take
  place.If ironborn are rare,a single member of this race traveling with
  elves,humans,or gnomes might not draw much attention aside from
  curiosity.The townsfolk may assume that the ironborn is a servant or
  comrade of the party and react appropriately.
  Trouble may arise when ironborn appear in greater numbers.
  Where a single construct is a curiosity,a few dozen might be seen as a
  threat.An ironborn PC might not be allowed inside a settlement,or it
  could be required to give up its weapons.The local governments are
  likely to see ironborn in a light similar to any other race from the
  underground realms—they are enemies until they conclusively prove
  themselves otherwise.In a campaign where dark elves,duergar,and
  other races produce ironborn servitors,a single incursion from
  beneath the earth could forever ruin the reputation of all ironborn.
  Always remember that roleplaying restrictions should never serve
  to balance out mechanical benefits. The benefits of being an iron-
  born are balanced against the benefits afforded to other races in the
  core rules. The unique background and uncertain status of ironborn
  is meant to give the DM fodder for adventures, roleplaying, and a
  context to fit them into the campaign. Ironborn are not meant to be
  used as an excuse to make life difficult for the players.
  Ironborn Details
  The following information allows a player to fill out the final details of
  an ironborn character.It provides a range of heights,weights,and
  ages that can be used as examples or as a method to randomly gener-
  ate such values.Note that ironborn tend to be only a few years old
  when they start their adventuring careers.Their masters build them,
  train them for a few months,and then either set them to their tasks or
  allow them to wander the land.Since ironborn are built rather than
  born,they are created with many of the basic skills and abilities that
  organic creatures need years to master.
  Ironborn Age
  Ironborn do not age physically, but as a naïve, young race they tend
  to look up to the elders among them with tremendous respect and
  admiration. The table below is meant to give you a sense of how
  ironborn view others of their kind in terms of age. As the campaign
  progresses, these values might change as the eldest ironborn survive
  through the years. As you can see, ironborn have existed for a time
  period shorter than the life span of an elf or dwarf.
  Ironborn Age
  Value
  Starting Age
  1d4+1
  Middle Age
  15
  Old
  30
  Venerable
  60
  Maximum Age
  —
  Height and Weight
  An ironborn’s height and weight are determined by its size. Since
  these creatures can be built as Small, Medium, or Large creatures,
  there is tremendous overall variation in their height and girth.
  Size
  Height
  Weight
  Small
  3 feet + 2d6 inches
  40 + 2d20 lbs.
  Medium
  6 feet + 2d10 inches
  200 + 5d20 lbs.
  Large
  8 feet + 2d10 inches
  400 +4d100 lbs.
  Creating Ironborn
  Crafting an ironborn is a short and simple process. As part of the
  process, the creator must donate a small shard of his or her life force
  and personality to give the ironborn vitality. Because this investment
  of energy is taxing to the creator’s psyche, a single individual can
  never create more than one ironborn. While ironborn can produce
  others of their kind, they too must obey this stricture. Even if an
  ironborn dies, its creator cannot build another one to take its place.
  This deep connection between creator and created explains why an
  ironborn shares its creator’s alignment.
  Chapter Two: The Ironborn 31
  Ironborn barbarian
  
  Many spellcasters and warlords who wish to amass small
  groups of ironborn order their created minions to produce more
  of their kind. The expertise needed to make more ironborn takes
  time to develop, making this an inefficient way to build up an
  army. Ironborn may exist in small, elite units, but beyond that, the
  process is simply too slow to enable the building of entire legions.
  From a game design perspective, creating an ironborn is similar
  to gaining the service of a cohort through the Leadership feat. A
  loyal ironborn, with its close ties to its creator’s ethos, fills almost
  the same role as a trusted follower. In order to produce an iron-
  born, you must take the Craft Ironborn feat, which draws on many
  of the rules that cover the use of the Leadership feat.
  Craft Ironborn [Item Creation]
  You have learned the mystic secrets of creating an ironborn. When
  you have gathered the proper raw materials, you can craft a
  mechanical being that will serve you as a friend, comrade, and
  trusted ally.
  Prerequisites: Craft (metalworking, blacksmithing, or similar
  skill) 10 ranks, caster level 1st or ironborn race. You must also have
  iron, powdered gems, and other raw materials totaling 1,000 gp in
  value along with a copy of the Codex Ferranium. It takes one week of
  work to produce an ironborn.
  Benefit: You create an ironborn that has a character level as
  determined by the table below. Your construct score equals your
  character level + your Intelligence modifier. As you can see, this
  produces an ironborn of the same level as a cohort you would gain
  with the Leadership feat.
  Your ironborn minion gains experience for participating in
  adventures as normal and gains levels at the standard rate. You cre-
  ate every aspect of the ironborn, from its ability scores and name to
  its personality and appearance. The ironborn you create never
  abandons you or betrays your trust, and it serves you to the best of
  its abilities. An ironborn can create an additional follower for itself,
  which you can command by proxy. Keep in mind that even iron-
  born need the minimum ranks in an appropriate Craft skill in
  order to create another of their kind, perhaps requiring an iron-
  born to gain several levels before it can create a new follower.
  Construct
  Ironborn
  Construct
  Ironborn
  Score
  Level
  Score
  Level
  1
  —
  13
  9th
  2
  1st
  14
  10th
  3
  2nd
  15
  10th
  4
  3rd
  16
  11th
  5
  3rd
  17
  12th
  6
  4th
  18
  12th
  7
  5th
  19
  13th
  8
  5th
  20
  14th
  9
  6th
  21
  15th
  10
  7th
  22
  15th
  11
  7th
  23
  16th
  12
  8th
  24+
  17th
  Ironborn Feats
  The following feats are designed specifically for
  ironborn. They draw on these characters’ unique origins
  and artificial nature to grant them expanded abilities.
  All of these feats are marked with the ironborn feat type, which
  indicates that only members of that race are eligible to select
  them. An ironborn can take one of these feats as a bonus feat
  gained from a class feature, such as from the fighter or wizard
  class. The class feature that grants the extra feat must be referred
  to as a “bonus feat” in the class’ level progression table.
  Otherwise, you cannot use this opportunity to select an ironborn
  feat. For example, the ranger gains combat styles that provide the
  equivalent of a feat, but that class feature is not specifically called
  a bonus feat.
  Holy Icon [Ironborn]
  You have a specially wrought holy symbol mounted on your chest,
  forehead, or some other part of your body. This icon allows you to
  channel divine energy with increased focus and power.
  Prerequisite: Divine caster level 1st. (You must purchase a mas-
  terwork holy symbol if you take this feat after 1st level.)
  Benefit: You may use your divine spells to augment your turning
  attempts. By spending a spell slot, you gain a bonus on your turn-
  ing check equal to the level of the spell slot. This bonus does not
  allow you to turn undead that have more Hit Dice than you can
  normally affect, usually your effective cleric level + 4.
  The Book of Iron Might
  32
  Ironborn rogue
  
  Improved Natural Armor [Ironborn]
  Your metal skin is thick and durable, allowing you to shrug off hits
  that otherwise would injure you.
  Prerequisite: You must spend 100 gp on raw materials, including
  iron, bronze, and similar metals, to reinforce your chassis if you take
  this feat after 1st level.
  Benefit: You increase your natural bonus to Armor Class by 1. You
  may take this feat only once.
  Intricate Joints [Ironborn]
  You can turn and rotate your torso and arms along several joint lines
  not normally found in humanoid creatures. This ability allows you to
  face attacks that come from several directions, making it impossible
  to flank you.
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 15, Spring-Loaded Reflexes. (You must
  spend 400 gp on raw materials, including iron, bronze, and similar
  metals, to improve your chassis if you take this feat after 1st level.)
  Benefit: You can no longer be flanked. This benefit denies a rogue
  the ability to sneak attack you by flanking, unless the attacker has at
  least four more rogue levels than you have character levels.
  Memory Bank [Ironborn]
  Your mind can alter and shift its contents to suit your needs, drawing
  on the artificial nature of your consciousness to shape and mold it.
  In essence, you can hold more memories than a living mind can nor-
  mally process. By shifting and changing your mental focus, you can
  gain and lose access to portions of the abilities you have learned.
  Prerequisite: Intelligence 13.
  Benefit: When you take this feat, you gain a +2 competence bonus
  on checks involving a single class skill of your choice. Once per day
  you can select a different skill to gain this feat’s benefit.
  Spell Runes [Ironborn]
  You scribe the text of several spells onto your body,allowing you to
  study them without the use of a spellbook.In addition,you modify your
  body to better collect and focus the energies required for those spells.
  Prerequisites: Arcane caster level 1st,ability to prepare spells.(You
  must spend 800 gp on raw materials,including iron,bronze,and
  similar metals,to alter your chassis if you take this feat after 1st level.)
  Benefit: Select any three spells you can prepare and cast.Those
  spells are scribed on your body.You can prepare them even if you lose
  access to your spellbook.When you cast one of these spells,you gain
  either a +1 bonus to its save DC or a bonus on the spell’s damage equal
  to your Intelligence modifier.You make this choice at the time of cast-
  ing,and you can change the benefit from one casting to the next.
  Spring-Loaded Reflexes [Ironborn]
  Your joints have a set of heavy springs and flexible, high-tension
  connections and lines. You react quickly to danger, allowing you to
  defend yourself even when an opponent has the drop on you.
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Dodge, Improved Initiative. (You must
  spend 100 gp on raw materials, including iron, bronze, and similar
  metals, to improve your chassis if you take this feat after 1st level.)
  Benefit: You gain the uncanny dodge ability. You retain your
  Dexterity bonus to Armor Class even if you are caught flat-footed or
  struck by an invisible attacker. However, you still lose your Dexterity
  bonus to Armor Class if you are immobilized.
  Weaponized Limb [Ironborn]
  One of your arms has been replaced with a sword blade, axe, mace, or
  similar weapon. As an extension of your body, it is easier to wield
  than a standard weapon.
  Prerequisite: You must purchase a masterwork weapon of the
  appropriate type for your arm if you take this feat after 1st level.
  Benefit: Select a melee weapon that you can wield one-handed.
  This is the weapon installed on your arm. This masterwork weapon
  cannot be disarmed. Like any other masterwork weapon, you can
  enhance it with magical properties as normal.
  When using this weapon,you gain a bonus on damage rolls equal to
  1.5 times your Strength bonus,the same as if you wielded the weapon
  with two hands.Since the weapon is part of your body,you can put more
  weight behind it than normal,and you have superior leverage with it.
  Special: You can take this feat only once.When you do so,you lose the
  ability to use the hand on your weaponized arm as a hand (see below).
  You cannot use a double weapon with this feat.You otherwise gain the
  benefits of all feats and abilities relating to this weapon as normal.
  Since you have only one hand after you take this feat, you suffer
  penalties in some situations. You take a –2 penalty on all grapple
  checks unless your weaponized arm has a light weapon. You take a
  –2 competence penalty on all Climb, Craft, Disable Device, and
  Open Lock checks. In addition, the DM can assess a –2 competence
  penalty in any situation when your lack of a hand is a drawback. Your
  remaining hand is considered your off hand, and you may suffer any
  relevant penalties for using it as normal.
  Chapter Two: The Ironborn 33
  Name
  Prerequisites
  Benefit
  Holy Icon
  Divine caster level 1st
  Spend spell slot to improve turning
  Improved Natural Armor
  100 gp
  Increase natural AC by +1
  Intricate Joints
  Dex 15, Spring-Loaded Reflexes, 400 gp
  You can no longer be flanked
  Memory Bank
  Int 13
  Can swap +3 bonus among skills
  Spell Runes
  Arcane caster level 1st,ability to prepare spells,800 gp
  You gain +1 DC to three spells
  Spring-Loaded Reflexes
  Dex 13, Dodge, Improved Initiative, 100 gp
  You gain uncanny dodge
  Weaponized Limb
  Masterwork weapon
  Deal 1.5 times damage bonus with weapon
  IRONBORN FEATS
  
  Feats of Iron Might 
  Feats are the backbone of any fighter character.Members of that class excel in battle because of their variety of combat-
  related abilities,from Combat Expertise to Power Attack.
  T
  his chapter introduces several new feat types to expand
  the talents available to any fighter. These new feats are
  meant to push the boundaries of what a feat can be. A
  discussion of each of the new types includes commentary on
  how the feats work and what you can do to add them to your
  game. The new types are as follows.
  Arcane Battle Feats: These feats allow you to create combat-
  ants (particularly fighters) who use arcane magic to improve
  their abilities.
  Battlemind Feats: Requiring a level of dedication and study
  far beyond the norm, battlemind feats are advanced combat
  abilities available only to characters who engage in the most
  rigorous training.
  Fighting Style Feats: Available only at 1st level, these feats
  define a character’s preferred method of fighting and grow with
  her as she progresses in level.
  Arcane Battle Feats
  The spellcasting warrior is a common motif in fantasy, yet with-
  out a prestige class it is difficult to model this character type
  using the core rules. Arcane spells are difficult to cast in armor,
  and most of them replace rather than augment a warrior’s
  efforts. In essence, you lose a lot more than you gain from mix-
  ing a fighting class with a spellcasting one. Your spells don’t
  necessarily do much to improve your combat ability, while
  many of the key advantages offered by a combat-skilled class
  run directly into an arcane caster’s weaknesses.
  Arcane battle feats seek to bridge the gap between warrior
  and spellcasters. They provide supernatural abilities to combat-
  ants that allow them to use magical power to augment their
  fighting talents. Rather than work within the bounds of the
  class, spell level, and spell slot system, it uses a series of feats
  that each present a discrete magical ability. As a consequence,
  these talents are best suited to fighters, which makes sense
  considering that fighters are supposed to be the most combat-
  focused class in the game.
  An elf fighter might use Combat Expertise and Weapon
  Finesse to become a daring swashbuckler. A burly half-orc
  could use Power Attack and Cleave to turn his greataxe into a
  devastating weapon. By the same token, a dwarf might tap into
  the power of magic to turn his flail into a deadly weapon. The
  fighter class encompasses a broad variety of characters. The
  arcane battle feats simply make another fighter archetype, the
  warrior-mage, possible under the core rules.
  General Rules
  The arcane battle feats are supernatural abilities. They function
  the same as other supernatural abilities with a few exceptions
  noted below and, in some cases, in the individual feat descrip-
  tions. Unless otherwise noted, an arcane battle feat may be
  activated as a move action that does not provoke an attack of
  opportunity. Count a character’s base attack bonus as his caster
  level for purposes of spell resistance, dispel magic, and any other
  effects that require that value.
  A fighter or wizard can select any arcane battle feat with the
  bonus feats his class offers.
  When you use an arcane battle feat, it ends with your current
  action unless otherwise noted with a duration expressed in
  rounds, minutes, or some other time unit. You cannot activate
  one of these feats at the end of your current action and then
  gain its benefits on your next action.
  You may only activate one arcane battle feat on your action.
  The saving throw for most effects produced by an arcane
  battle feat equals 10 + half your base attack bonus + your
  Intelligence modifier. This reflects that your skill with this abil-
  ity is closely tied to your martial prowess. Just as an archer
  learns to fire with greater accuracy, an arcane fighter learns to
  focus his magical talent as he improves his skills with swords,
  axes, crossbows, and other weapons.
  Most arcane battle feats can be used only a limited number
  of times per day, based on your base attack bonus. A separate
  entry under such feats shows you how to determine how many
  times you can invoke your feat’s magical powers each day.
  Usually, you divide your base attack bonus by another number
  to arrive at this value.
  Magic Items and Arcane Battle Feats
  You can create magic items that grant these feats to their user 
  if you possess the appropriate feat and Craft Magic Arms and
  Armor.A weapon or suit of armor with one of these feats grants
  its user the appropriate feat even if he lacks the prerequisites.
  The cost to add an arcane battle feat to a weapon or suit of
  armor is equal to the base attack bonus required to gain the feat
  multiplied by 2,000 gp. Any save Difficulty Classes use the
  minimum Intelligence score required to gain the feat. You can
  increase the base attack bonus used to determine this cost. If
  you do so, the feat operates at that improved bonus.
  You can place multiple arcane battle feats in a weapon or suit
  of armor. Determine the full cost of each as described above.
  Chapter Three
  
  Chapter Three: Feats of Iron Might 35
  Name
  Prerequisites
  Benefit
  Arcane Battle Mastery
  Int 13, base attack  bonus +1
  Gain Concentration, Knowledge (arcana),
  and Spellcraft as class skills
  Animate Weapon
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Summon Spectral
  You animate a weapon to fight for you
  Squire, base attack bonus +12
  Arcane Weapon
  Arcane Battle Mastery, base attack bonus +1
  Grant a weapon an enhancement bonus
  Aspect of Battle
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Mind Strike, Serpent-
  Grant your enemies a penalty to attacks
  Eyed Strike,Cha 13,base attack bonus +12
  Augment Physical Prowess
  Arcane Battle Mastery, base attack bonus +3
  Gain +2 bonus to either Str, Dex, or Con 
  for a short time 
  Bounding Step
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Fleet-Footed Charge,
  Soar through the air with long, easy leaps
  Vertical Step, base attack bonus +8
  Dance of a Feather’s Step
  Arcane Battle Mastery,Bounding Step,Fleet-Footed 
  Stand on thin air
  Charge, Vertical Step, base attack bonus +16
  Death Strike
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Arcane Weapon,
  Gain extra damage, cause Str and Con 
  base attack bonus +16
  damage with necromantic energy
  Energy Burst
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Arcane Weapon, Energy 
  Create burst of energy that fills the area
  Sheath, Energy Shield, base attack bonus +12
  around you
  Energy Sheath
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Arcane Weapon,
  Inflict extra energy damage with a weapon
  base attack bonus +4
  Energy Shield
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Arcane Weapon, Energy 
  Gain resistance to an energy type
  Sheath, base attack bonus +8
  Energy Web
  Arcane Battle Mastery,Arcane Weapon,
  Surround your weapon in a net of energy 
  Energy Burst,Energy Sheath, Energy Shield,
  that can grasp and burn an opponent 
  base attack bonus +16
  you strike
  Flattening Strike
  Arcane Battle Mastery,Arcane Weapon,Knockback
  Knock an opponent prone with a 
  Strike, Power Attack, base attack bonus +8
  magically enhanced attack
  Fleet-Footed Charge
  Arcane Battle Mastery, base attack bonus +1
  +10 feet bonus to speed
  Force Armor
  Arcane Battle Mastery, base attack bonus +1
  Gain a deflection bonus to AC
  Hellfire Charge
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Fleet-Footed Charge,
  You become a blazing, living projectile
  Rhino’s Charge,base attack bonus +10
  Knockback Strike
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Arcane Weapon,
  Your powerful blow sends your foe 
  Power Attack, base attack bonus +3
  stumbling backward
  Launching Strike
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Arcane Weapon,
  You use your magic to knock an opponent
  Flattening Strike, Knockback Strike,
  high into the air
  Power Attack, base attack bonus +16
  Mind Strike
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Serpent-Eyed Strike,
  Your attacks slice into your opponent’s 
  Cha 13, base attack bonus +8
  psyche
  Rhino’s Charge
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Fleet-Footed Charge,
  You deal extra damage, knock your foe 
  base attack bonus +5
  prone with a charge
  Serpent-Eyed Strike
  Arcane Battle Mastery,Cha 13,base attack bonus +1
  You weave a mystic pattern with your 
  weapons that leaves a foe flat-footed
  Storm of Arrows
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Point Blank Shot,
  You make an area attack with a single 
  base attack bonus +8
  arrow
  Summon Spectral Shield Bearer
  Arcane Battle Mastery, base attack bonus +5
  You call a magical being to defend you
  Summon Spectral Squire
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Quick Draw,
  You call a mystic helper who carries your 
  base attack bonus +1
  weapons and keeps them ready
  Thousand Blade Strike
  Arcane Battle Mastery, base attack bonus +4
  You cause one foe to become flanked
  Vertical Step
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Fleet-Footed Charge,
  You can walk up walls
  base attack bonus +4
  Wave of Mutilation
  Arcane Battle Mastery, Power Attack,
  You turn a single melee strike into a 
  base attack bonus +8
  cone-shaped area attack
  ARCANE BATTLE FEATS
  
  Arcane Battle Feats in the Campaign
  Your DM may require you to undergo special training or seek out
  an NPC master to teach you the basics of the arcane battle feats
  before you can select one. After all, they represent a rather special-
  ized form of fighting. Unlike other feats, they cover a body of tal-
  ents and knowledge that not just anyone can acquire. In game
  mechanics terms, they lack the clear grouping and sense of identity
  that a prestige class confers, but they are too varied and flexible to
  easily fit into such a rules construct.
  From a design standpoint, these feats are built to cover a broad
  array of fighting styles that could be augmented with magical abili-
  ties. They don’t present a single, clear path. Instead, they show how
  an arcane martial tradition could arise in a world where swordplay,
  archery, and magecraft blend together. The more advanced arcane
  battle feats, the ones that produce flashy or powerful effects,
  require several other feats in this category as prerequisites. Thus,
  only fighters who dedicate themselves to this path can achieve its
  upper ranks. Other characters might dabble in it, but none can
  achieve the same level of expertise as a fighter who focuses on
  arcane combat styles. Thus, you don’t have to worry about any bal-
  ance issues with characters who take one or two of these feats to
  gain magical powers. The arcane battle feats are scaled and bal-
  anced with the other options out there. They simply use a different
  explanation to frame their capabilities. They tend to produce more
  spectacular, showy effects, restricted by the number of times per
  day you can use them.
  Arcane Battle Feat Descriptions
  There are two ways you can gain arcane battle feats. Fighters and
  members of other classes that have no access to arcane spells must
  choose the Arcane Battle Mastery feat in order to start selecting
  them. That feat gives you access to several skills that reflect the
  training and study you must undergo in order to master these feats’
  capabilities.
  Arcane Battle Mastery [Arcane Battle]
  You have been initiated into the mysteries of battle magic, allowing
  you to create a variety of effects with the simple, focused spells of
  this school. In many ways, this tradition represents a style and
  method of casting utterly unlike the arcane or divine bodies of
  magic. Your spells focus exclusively on improving your fighting
  ability and creating effects that draw on the chaos and energy of
  combat.
  Prerequisites: Intelligence 13, base attack bonus +1.
  Benefits: You gain Concentration, Knowledge (arcana), and
  Spellcraft as class skills. This feat is a prerequisite for all other
  arcane battle feats. It represents the benefit of the specialized
  training, meditation, and study that you must undergo to unlock
  the mysteries of this rare fusion of magical talent and martial
  study.
  Wizards and other arcane spellcasters have a greater command
  of magic, but they lack combat training. Any spellcaster who can
  prepare or cast 1st-level arcane spells, has an Intelligence of 13 or
  higher, has Concentration, Knowledge (arcana), and Spellcraft as
  class skills, and has a base attack bonus of +1 gains the Arcane
  Battle Mastery feat automatically.
  Animate Weapon [Arcane Battle]
  You create a nimbus of magical force around a single melee weapon
  that allows it to move and fight on its own. This force draws on
  your intellect and combat skill, allowing the animated weapon to
  fight with talent equal to your own.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Summon Spectral Squire,
  base attack bonus +12.
  Uses/Day:One.
  Duration: A number of rounds equal to your base attack bonus.
  Benefit: You imbue a single weapon you hold in your hand with
  the ability to fight on its own. The weapon deals its standard dam-
  age, including any bonuses and abilities it gains from magical
  enchantments. It strikes with a base attack bonus equal to your
  base attack bonus + your Intelligence modifier. If your attack bonus
  is high enough for you to gain multiple attacks, the weapon gains
  these multiple attacks as well. The weapon never gains a flanking
  bonus, nor does it provide one for another attacker, and your feats
  do not aid its attacks. It acts on your initiative count.
  The weapon can fly at a speed of 30 feet with perfect maneuver-
  ability. It must remain within 100 feet of you. You can direct it to
  attack a foe as a free action when you first use this ability to ani-
  mate the weapon, but on subsequent rounds you must use a move
  action to set it against a new foe. If its current foe is defeated, the
  weapon automatically moves to attack the closest enemy. The
  weapon never willingly attempts to move farther than 100 feet
  from you.
  The weapon’s Armor Class, hit points, and hardness are as nor-
  mal for its size. It does not gain attacks of opportunity, nor does it
  provoke them, unless an opponent tries to grapple it. In that case,
  it gains an attack of opportunity against any would-be grapplers.
  The weapon gains one attack of opportunity against an opponent
  that tries to initiate a grapple against it. There is no limit on the
  number of attacks of opportunity it makes in total each round, but
  it can only attack a specific would-be grappler once. If grappled, the
  weapon makes grapple checks as normal for its base attack bonus
  and size. It gains no Strength bonus or penalty.
  If an opponent dispels this effect, the animated weapon falls to
  the ground.
  Arcane Weapon [Arcane Battle]
  Drawing upon the power of magic, you imbue your weapon or fist
  with an arcane aura that allows you to strike with greater accuracy
  and to inflict superior damage.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, base attack bonus +1.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 3,rounded down,+1.
  Duration: A number of rounds equal to your base attack bonus.
  Benefit: You grant a single weapon (ranged or melee weapon)
  0r other missile that you grasp an enhancement bonus on attack
  rolls and damage rolls. It is considered a magic weapon for the
  The Book of Iron Might
  36
  
  purpose of overcoming damage reduction. The weapon’s enhance-
  ment bonus depends on your base attack bonus:
  Base Attack Bonus
  Enhancement Bonus
  +1 to +4
  +1
  +5 to +8
  +2
  +9 to +12
  +3
  +13 to +16
  +4
  +17 to +20
  +5
  Aspect of Battle [Arcane Battle]
  You gather the psychic energy you have learned to manipulate in
  battle and form it into a mantle of power that strikes terror into your
  foes. In their minds, they see a horrifying war master poised to strike
  them down in his wrath.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Mind Strike, Serpent-Eyed
  Strike, Charisma 13, base attack bonus +12.
  Uses/Day: One.
  Duration: A number of rounds equal to half your base attack
  bonus, rounded down.
  Benefit: While this ability is active, all opponents within 60 feet
  of you suffer a –2 morale penalty on attack rolls, checks, and saves.
  Creatures with fewer Hit Dice than you gain no saving throw against
  this ability. Those with Hit Dice equal to or greater than yours can
  avoid the effect with a Will save (DC 10 + half your base attack
  bonus + your Intelligence modifier).
  Augment Physical Prowess [Arcane Battle]
  You draw upon your magical abilities to strengthen your limbs,
  sharpen your reflexes, or enhance your toughness.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, base attack bonus +3.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 5,rounded down,+1.
  Duration: A number of rounds equal to your base attack bonus.
  Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Strength, Dexterity, or
  Constitution. You choose which ability to increase when you use
  this feat.
  Bounding Step [Arcane Battle]
  With a single, seemingly effortless push off the ground, you glide
  through the air. In essence, you can fly for short distances merely by
  invoking the power of this feat.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Fleet-Footed Charge,
  Vertical Step, base attack bonus +8.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 4, rounded down.
  Duration: A number of rounds equal to your base attack bonus.
  Benefit: When you move, you are considered to be flying through
  the air. At the end of your movement, you land, and you gain no
  special bonus to speed unless you have other active arcane battle
  feats. You can choose to take a double move when you use this feat,
  and you can move directly up, or horizontally from the roof of one
  building to another, or across a castle’s moat. The total distance you
  move cannot exceed your total movement allowance, but you can go
  in any direction you want. You can even jump safely down. If you
  are not over a solid surface when your movement ends, you fall as
  normal. You may use the run action in conjunction with this feat.
  Dance of a Feather’s Step [Arcane Battle]
  You literally become light as a feather,allowing you to stand in mid-air
  and fight an opponent with little effort. You gain no special ability to
  fly,forcing you to leap or use your other abilities to move up and down,
  but once you are airborne you are difficult to knock from the sky.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Bounding Step, Fleet-
  Footed Charge, Vertical Step, base attack bonus +16.
  Benefit: Once per round you can avoid falling; this is not an
  action, thus you enjoy this benefit even if it is not your turn. Thus, as
  long as you are active and aware, you should not have to worry about
  falling. If for some reason you cannot take a free action to maintain
  this ability, you fall as normal. You can run, jump, and move as nor-
  mal while in the air, but you cannot run “upward” through the air.
  You can move down a total distance of up to your base land speed,
  and you can descend as part of a normal move at no cost. For
  example, a character with a speed of 30 feet could move downward
  as much as to 30 feet in addition to any other movement he can
  normally make.
  Death Strike [Arcane Battle]
  You imbue your weapon or fist with a shimmering halo of black,
  necromantic energy, allowing you to disrupt your opponent’s life
  force. This energy is also baneful to undead creatures, allowing you
  to destroy them with a single, savage blow.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Arcane Weapon, base attack
  bonus +16.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 8, rounded down.
  Benefit: You deal an extra 2d6 points of damage with your next
  attack as the necromantic energy weakens your living foe. In addi-
  tion, your opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half your
  base attack bonus + your Intelligence modifier). On a failed save, the
  opponent takes 1d6 points of temporary damage to Strength and
  Constitution. This is a negative energy effect
  An undead creature struck by Death Strike does not suffer the
  effects described above. Instead, it must make a Will save (DC 10 +
  half your base attack bonus + your Intelligence modifier) or be
  immediately destroyed.
  Energy Burst [Arcane Battle]
  You focus your arcane power into your weapon, drawing upon energy
  that you can barely control. With a single, jarring impact, you
  unleash a burst of fire that consumes your enemies.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Arcane Weapon, Energy
  Sheath, Energy Shield, base attack bonus +12.
  Uses/Day: One.
  Benefit: You create a burst of energy that fills a 30-foot spread
  centered on you. This energy is of the same type as the energy created
  by your Energy Sheath feat. This burst of energy deals damage dictat-
  ed by your base attack bonus, as indicated below. Anyone in this area
  must make Reflex saves (DC 10 + half your base attack bonus + your
  Chapter Three: Feats of Iron Might 37
  
  Intelligence modifier) for half damage. You do not take damage
  from the effect yourself, as the energy surges around and outward
  from you.
  Base Attack Bonus
  Burst Damage
  +12 to +15
  6d6
  +16 to +19
  8d6
  +20
  10d6
  Energy Sheath [Arcane Battle]
  You summon arcane power to bathe your weapon—or even your
  bare fists—in energy, allowing you to deal extra energy damage
  with your strikes.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Arcane Weapon, base
  attack bonus +4.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 4, rounded down.
  Duration: A number of rounds equal to half your base attack
  bonus, rounded down.
  Benefit: When you choose this feat, select one of the following
  energy types: acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. Your attacks now
  deal extra damage of that type, the amount depending on your base
  attack bonus:
  Base Attack Bonus
  Extra Damage
  +4 to +8
  1d4
  +9 to +14
  1d6
  +15 to +20
  1d8
  Special: The energy type you choose also applies to the following
  feats if you select them: Energy Burst, Energy Shield, and Energy
  Web. When you gain one of those feats, you automatically use the
  energy type chosen for this feat. You can select Energy Sheath,
  Energy Burst, Energy Shield, or Energy Web multiple times, speci-
  fying a different energy type each time.
  Energy Shield [Arcane Battle]
  Your mastery of energy control allows you to resist an attack form
  involving your specified energy type. You create a field of energy
  that surrounds you and counters such attacks.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Arcane Weapon, Energy
  Sheath, base attack bonus +8.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 4, rounded down.
  Duration: A number of rounds equal to your base attack bonus.
  Benefits: You gain resistance to the energy type you chose for the
  Energy Sheath feat. The value of this resistance is determined by
  your base attack bonus, as indicated below.
  Base Attack Bonus
  Resistance
  +8 to +11
  5
  +12 to +15
  10
  +16 to +19
  15
  +20
  20
  Energy Web [Arcane Battle]
  You create a tangible web of searing energy that wraps and tangles
  around your weapon.When you attack,this web clings to your oppo-
  nent and continues to damage him for several agonizing seconds.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Arcane Weapon, Energy
  Burst, Energy Sheath, Energy Shield, base attack bonus +16.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 10, rounded down.
  Duration: A number of rounds equal to half your base attack
  bonus, rounded down.
  Benefit: You create a web of pure energy that can burn, shock, or
  freeze an opponent. This web’s energy is of the same type as that
  created by your Energy Sheath feat. If you make a successful melee
  attack before this ability’s duration ends, you transfer the web of
  energy to your opponent. He takes an amount of extra energy dam-
  age determined by your base attack bonus in each round, at the
  start of your turn, until this ability’s duration ends. You also gain
  this extra damage on the attack that transfers the web to the target.
  Your opponent may make a Reflex save (DC 10 + half your base
  attack bonus + your Strength modifier) to avoid the web. If he 
  The Book of Iron Might
  38
  
  succeeds, you deal the extra energy damage with your attack but he
  avoids becoming trapped in the web and does not take any further
  damage from it.
  A creature caught in an energy web can escape by taking a move
  action and making a successful Dexterity check or Escape Artist
  check against a Difficulty Class equal to the Reflex save DC needed
  to avoid it.
  Base Attack Bonus
  Web Damage
  +16 to +19
  6d6
  +20
  8d6
  Flattening Strike [Arcane Battle]
  You hammer your foe with a concussive strike that sends ripples 
  of raw, arcane energy through him, forcing him to tumble to the
  ground.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Arcane Weapon, Knockback
  Strike, Power Attack, base attack bonus +8.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 4, rounded down.
  Benefit: You slam an opponent with waves of power in addition to
  dealing normal damage with your next attack. The target must make
  a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half your base attack bonus + your
  Intelligence modifier) or be knocked prone. If your strike misses,
  this use of the ability is wasted.
  Fleet-Footed Charge [Arcane Battle]
  You call upon arcane power to strengthen your legs and improve your
  agility, allowing you to maneuver with increased speed.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery,base attack bonus +1.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 3, rounded down, +1.
  Duration: A number of rounds equal to your base attack bonus.
  Benefit: You gain a +10 foot enhancement bonus to your speed.
  Note that you do not need to charge in order to use this ability.
  Rather, the feat’s name merely reflects most fighters’ attitude
  toward combat.
  Force Armor [Arcane Battle]
  You create a sheath of magical force that protects you from harm.
  Arrows, sword strokes, and axe strikes all rebound from it.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, base attack bonus +1.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 5,rounded down,+1.
  Duration: A number of rounds equal to your base attack bonus.
  Benefit: You gain a deflection bonus to Armor Class determined
  by your base attack bonus, as indicated below. Note that this bonus
  stacks with the enhancement bonuses provided by armor and
  shields, but not with other deflection bonuses.
  Base Attack Bonus
  Deflection Bonus
  +1 to +5
  +1
  +6 to +10
  +2
  +11 to +15
  +3
  +16 to +20
  +4
  Hellfire Charge [Arcane Battle]
  When charging, you turn yourself into a living projectile that blasts
  your opponent with a jolt of arcane power.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Fleet-Footed Charge,
  Rhino’s Charge, base attack bonus +10.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 10, rounded down.
  Benefit: When you use the charge action to attack an opponent,
  you hurl yourself through the air like a living projectile. The tremen-
  dous magical force you call upon creates a blazing shield of energy
  around you that scorches your foe. Make a charge as normal. If your
  attack hits, you deal an extra 5d8 points of force damage in addition
  to your attack’s normal damage, and your foe must make a Fortitude
  save (DC 10 + half your base attack bonus + your Intelligence modi-
  fier) or be blinded for 2d4 rounds. This extra damage is not multi-
  plied on a critical hit or a similar effect.
  When making this charge, you are considered to be flying. You can
  move over pits and other hazards, but
  you land in the space where your
  charge ends and suffer any
  drawbacks for stand-
  ing there after
  resolving your
  attack.
  Chapter Three: Feats of Iron Might 39
  
  Knockback Strike [Arcane Battle]
  You summon a burst of kinetic energy to augment your attack,
  allowing you to deliver a mighty jolt that knocks an opponent 
  backward.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Arcane Weapon, Power
  Attack, base attack bonus +3.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 3, rounded down.
  Benefit: Your mighty attack sends your foe reeling. You must
  decide to use this ability before attempting a single attack. If your
  attack hits, your foe must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half your
  base attack bonus + your Intelligence modifier). If this save fails,
  you knock your opponent backward a number of feet equal to the
  points of damage your attack inflicted. If your attack misses, this
  use of the ability is wasted.
  Launching Strike [Arcane Battle]
  You draw magical power to yourself and focus it on your weapon,
  transforming it into a powerful surge of raw force as you slam an
  opponent with a vicious uppercut strike, sending him soaring into
  the air.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Arcane Weapon,
  Flattening Strike, Knockback Strike, Power Attack, base attack
  bonus +16.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 8, rounded down.
  Benefit: You must decide to use this ability before making a single
  attack. If your attack hits, your foe must make a Fortitude save (DC
  10 + half your base attack bonus + your Intelligence modifier). If
  this save fails, your foe flies straight up a number of feet equal to
  double the points of damage you inflicted. He immediately falls,
  landing prone in the space he occupied before you launched him,
  and suffers falling damage as normal. If your attack misses, this use
  of the ability is wasted.
  Mind Strike [Arcane Battle]
  You focus the power of your psyche into an energy sheath that sur-
  rounds your weapon, allowing you to strike at a foe’s intellect.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Serpent-Eyed Strike,
  Charisma 13, base attack bonus +8.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 5, rounded down.
  Duration: A number of rounds equal to half your base attack
  bonus, rounded down.
  Benefit: Your weapon hums and glows with an aura of psychic
  energy. Once per round, you disrupt your foe’s mind and personali-
  ty with your attack. Before making an attack, you may declare that
  you are expending your use of this ability for the round. If you hit
  and damage your target with that melee or ranged attack, he must
  make a Will save (DC 10 + half your base attack bonus + your
  Charisma modifier) or take 1 point of temporary damage to
  Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (your choice) in addition to the
  normal damage from the attack. You can use this feat once per
  round. Activating it is a free action. You choose which ability score
  you want to damage when you activate this feat and, once chosen,
  you cannot alter it for the ability’s duration.
  Rhino’s Charge [Arcane Battle]
  As you rush forward in a charge, you create a crackling wedge of
  energy in front of you that can knock aside a foe and shock him
  with force.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Fleet-Footed Charge, base
  attack bonus +5.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 5, rounded down.
  Benefit: When you use the charge action to attack an opponent,
  you deal an extra 2d8 points of force damage on a successful
  attack. In addition, your foe must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + half
  your base attack bonus + your Intelligence modifier) or be knocked
  prone by the concussive force. If your attack misses, your foe does
  not have to make the save to remain standing, and this use of this
  ability is wasted.
  Serpent-Eyed Strike [Arcane Battle]
  You twirl your blade or other melee weapon in a hypnotic pattern,
  weaving an arcane matrix that lulls your foe into quite a state of
  distraction. With his defenses down, you can strike him more
  easily.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Charisma 13, base attack
  bonus +1.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 5, rounded down,
  plus one.
  Benefit: You use this ability by taking a standard action that
  does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Choose a single target
  that you can see. This foe must make a Will save (DC 10 + half your
  base attack bonus + your Charisma modifier) or lose his Dexterity
  bonus to Armor Class against your attacks (and only your attacks)
  for 1d6 rounds. This is a mind-affecting ability.
  Storm of Arrows [Arcane Battle]
  You enchant your arrow so that it bursts into dozens of smaller
  missiles, filling an entire area with a deadly hail of fire.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Point Blank Shot, base
  attack bonus +8.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 4, rounded down.
  Benefit: By taking a full-round action and choosing to use this
  feat, you transform one of your ranged attacks into an area attack
  with a 30-foot radius and a range equal to 10 times your weapon’s
  range increment. Roll damage as normal. Targets in the affected
  area can make Reflex saves (DC 10 + half your base attack bonus +
  your Intelligence modifier) for half damage.
  Summon Spectral Shield Bearer 
  [Arcane Battle]
  You call into being a squat, powerfully muscled being made of
  force. It carries a heavy shield, also of force, and uses it to block
  attacks made by one of your enemies.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, base attack bonus +5.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 5,rounded down,+1.
  Duration:A number of rounds equal to your base attack bonus.
  The Book of Iron Might
  40
  
  Benefit: Your spectral shield bearer blocks attacks from a single oppo-
  nent of your choice. Against that foe, you gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class
  against melee attacks and a +4 bonus against ranged attacks. You can
  switch the shield bearer’s target as a free action.
  The shield bearer has AC 20, hit points equal to twice your base attack
  bonus, and ability scores and saving throw bonuses equal to your own. It
  always remains with you, in the space you occupy, regardless of your
  speed or movement mode. Only force effects can damage a spectral shield
  bearer. It appears as a shimmering humanoid shape. The shield bearer
  takes no actions other than providing you with an Armor Class bonus.
  Summon Spectral Squire [Arcane Battle]
  You create a vaguely humanoid body of force that remains close to you
  and can hold your weapons, shields, and other equipment in battle.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery,Quick Draw,base attack bonus +1.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 4, rounded down, +1.
  Duration: A number of minutes equal to your base attack bonus.
  Benefit:The spectral squire appears as soon as you call it and provides a
  number of benefits.It remains in your space but never hinders your attacks,
  nor does it aid your efforts. However, if you drop any weapons, shields, or
  similar items,you can command the squire (with a free action) to carry such
  items for you. You can use your Quick Draw feat as a free action to ready
  any item, including a shield, that the squire carries. You can use up to four
  free actions per round to drop and ready equipment with the squire.
  A spectral squire has AC 10,hit points equal to your base attack bonus,
  and ability scores and saving throw bonuses equal to your own.It always
  remains with you in the space you occupy,regardless of your speed or
  movement mode.It appears as a shimmering humanoid-shaped being of
  pure energy.The spectral squire is an incorporeal creature for the purposes
  of determining whether and how an attack or effect can damage it.Anyone
  other than you must attempt a Strength check (DC 20) to take an item
  from it.It cannot take actions beyond those described in this feat.
  Thousand Blade Strike [Arcane Battle]
  When you strike at your foe, you produce a powerful illusion that makes
  him see duplicates of you surrounding and attacking him. He twirls
  around in a panic, unsure which one of you to defend against.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, base attack bonus +4.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 4, rounded down.
  Duration: A number of rounds equal to half your base attack bonus,
  rounded down.
  Benefit: When you use this feat,the next foe you attempt to attack must
  make a Will save (DC 10 + half your base attack bonus + your Intelligence
  modifier).If this save fails,your foe sees several duplicates of you sur-
  rounding him and attacking as one.When you strike him,he is considered
  flanked.This is a mind-affecting ability and an illusion (phantasm) effect.
  Vertical Step [Arcane Battle]
  You can walk up walls or along the surface of a tree trunk with ease. You
  imbue your feet with a magical energy that allows you to treat any vertical
  surface as a horizontal one.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Fleet-Footed Charge, base attack
  bonus +4.
  Chapter Three: Feats of Iron Might 41
  
  Uses/Day:
  Your base attack
  bonus divided by
  4, rounded down.
  Duration: A number
  of rounds equal to your
  base attack bonus.
  Benefit: You can walk up verti-
  cal surfaces at your base land speed.
  You do not gain the ability to hang
  upside down, making it impossible for you to
  move along any surface that is more than a 90-
  degree slope with respect to the ground. You cannot
  run when moving in this manner. If you do not end your
  move on a horizontal surface, you fall as normal. You suffer
  attacks of opportunity and other effects for moving along a surface
  as normal.
  Wave of Mutilation [Arcane Battle]
  You speak words of arcane power, elemental steel, and destruction,
  transforming a single cut of your blade into a scything wave of
  energy that tears through your enemies’ ranks.
  Prerequisites: Arcane Battle Mastery, Power Attack, base attack
  bonus +8.
  Uses/Day: Your base attack bonus divided by 8, rounded down.
  Benefit: You unleash magical power in a single sweep of your
  weapon, projecting metal shards, concussive force, and slicing ener-
  gy in a 30-foot cone. Roll damage for your attack as normal and
  apply it to all targets in the cone’s area. Your opponents can make
  Reflex saves (DC 10 + half your base attack bonus + your Intelli-
  gence modifier) for half damage. Using this feat requires a full-
  round action that includes making the attack that delivers its
  effect.
  Battlemind Feats
  Many folk assume that a warrior needs only to exercise and hone
  his body, developing the strength and speed necessary to master a
  variety of strikes, blocks, feints, and other moves. While raw physi-
  cal talent can indeed allow a warrior to excel at the most basic mar-
  tial arts, a true master knows that the mind and body must work
  together. A warrior must see his opponent’s moves before they hap-
  pen, analyze a tactical situation and decide on a course of action in
  the space of a heartbeat, and learn from his past experiences to
  build on new techniques and abilities.
  Battlemind feats represent this focus on the intellect to inform and
  guide the body.Fighters may select battlemind feats as bonus feats.
  Most of these feats have a prerequisite involving an ability score
  not normally associated with fighters—Intelligence, Wisdom, or
  Charisma. Monk, paladin, and ranger characters are a natural fit
  for these feats, as are fighters who stray from the stereotype of a
  big, dumb warrior.
  These feats are not meant to represent abilities that a warrior
  merely decides to pick up. Instead, they require study, dedication,
  and practice to master. One does not simply wake up, decide to fol-
  low the piercing strike school of combat, and learn its tenets in the
  space of a week. Gaining a battlemind feat requires more dedica-
  tion than that, but such devotion can result in greater than normal
  rewards.
  Battlemind Feat Descriptions
  To gain a battlemind feat, you must fulfill two requirements. You
  must train under a master who can show you the methods and
  exercises needed to gain the feat’s benefit. This master should be
  an NPC that your DM creates. He might be the teacher who origi-
  nally trained you in the fighting arts, or he could be an ancient
  master who resides in a remote monastery or isolated mountain
  lair. Your master might require you to spend time under his tute-
  lage, he could demand that you defeat him in a duel (perhaps
  fighting until one of you drops to half hit points), or complete a
  quest to prove your dedication. Once you have completed this
  task, you may gain the feat as normal when you become entitled to
  gain a new feat.
  42 The Book of Iron Might
  
  DMs should keep in mind that this “story” requirement is meant
  to give battlemind feats a clear place in the campaign that makes
  them distinct from Power Attack or Combat Expertise. They are
  meant to have a mythic feel, one that helps distinguish a character
  who takes them as someone who has fully dedicated himself to the
  fighting arts. Use them to add to your campaign’s current plot lines.
  Perhaps the master that Niandra seeks is held prisoner by an evil
  warlord, and by rescuing the old warrior she can gain his trust and
  free the land from a tyrant who serves as a major villain’s puppet.
  The second requirement for gaining a battlemind feat is grounded
  in game mechanics. You must choose to acquire a battlemind feat at
  least two levels before you would normally gain it. This early decision
  illustrates your dedication to the battlemind path. This stricture does
  not apply at 1st and 2nd level, but it does apply for feats you plan to
  take at 3rd level and beyond.
  In return for this dedication, you gain a minor ability at the level
  before you gain the full benefits of a battlemind feat. This ability is
  called a method, and you continue to enjoy its benefit after you
  gain the feat’s full effects. A method plays into the theme of dedica-
  tion and focus, as it illustrates your drive to achieve a battlemind
  feat.
  You gain a method’s benefit whether or not you have found a mas-
  ter to teach you a feat.
  For example, Boris the Bold dedicates himself to studying his foes
  while he fights them, learning their maneuvers and using that
  knowledge against them. When he is 4th level, he decides that he will
  take Eye of the Warmaster at 6th level. He gains that feat’s method at
  5th level, and acquires its full benefits at 6th level. Once he makes
  that decision at 4th level, he cannot change his mind and opt for a
  different feat.
  Avatar of Carnage [Battlemind]
  You scream, howl, and foam at the mouth during battle, striking ter-
  ror into your enemies’ hearts. Using the raw force of your personali-
  ty, you turn your foes into a panicked mob.
  Prerequisites: Charisma 15,Intimidate 8 ranks,base attack bonus +5.
  Benefit: You whip yourself into a howling frenzy, transforming
  into a figure of overwhelming menace. Your face contorts, your
  mouth foams, and you screech like a madman. All foes within 60 feet
  of you suffer an effect based on their Hit Dice. Enemies who have
  more Hit Dice than you suffer a –1 morale penalty on attack rolls and
  checks. Opponents with Hit Dice less than or equal to your own total
  suffer a –2 morale penalty on attack rolls and checks. Any foe with
  half your Hit Dice or less is affected as if by cause fear in addition to
  the –2 morale penalty. All the targets of this ability may make Will
  saves (DC 10 + half your HD + your Charisma modifier) to negate
  its effects.
  Uses/Day: A number of times equal to your Charisma modifier
  (minimum one).
  Duration: A number of rounds equal to 5 + your Charisma modifier.
  Method: You gain a +2 competence bonus on Intimidate checks.
  Clarity of the Warrior’s Mind [Battlemind]
  You have trained yourself to calm your mind in combat, allowing you
  to act with clarity and focus. When in this state, you set aside the
  fear, panic, and confusion that can cloud a warrior’s mind.
  Prerequisite: Wisdom 13.
  Benefit: As a standard action, you can enter a meditative state that
  allows you to fight with the ruthless precision and fearless determi-
  nation of a cold-minded war machine. You gain immunity to all fear
  and mind-affecting effects.
  Chapter Three: Feats of Iron Might 43
  
  Uses/Day: A number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier
  (minimum one).
  Duration: 5 rounds.
  Method: You gain a +2 competence bonus on all saves against
  fear effects. You gain this bonus at all times, not just when you use
  this feat.
  Eye of the Warmaster [Battlemind]
  You watch an opponent in battle, analyzing his maneuvers, tactics,
  and stance to learn his combat style. Once you have broken down a
  foe’s methods, you can present him with tactics that defeat his
  style.
  Prerequisites: Combat Expertise, Intelligence 13, base attack
  bonus +6.
  Benefit: Once per round, you can specify a single foe as the tar-
  get of this feat. If this opponent attacks you, you gain a +1 compe-
  tence bonus on attack rolls against him. This bonus increases by 1
  for each consecutive round he attacks you while you use this feat
  (to a maximum of +5). You lose this accumulated bonus when
  combat ends or if you choose to target a different foe with this
  feat.
  Method: If you spend a full-round action to study a single oppo-
  nent, you gain a +1 competence bonus on all attack rolls against
  him for the rest of the encounter. You can use this ability against
  multiple foes, though it requires a full-round action each time.
  Resolve of the Steel Mind [Battlemind]
  You are always ready for combat. You use a series of exercises,
  intense training, and mental focus to create a combat routine that
  allows you to reliably respond to any threat.
  Prerequisites: Intelligence 13, base attack bonus +3.
  Benefit: You can focus yourself and react to an opponent while
  using superior speed and reflexes. When determining initiative, you
  roll d20 twice and take the higher result.
  Method: Once per day, you can count your d20 roll for initiative
  as a 10 before adding any relevant modifiers but after you see your
  roll’s result.
  Stance of the Prowling Tiger [Battlemind]
  You are always ready for combat. Your training and meditation have
  taught you to hear the coming thunder of battle. When you are
  near the site of a major battle, you sense the pain, fear, and elation
  of battles fought in the past and those that await in the future.
  When you are on the verge of battle, its echoes reach your ears and
  allow you to prepare for it.
  Prerequisites: Wisdom 13, Talent of the Poised Strike.
  Benefit: You may add half your base attack bonus to any initiative
  check in place of your standard initiative modifiers,such as Improved
  Initiative and Dexterity bonus.You have drilled in the art of war and
  meditated on its mysteries to give yourself an intuitive,mystical sense
  of combat. You simply know when a battle draws near, though this
  awareness is too limited to benefit anyone other than you.
  Method: You can automatically sense whether a battle has taken
  place in an area if it occurred within a period of time based on your
  base attack bonus, as indicated below.
  Base Attack Bonus
  Period of Time
  +1 or +2
  1 day
  +3 or +4
  1 week
  +5 or +6
  1 month
  +7 or +8
  1 year
  +9 or +10
  5 years
  +11 or +12
  10 years
  +13 or +14
  20 years
  +15 or +16
  50 years
  +17 or +18
  100 years
  +19
  1,000 years
  +20
  10,000 years
  The Book of Iron Might
  44
  Name
  Prerequisites
  Benefit
  Avatar of Carnage
  Cha 15, Intimidate 8 ranks, base attack bonus +5
  You enter a frenzied state that terrifies your foes
  Clarity of the Warrior’s Mind
  Wis 13
  You empty your mind, gaining immunity to fear 
  and a bonus on attacks
  Eye of the Warmaster
  Combat Expertise, Int 13, base attack bonus +6
  You gain a bonus to attack a foe by studying him
  Resolve of the Steel Mind
  Int 13, base attack bonus +3
  Take higher of two rolls on initiative checks
  Stance of the Prowling Tiger
  Wis 13, Talent of the Poised Strike
  Gain a bonus on initiative checks equal to half
  your base attack bonus
  Strike of Perfect Clarity
  Int 13, Combat Expertise, Eye of the Warmaster,
  Gain attacks of opportunity against those who 
  base attack bonus +12
  strike you
  Strike of Persistent Sundering
  Wis 13, Power Attack, Improved Sunder
  Objects take damage on subsequent rounds if
  you hit them
  Tactics of the Mind’s Eye
  Int 13, Combat Expertise, base attack bonus +12
  Counter an opponent's maneuver as a free action 
  once per round
  Talent of the Poised Strike
  Wis 13
  Gain your base attack bonus as a bonus on 
  Listen and Spot checks
  BATTLEMIND FEATS
  
  You gain a sense of the battle’s general size—number of combatants,
  roughly how many of them died, and how long the battle lasted—
  but you learn nothing of the participants’ identity. If multiple battles
  took place at a site during the period of time you can sense, you gain
  this information about each battle as well as the order in which the
  battles occurred.
  Strike of Perfect Clarity [Battlemind]
  While battle rages around you, you achieve a state of perfect clari-
  ty. In this rarefied mental state, you see the ebb and flow of a sin-
  gle foe’s movements. When the slightest gap appears in his defens-
  es, such as when he commits to an attack against you, you strike
  to kill.
  Prerequisites: Intelligence 13, Combat Expertise, Eye of the
  Warmaster, base attack bonus +12.
  Benefit: You can assume a defensive, watchful stance as a stan-
  dard action. If the foe you are watching attacks you before your next
  action, you can make an attack of opportunity against him before he
  resolves his strike. If you hit, you deal triple damage.
  Method: Specify a single opponent as the target of this ability.
  You must spend a full-round action while in the area this foe threat-
  ens, doing nothing but watching him as he fights. On your next
  action, you deal double damage with any successful attacks you make
  against him. You can use this ability once per encounter.
  Strike of Persistent Sundering [Battlemind]
  You have studied the energies that flow through objects, allowing
  you to recognize the exact spot to attack an item with respect to the
  energy that resides within it. Not all fighters have an enlightened
  view of this feat’s origins. In their parlance, this ability simply
  enables them to break things with ease.
  Prerequisites: Wisdom 13, Power Attack, Improved Sunder.
  Benefit: You strike an object in such a way as to produce
  destructive harmonics through its structure. Each time you hit an
  object with a melee attack and successfully damage it (in other
  words, any time your damage exceeds its hardness), you reduce its
  hardness by 1 for an hour. You cannot reduce an object’s hardness
  below 0.
  Method: You gain a +1 bonus on all damage rolls against
  objects.
  Tactics of the Mind’s Eye [Battlemind]
  You can study an opponent’s talents and create counterstrategies
  that leave him almost defenseless. You focus your concentration,
  enter an almost meditative state, and take action to foil him.
  Prerequisites: Intelligence 13, Combat Expertise, base attack
  bonus +12.
  Benefit: You enter a battle trance as a free action, allowing you to
  anticipate an opponent's maneuvers before he can attempt them.
  While in this state, you can counter an opponent's maneuver as a
  free action once per round. You may make an attack opposed by the
  result of your opponent’s attack, a disarm attempt, a touch attack
  made to trip, or a touch attack made to initiate a grapple. If your
  attack result is greater than your foe's result, his attack misses. In
  essence, your attack result becomes the Armor Class that your foe's
  attack must hit.
  Chapter Three: Feats of Iron Might 45
  
  You must threaten the target of this ability, but you can choose
  to ruin an attack made against you or an ally. You do not damage
  your opponent with this maneuver. Instead, you move to block his
  strike or otherwise foil his attack.
  Uses/Day: A number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier
  (minimum one).
  Duration: A number of rounds equal to your Intelligence mod-
  ifier (minimum one).
  Method: At the start of a fight, pick a single foe that you can
  see. After attacking or being attacked by that opponent for a
  number of rounds equal to 5 minus your Intelligence modifier
  (minimum 1 round), you immediately determine which of the
  following feats (if any) he possesses: Combat Expertise,
  Improved Grapple, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, or Weapon
  Focus.
  Talent of the Poised Strike [Battlemind]
  You have developed an uncanny sense for danger. When you have a
  weapon readied, you react to danger before your conscious mind
  can process what happened. Your intense training and focus
  brought on by meditation allow you to react to the ebb and flow 
  of threats before they come to pass.
  Prerequisite: Wisdom 13.
  Benefit: If you must make a Listen or Spot check to determine
  whether you are surprised, add your base attack bonus (but not any
  modifiers you would normally gain on an attack roll) to your d20
  roll in addition to the usual modifiers.
  Method:You gain a +1 bonus on Listen and Spot checks.
  Fighting Style Feats
  Fighting style feats are abilities that define your character’s combat
  prowess on a basic level. They are designed for fighters, barbarians,
  and other characters who rely on weapons. You must have a base
  attack bonus of +1 to select one.
  Once you have taken a fighting style feat, you gain the use of
  new techniques related to it as your combat ability increases.
  Unlike with other abilities, the number of techniques you master
  with a fighting style feat is determined by your base attack bonus
  rather than your total character level. This means that in order to
  gain the most from a fighting style feat, you must progress in class-
  es that improve your combat ability.
  A fighter may select a fighting style feat with his bonus feat
  selection at 1st level.
  Fighting Style Feat Descriptions 
  Unless otherwise noted in a feat’s description, you gain a new
  technique related to a fighting style feat whenever your base
  attack bonus reaches +5 or any multiple of +5 (in other words:
  +5, +10, +15, and +20). When you gain a new technique, select
  one of the options described for your feat. In most cases, you can
  choose a technique only once, but some fighting styles grant
  added benefits for choosing the same technique several times.
  (These exceptions are noted in the feat descriptions to which
  they apply.) Some fighting style feats, such as Iron Hide, use a
  different progression to determine when you gain new tech-
  niques.
  Fighting style feats represent a long commitment to the study
  and mastery of a particular method of fighting. You gain the great-
  est benefit from them by selecting them at 1st level, but you can
  take them at any time. If you select a fighting style feat after 1st
  level, you do not gain the benefits listed for having a base attack
  bonus below the bonus you have when you select the feat. For
  example, if you selected a fighting style when you had a base attack
  bonus of +6, you would not gain the new techniques for having an
  attack bonus of +1 or +5. However, when you first select the feat
  you always gain at least one new technique. Thus, characters who
  have a base attack bonus of +6 when they acquired the feat could
  choose a technique when they gained the feat and would receive
  new ones at +10, +15, and +20.
  This option should be available only to characters who had a
  base attack bonus of +1 at 1st level. Fighting style feats are meant
  to represent options and abilities open to combat-focused charac-
  ters. Allowing PCs to take them after 1st level should not make it
  possible for wizards, rogues, and other noncombat-oriented char-
  acters to select them.
  Archer [Fighting Style]
  In your hands, a bow transforms from a simple weapon into the
  tool of a master artisan. You can attempt a variety of trick shots
  that illustrate your phenomenal skill while catching your oppo-
  nents by surprise.
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, base attack bonus +1.
  Benefit: You can attempt trick shots when fighting with any
  bow, crossbow, or sling. These trick shots do not apply to thrown
  weapons. Your DM may also allow these trick shots to apply to
  other ranged weapons, such as firearms, that are used in the 
  campaign.
  As your base attack bonus increases, you can select from the
  following techniques to represent your growing talents.
  Arrow Feint: You can use this technique when you provoke an
  attack of opportunity for attempting a ranged attack. You may
  count your ranged weapon as a melee weapon (though you still
  use your modifiers for a ranged attack) to strike an opponent
  who made an attack of opportunity. Your target loses his
  Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against your attacks. If your
  opponent decides to forgo his attack of opportunity, you cannot
  use this ability. You must make all your attacks against foes who
  used attacks of opportunity against you. You stab at them with
  your arrows or make point blank shots that take advantage of
  their swings. For example, you might wait until a dragon is
  about to snap its jaws around you before firing a volley down its
  throat.
  Covering Fire: You send a volley of arrows into an area, using a
  burst of projectiles to force your opponents to change their tactics.
  This technique uses five arrows, bolts, or sling stones and requires
  a full-round action. You may specify up to five different 5-foot
  The Book of Iron Might
  46
  
  squares as your targets, and each of the squares must be adjacent to
  at least one other square you target. Make a single attack with a –4
  penalty against any opponents you can see within this area, ignoring
  any Armor Class bonuses due to cover that they may receive. Hitting
  a target with this effect lowers its initiative count by 4 points. The
  creature hesitates before acting, as your fire distracts it. A target can
  suffer the effects of this technique more than once. Reduce its initia-
  tive by 4 each time, with no lower limit.
  Dead-Eye Shot: With focus and careful aim,you can hit almost any-
  thing within range.You could shoot a gold coin from a gnome’s hand,or
  a put an arrow through a small hole in a wall that a goblin uses for cover.
  As a full-round action,you can choose to make a single ranged attack
  that ignores either a target’s size bonus or cover bonus to Armor Class.
  Ranged Disarm: You fire an arrow at an opponent’s weapon, tearing
  it from his grasp or stinging his hand so that he drops it. You may
  attempt a disarm action as a ranged attack, with a –4 penalty on the
  attack roll. The Improved Disarm feat, and any other bonuses to a
  disarm attempt, apply as normal to this attack.
  Ranged Sunder: You can attempt to slice apart any small, light
  object. You can make a sunder attempt, but only against objects with
  a hardness of less than 5, such as items made of leather, paper, or
  rope. Items made of wood and other tougher materials are not affect-
  ed by this technique. You must otherwise follow all the restrictions
  for making a sunder attempt. This technique is useful for slicing an
  opponent’s pouches, belt, or some other item of clothing or gear. If
  you destroy an armor strap, belt, or similar article of clothing, your
  target suffers a –1 competence penalty on attack rolls and checks
  until he takes a move action to adjust his clothing.
  Ricochet Shot: You fire an arrow, bolt, or sling bullet so that it
  rebounds off a hard surface and streaks toward your target from an
  unexpected direction, causing your opponent to lose his Dexterity
  bonus to Armor Class against the attack. There must be a surface or
  object nearby that you can bounce the shot off, such as a wall or a
  piece of heavy furniture. You take a –6 penalty on this attack roll.
  The range of this attack equals the distance from you to the spot
  where you want the ricochet to occur plus the distance from that
  point to your target.
  Battle Captain [Fighting Style]
  You are a natural leader. While your fighting skills make you a formi-
  dable opponent, you are at your best when commanding others in
  battle. Your ferocity and strong leadership make others fight hard on
  your behalf.
  Prerequisites: Charisma 13, base attack bonus +1.
  Benefit: You gain several new combat techniques that you can use
  to inspire others to great feats of bravery.
  As your base attack bonus increases, you can select from the fol-
  lowing techniques to reflect your growing stature as a war leader.
  Challenging Presence: Not only does your spirit and air of command
  aid your allies,but it also draws the attention of your enemies.You can
  make a Diplomacy check as a standard action to challenge an oppo-
  nent. This foe must have an Intelligence score, and he should be able
  to understand the language you use, though if your check result is 30
  or higher your intent is so clear that you can transcend any language
  barriers. The target of this ability must make a Will save against a
  Difficulty Class equal to your skill check result.If the save fails,the tar-
  get directs all its attacks against you,including spells and other special
  abilities. It gains a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls,
  because it is enraged at your attempt to call out its pride and skill. It
  continues to attack until you leave its line of sight, until it can no
  longer make attacks against you,or until the DM judges that the crea-
  ture would be foolish to continue attacking you. For example, if you
  have a powerful defense against fire attacks,a goblin wizard with sever-
  al fire spells prepared would not be compelled to waste its magic on
  you.You can use this ability to draw opponents away from your allies.
  Commanding Aura: Once per battle, you can use a full-round action
  to deliver a rousing speech to your allies. Make a Diplomacy check.
  You may designate a number of allies equal to your Charisma bonus
  within 60 feet who can hear you. Each ally can choose to use your
  check result in place of a single Will save it must make during the
  Chapter Three: Feats of Iron Might 47
  Feat
  Prerequisites
  Benefit
  Archer
  Dex 13, base attack bonus +1
  You can attempt a variety of trick shots
  Battle Captain
  Cha 13, base attack bonus +1
  In combat, your leadership inspires your allies
  Brawler
  Str 13, Improved Unarmed Strike,
  Your bare hands are deadly weapons
  base attack bonus +1
  Fencer
  Dex 13, Combat Expertise,
  You are skilled in using light, fast weapons
  base attack bonus +1
  Heavy Weapon Fighting
  Str 15, base attack bonus +1
  You are a master of heavy weapons
  Iron Hide
  Con 13, base attack bonus +1
  You gain an armor bonus while unarmored
  Shield Bearer
  Dex 11, Shield Proficiency,
  You wield your shield with supreme mastery
  base attack bonus +1
  Spiker
  Str 13, Armor Proficiency (heavy),
  Armor spikes are your chosen weapon
  base attack bonus +1
  Tactical Genius
  Wis 13, base attack bonus +1
  None can match your ability to predict your foes’ moves
  Weapon Master
  Int 13, Weapon Focus,
  Few can match your skill with your chosen weapon
  base attack bonus +1.
  FIGHTING STYLE FEATS
  
  fight. You must already be engaged in combat to use this technique;
  only in battle does the true power of your personality shine
  through. You cannot use this ability on yourself.
  Heroic Rally: Your presence on the battlefield helps allay your
  friends’ fears. As a standard action, you can grant a single ally a +4
  morale bonus against fear effects. If your ally is already subject to a
  fear effect, he can make another save (using this +4 morale bonus)
  to throw off the effect. You can use this technique multiple times in
  an attempt to allow an ally to shed a fear effect.
  Inspiring Battle Cry: You whoop and yell in celebration, inspiring
  allies as you hack through the enemies’ ranks. After dropping an
  opponent,you can choose to inspire one ally within 30 feet as a free
  action on your next turn. This ally gains a +1 morale bonus on his
  next attack roll, provided he makes an attack during his next turn.
  Steadying Influence: Your advice and support help steady an ally’s
  nerves, allowing him to succeed where he otherwise might fail. In
  combat, you can take a move action to offer verbal support to an
  ally. On that ally’s next action, he gains a +2 morale bonus on any
  skill check he attempts. This bonus applies only during combat.
  War Leader: In battle, you grant any allies who have less than half
  your levels or Hit Dice a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and saves.
  Your ferocious manner and inspiring presence make those who fol-
  low you fight harder on your behalf.
  Brawler [Fighting Style]
  You have studied wrestling, boxing, and other unarmed fighting
  styles with the same dedication that others put into training with
  swords, axes, bows, and similar weapons.
  Prerequisites: Strength 13, base attack bonus +1, Improved
  Unarmed Strike.
  Benefit: You gain several new combat techniques you can use
  when fighting with your bare hands.
  Arm Lock: When wrestling, you know how to lock your oppo-
  nent’s arm in place to injure him and to prevent him from using a
  weapon against you. After you have already initiated a grapple and
  pinned a foe, you may make an opposed grapple check against
  him. If you succeed, you twist his arm into a painful hold. Your
  opponent automatically takes 1d4 points of damage at the start of
  your turn if you still hold him pinned. In addition, he suffers a –2
  circumstance penalty on grapple checks against you until your pin
  ends. Note that your Strength bonus and other modifiers do not
  apply to this damage. Like a sneak attack, it represents your
  knowledge of anatomy and submission holds, not your brute
  strength.
  Jab: You strike a quick jab with your off hand, distracting your
  opponent as you follow up with a mighty blow from your primary
  hand. You take an aid another action with your off hand first, treat-
  ing it as if it were a light weapon you wielded in your off hand. You
  may choose to grant the aid another action’s bonus to yourself.
  Resolve your primary attack as normal. You must spend a full-
  round action to use this technique. If you normally gain more than
  one attack with your primary hand, you may attack only once at
  your highest base attack bonus.
  Leaping Tackle: By throwing yourself into the air, you can hammer
  into an opponent and knock him to the ground, making it easier to
  use your unarmed strikes to pummel him into submission. When
  charging, you may opt to make a Jump check (opposed by your
  opponent’s Strength check) in place of an attack. You gain a +2
  bonus on your check. Your opponent gains bonuses to his check as
  if you had targeted him with a bull rush. If you succeed, you and
  your opponent fall prone in his space.
  Low-Down Fighter: You are adept at fighting while prone, since
  you have trained relentlessly in wrestling and other forms of
  unarmed fighting. When you are prone, you threaten the squares
  immediately adjacent to you, regardless of your reach. You may
  make unarmed strikes or trip attacks as your attacks of opportunity.
  You may not use other attack types, such as armed strikes or disarm
  attempts.
  The Book of Iron Might
  48
  
  One-Two Punch: You fight with both your hands in closely coordi-
  nated flurries of strikes. You may use your off hand as a light melee
  weapon. When you take a full attack action, you can attack once with
  your off hand and as many times with your primary hand as your
  base attack bonus allows. You do not gain the benefits of Two-
  Weapon Fighting or any other feat unless you already have the feat.
  This technique simply allows you to fight with both fists. You may
  also use your off hand to attack when you wield a weapon in your
  primary hand.
  Fencer [Fighting Style]
  You are an expert with light weapons designed for quick, light strikes
  as opposed to ponderous battleaxes, longswords, and similar
  weapons. You rely on speed and agility instead of brute force.
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, base attack bonus +1, Combat
  Expertise.
  Benefit: You gain new combat techniques when fighting with a
  light, one-handed weapon such as a rapier or dagger. As your base
  attack bonus increases, you can select from the following combat
  techniques.
  Advancing Attack: You are light on your feet,allowing you to maneu-
  ver with a single opponent as he tries to evade your attacks. On your
  action, you can choose a single target of this technique as a free
  action.If that foe takes a 5-foot step,you can move 5 feet for free.You
  can move in any direction, but you must end the move with your foe
  still adjacent to you.This move never provokes attacks of opportunity.
  Daring Maneuver: You commit a heedless stunt, such as fighting
  with your left hand when you are in fact right-handed, to showcase
  both your talent and your panache. Describe the sort of risk you
  want to take. It should be some sort of heroic stunt, such as diving
  from a balcony onto a crowd of opponents below. You must then
  make a Charisma check opposed by a Charisma check from an oppo-
  nent of your choice with an Intelligence of 3 or higher. This check
  and the stunt together count as a standard action. If this check suc-
  ceeds, your opponent suffers a –2 morale penalty on your choice of
  attack rolls, Armor Class, or checks as your display of skill fills him
  with doubt and fear. However, if your check fails, your opponent
  gains a +2 morale bonus on the DM’s choice of attack rolls, Armor
  Class, or checks as he is convinced that you are a showoff with little
  true skill.
  Humiliating Strike: This technique is effective only against an oppo-
  nent with an Intelligence of 3 or higher. You slash at your foe, per-
  haps slicing apart a symbol or heraldic device he wears or scarring
  his face. Make a single attack at your full base attack bonus as a full-
  round action. Your opponent must make a Will save against a
  Difficulty Class equal to your attack roll result. If the save fails, he
  suffers a –1 morale penalty on attack rolls against you as your display
  of unrivaled talent unnerves him.
  Vexing Defense: You parry your opponent’s strikes while taunting
  him, causing him to lose his cool slowly as his efforts prove fruitless.
  If you use the total defense action, and you have not been denied
  your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, you gain a +2 bonus on your
  next round’s attack rolls against an foe who attacks and misses you.
  Whirling Strike: You attack in a flurry of steel as you slash wildly at
  your opponent, cutting him a dozen times with a series of light,
  rapid attacks. While these attacks have little effect on him in terms of
  injuries, since your light cuts barely draw blood, they force him back
  into a defensive posture. Make a standard attack roll opposed by
  your foe’s attack roll. If you succeed, your opponent must fight defen-
  sively if he chooses to attack on his next turn. He gains the penalty
  to attack rolls and the bonus to Armor Class as normal.
  Heavy Weapon Fighting [Fighting Style]
  You have trained relentlessly with heavy swords, hammers, axes, and
  clubs. Your strong arms and well-honed sense of balance allow you
  to wield a two-handed weapon with ease.
  Prerequisites: Strength 15, base attack bonus +1.
  Benefit: You gain expanded abilities with two-handed weapons.
  You can handle them with the same grace that a skilled duelist uses
  to wield a rapier or a rogue her daggers.
  Giant Blade Wielder: With your phenomenal strength and talent
  for using heavy weapons, you can bear a weapon made for a larger
  creature with the same ease as a normal sword or axe. You reduce the
  penalty for using a weapon that is larger than your standard size by
  2, but you must wield the weapon with two hands to gain this bene-
  fit. You cannot use weapons that are too large for you to handle, but
  you are better at handling Large greatswords and similar weapons.
  Hammering Strike: While others use finesse and specially designed
  weapons to make trip attacks, you can crush an opponent with a
  blow so fierce that he falls to his knees. You may make a trip attack
  with the following changes. Your opponent never has a chance to trip
  you, but you must make a regular melee attack rather than a touch
  attack to trip him. In place of an opposed Strength check, your target
  must make a Strength check to remain standing, with a Difficulty
  Class equal to your weapon’s damage roll. Your target does not take
  any damage from this attack.
  Slaughtering Sweep: You twirl your two-handed weapon over your
  head, duck down, and deliver a sweeping attack that chops through
  your opponents. This reckless attack leaves you off balance, but it can
  potentially devastate your foes. Make an attack as normal and roll
  your damage. You can decide to distribute your damage among as
  many foes in your threatened area as you wish, but the total damage
  you inflict cannot exceed your damage result. Use your attack roll
  result to determine if you hit each foe you try to injure. Using this
  technique requires a full-round action, and you suffer a –2 penalty to
  Armor Class until your next action.
  Thunderous Slam: With a great war cry, you slam your weapon into
  your opponent and send him reeling backward. As a full-round
  action, you make an attack against your foe with a two-handed
  weapon at your best base attack bonus. If you hit, your opponent suf-
  fers damage equal to your Strength bonus. In addition, roll your
  damage die (or dice) opposed by the target’s Strength check as if he
  had been targeted by a bull rush. If the target fails his check, you
  move your target 5 feet (1 square) directly away from you.
  Whirling Uppercut: You deliver a savage upward strike to your oppo-
  nent that might send him flying through the air.As a full-round
  Chapter Three: Feats of Iron Might 49
  
  action,make an attack with a two-handed weapon at your highest
  base attack bonus.This attack provokes an attack of opportunity.If
  you hit,your opponent must make a Strength check opposed by
  your total damage result.He suffers a –4 penalty for every size cate-
  gory he is smaller or a +4 bonus for every size category he is larger
  than your own.If he fails this check,he flies through the air a num-
  ber of 5-foot squares equal to your damage divided by 5,rounded
  down.He suffers no additional injuries from the fall.
  Iron Hide [Fighting Style]
  You are inhumanly tough, allowing you to fight without armor.
  Your instincts and durability make it difficult to hurt you.
  Prerequisites: Constitution 13,base attack bonus +1.
  Benefit: You gain a natural armor bonus of a certain amount,
  depending on your base attack bonus. If you wear any sort of
  armor, reduce the benefit this feat provides by the amount of the
  armor check penalty. Heavy armor makes it difficult for you to move
  and absorb attacks.
  The natural armor bonus provided by this feat starts at +1 and
  increases by 1 for every 3-point improvement in your base attack
  bonus: +2 natural armor at +4 base attack bonus, +3 natural armor
  at +7 base attack bonus, and so on, to a maximum of +7 natural
  armor at +19 base attack bonus.
  If you select this feat after 1st level, you gain the increase to its
  benefits when your base attack bonus improves by +3 over what it
  was when you selected the feat, and every additional +3 afterward.
  This feat is best for barbarians who wade into combat wearing
  little more than a loincloth, or duelists and other warriors who rely
  on speed, agility, and their fencing talents to defeat their enemies.
  Shield Bearer [Fighting Style]
  Your fighting style involves extensive use of a shield as both a
  defensive measure and an unexpected weapon. You are most at ease
  when carrying a shield in addition to a one-handed sword, axe, or
  similar weapon.
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 11, base attack bonus +1, Shield
  Proficiency.
  Benefit: You gain expanded abilities with a shield. Long hours of
  training allow you to coordinate your shield and weapon with pre-
  cise timing.
  Several of the techniques described below make use of your
  shieldless Armor Class. If an opponent would have hit you if you
  were not carrying a shield, his attack is considered to have struck
  your shield, and that may allow you to use a technique. Keep track
  of both your full Armor Class and your Armor Class without your
  shield to remind yourself when this happens.
  Active Defense: You maintain a nearly impenetrable defense with
  your shield. You crouch behind it, deflecting your opponent’s
  strikes. As a standard action, you focus on battering aside a single
  foe’s attacks. Each time he tries to attack you, you can make an
  opposed attack roll with your shield, using your best base attack
  bonus. Use the higher of your standard Armor Class or the result of
  this attack roll as your Armor Class against his current attack. You
  must reroll each time he tries to attack you.
  Power Deflect: You slam your shield into your opponent’s weapon
  and body, throwing him off balance, when he hits your shield. If
  your opponent hits your shield in combat, you may use one of your
  attacks of opportunity to make an immediate opposed Strength
  check against him. Your foe gains a +4 size bonus to this check for
  every size category he is larger or a –4 size penalty for every catego-
  ry he is smaller than your own. If this check succeeds, your foe suf-
  fers a –2 competence penalty on attack rolls and Armor Class until
  the start of his next turn as he recovers his balance.
  Shield Push: You slam your shield into your opponent, knocking
  him off balance and making your subsequent attacks more accu-
  rate. In place of an attack, including a single strike made as part of
  a full attack, resolve a shield push with your normal base attack
  bonus and any other relevant modifiers. If you hit, you lose your
  shield bonus until your next action but your foe suffers an Armor
  The Book of Iron Might
  50
  
  Class penalty equal to half your normal shield bonus to Armor Class
  until the start of his next turn.
  Shield Step: When your opponent’s attack hammers into your
  shield, you deflect it upward and step toward him, making it harder
  for his subsequent attacks to connect. If an opponent hits your
  shield with an attack, you may opt to use one of your attacks of
  opportunity to step within his reach. His subsequent attacks against
  you suffer a –2 penalty until the end of his current turn. Note that as
  an unnamed bonus this penalty stacks with itself and all other modi-
  fiers, allowing you to use this technique against the same opponent
  multiple times.
  Weapon Ward: By keeping your shield aligned with a single foe’s
  weapon, you protect yourself from attacks while sacrificing your abil-
  ity to defend against other attackers. On your action, designate a sin-
  gle foe. Your shield’s bonus to Armor Class increases by +2 against
  this opponent, but you lose its benefits against all other foes.
  Spiker [Fighting Style]
  Your armor and shield are studded with vicious spikes, making you a
  deadly foe even when you are on your guard. You make extensive
  study of the techniques and skills needed to make the most of your
  armor.
  Prerequisites: Strength 13, base attack bonus +1, Armor
  Proficiency (heavy).
  Benefit: This feat represents your mastery of armor and shield
  spikes. In many cases, you can turn an unfavorable situation to your
  advantage.
  You can use these techniques only when you are wielding a spiked
  shield or wearing spiked armor.
  Blood-Spined Grasp: When grappling an opponent,you can choose
  to make a blood-spined grasp in place of the other grappling options.
  You bear hug your foe and use your armor or shield spikes to tear into
  him, injuring him and improving your ability to grapple. Make an
  opposed grapple check,rolling the die appropriate for the damage of
  your spikes and adding the result as a bonus on your check. If your
  grapple check succeeds, you inflict your spikes’ damage plus your
  Strength modifier. Until your next turn, you continue to roll your
  spikes’ damage die as a bonus when making grapple checks
  against the opponent on whom you used this technique.
  Impaling Attack: When charging, you can attack with your
  spikes as per the bull rush combat action. Resolve the bull rush
  attempt as normal, but you may make a standard melee attack
  with your spikes in addition to driving your opponent back-
  ward.You gain a bonus on the opposed Strength check to drive
  your opponent backward equal to the result of your spikes’
  damage roll.Do not add any modifiers to this damage—use
  only the die result in addition to your standard Strength
  bonuses.
  Spike Fighter: When you make a full attack, you can make
  an additional attack with your armor spikes (but not shield
  spikes), even if you fight with two weapons. Your armor
  spikes attack suffers a –8 penalty, but your other attacks
  are made normally. You could, for example, attack with a
  weapon in one hand, with a spiked shield in the other, and with your
  armor spikes.
  Spiked Rebuke: You maneuver in the grasp of your opponent to tear
  into his claws or tentacles, making it difficult for him to grab hold of
  you. When an opponent attempts a grapple against you, you are
  always allowed an attack of opportunity with your armor or shield
  spikes even if the opponent has a feat or special ability, such as
  improved grab, that normally disallows a counterattack. You gain a
  +2 bonus on the attack roll with your spikes, and if your attack is
  successful, your opponent’s grapple attempt is automatically ruined.
  Spiked Wall Defense: When an opponent charges you, you may opt
  to grant him an additional +2 bonus on his attack roll. In exchange,
  you may attack him with your armor spikes or shield spikes after he
  resolves his charge attack. You can use this ability once per round,
  and it counts as one of your attacks of opportunity. Thus, you do not
  need to ready an attack to use this technique.
  Chapter Three: Feats of Iron Might 51
  
  Tactical Genius [Fighting Style]
  You have an intuitive sense of combat situations, allowing you to
  make the right choice unerringly when faced with a tactical dilem-
  ma. This ability is based on your gut instincts and talent for think-
  ing under pressure rather than on study or training.
  Prerequisites: Wisdom 13, base attack bonus +1.
  Benefit: This feat represents the development of your tactical
  instincts and your personal experiences in battle.
  Combat Assessment: You have an intuitive sense for knowing
  when to make a bold strike at your foe. Rising above the swirl and
  chaos of a fight, you can choose the perfect moment to strike. If
  you spend a full-round action scanning the battlefield while not
  occupying any opponent’s threatened area, you gain a +2 compe-
  tence bonus on all attack rolls, checks, and saves until the end of
  your next turn.
  Patient Strike: You stand and wait for your opponent’s guard to
  drop even the slightest bit, relying on your finely honed skills and
  sense of timing to make a devastating attack. If you ready an action
  to make a melee attack if and when a designated opponent uses an
  attack action, you gain a +2 bonus on your attack roll against him.
  Obviously, if your opponent does not attack, you lose the chance to
  use this readied action.
  Seize the Initiative: You can push yourself to act more quickly than
  normal in a critical situation, at the cost of leaving yourself vulner-
  able for a brief moment until you can recover. Once per encounter,
  at the start of any round after the first, you may gain a +4 bonus to
  your initiative count. Simply declare you are using this technique,
  adjust your initiative count accordingly, and act when your turn
  comes up. For example, you could use this ability to boost your ini-
  tiative and be able to act before an opponent. However, this tech-
  nique requires a quick burst of energy that leaves you momentarily
  winded and off balance. After you act on your new initiative count,
  you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class until you act again.
  Tactical Coordination: If you ready an action to attack the same
  opponent when a designated ally strikes him, you and your ally
  gain a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls against your shared tar-
  get. Your tactical cunning and your ability to coordinate strikes
  with your ally allow both of you to make a combined attack that is
  greater than the sum of its parts.
  Team Tactics: You are skilled in creating advantages for your allies
  or taking advantage of the openings they make for you. When you
  use the aid another action, you grant an additional +1 bonus to
  Armor Class or attack rolls for your allies. If an ally uses aid anoth-
  er to help you, you increase the bonus the action grants you by 1.
  Weapon Master [Fighting Style]
  You have focused on a single weapon with nearly maniacal dedica-
  tion. To you, fighting with a sword, axe, or hammer is an art form
  rather than a martial pursuit. You spend countless hours going
  through a series of grueling exercises to perfect your form. This
  study is cerebral in nature. While your physical strength is impor-
  tant, your hours of research and meditation play a much greater
  role in your mastery.
  Prerequisites: Intelligence 13, base attack bonus +1, Weapon
  Focus.
  Benefit: This feat represents your continued mastery of a specific
  weapon. You must choose a weapon for which you already have
  Weapon Focus. The techniques you gain apply only when you fight
  with your chosen weapon.
  Battle Sage: You watch an opponent’s moves and stance, reading
  his fighting style and making adjustments to your own in response.
  As a standard action, make an attack opposed by your foe’s own
  attack roll at his best base attack bonus. If you succeed, you learn to
  exploit your foe’s stance, fighting style, and favored tactics. You gain
  a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against
  him for the rest of the encounter. You must be in your opponent’s
  threatened area to initiate the use of this technique.
  Defensive Stance: You bat aside attacks with your chosen weapon,
  putting up a defense that your opponents find difficult to pierce.
  When you fight defensively or use the total defense action, you gain
  an additional +1 bonus to Armor Class.
  Focused Strike: You concentrate on your opponent’s style, analyz-
  ing his motions to find one critical weakness that you can exploit.
  As a full-round action, you can make a single attack at your best
  base attack bonus with an insight bonus equal to your Intelligence
  modifier.
  Offensive Stance: As a free action, you assume an open stance that
  leaves you vulnerable to attack but allows you to make more accu-
  rate strikes at your enemies. You may simply pay little heed to
  defense, or you may make wild swings that leave you exposed to a
  counterattack. You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a –2 penalty
  to Armor Class until the start of your next turn. This bonus applies
  to any attacks of opportunity you make until your next turn.
  Precise Strike: Your skill with your weapon is so refined that you
  can judge the force and speed of your attacks expertly. In the heat
  of battle, a lesser warrior relies on his rote training and instincts to
  overcome a foe. You use cold, analytical thinking to pick out a
  weakness and focus on it. As a free action, you can choose to lose
  your Strength bonus to damage. In return, you gain 1.5 times your
  Strength modifier as a bonus on your attack roll. For example,
  Grimbold has 18 Strength. He normally gains +4 on attack and
  damage rolls. When using this technique, he gains +6 on his attack
  roll but no bonus on damage.
  The Book of Iron Might
  52
  
  M
  ost of these new uses are designed to mirror Bluff’s
  combat application. In return for a standard action
  spent to make a skill check, you gain an advantage
  over an opponent. Most of these skill checks are opposed by
  a foe’s own skill check, usually with a diametrically opposed
  skill, such as Spot against Hide, or a base attack check.
  Base Attack Checks
  A base attack check works just like a skill check. It is a test of
  your fighting prowess rather than your expertise in a specific
  skill. You use your base attack bonus, excluding any bonuses
  you would normally gain due to Strength, feats, and the
  weapon you currently have in hand. If for some reason you
  are unable to make an attack, such as if you are tied up or
  both your hands are occupied with a heavy load, your base
  attack check result is 0.
  Conjoined Skill Checks
  A conjoined skill check is two skill checks made at the same
  time in order to complete an action. For instance, if you
  want to move vertically along a wall briefly, you would
  attempt a conjoined skill check made up of a Balance check
  to keep your footing on difficult ground and a Climb check
  to move up a steep surface. To make the two skill checks at
  the same time and keep the game moving, you can roll two
  d20s of different colors, one for each skill check. Usually, if
  one of the skill checks fails, the entire attempt fails.
  New and Variant Skill Uses
  The following section discusses ways to use specific skill
  checks or conjoined skill checks to accomplish certain objec-
  tives in a combat situation. Some skill checks require you to
  have feats or other abilities in order to attempt them. For
  example, using Jump to make a leaping charge is possible
  only if you have the Run feat. Prerequisites, when they apply,
  are specified in a skill check’s description.
  Appraise: Find Weak Point
  The Appraise skill allows you to determine an item’s value as
  you assess its quality, workmanship, and design. This expert-
  ise extends to weapons and armor. You can use this knowl-
  edge to identify weak points in a sword or a breastplate
  when you are engaged with a foe.
  Mechanics: As a full-round action, make an Appraise
  check (DC 20) to pinpoint a weak spot in a foe’s weapon.
  This foe must stand in your threatened area in order for you
  to examine her weapon closely enough. If you succeed, you
  gain a +2 bonus on a sunder attempt against the weapon.
  You can also use Appraise against armor. Make an
  Appraise check (DC 25) against a foe who stands in your
  threatened area. If you succeed, you gain a +1 insight bonus
  on attack rolls against this foe for the rest of the encounter.
  For this check to be effective, your target must have an armor
  bonus to Armor Class from a physical suit of armor. Your
  DM may judge that certain protective measures, such as
  bracers of armor, provide an armor bonus but are not subject
  to this use of Appraise. As a rule of thumb, this Appraise
  check works only against suits of armor, not magic devices
  that offer similar protection in a different form.
  Balance and Climb: Vertical Run
  By building up speed and drawing on your Balance and
  Climb skills, you can run along walls, or even up them, for
  short distances. (See the illustration on the next page.)
  Prerequisite (Feat):Run.
  Mechanics: To use your skills in this way,you must first use
  a move action to move at least half your speed.Then,as a stan-
  dard action,you can move along a wall for a distance of up to
  20 feet or half your movement,whichever is lower.Doing this
  requires a Balance check (DC 20) and a Climb check (DC 25).
  You can use the remainder of your movement (if any) to move
  as normal (across the ground,for instance) If for some reason
  you try to move a distance of more than 20 feet (or half your
  movement, if less) along a wall, you fall to the ground.
  Otherwise,treat your movement on the wall as a regular move
  for purposes of attacks of opportunity and other hazards.
  While running, you can try to run along a wall. You can
  move up to 20 feet in this manner as part of your move. If
  you try to move more than 20 feet in this manner, you fall to
  the ground. You can move along walls that are directly adja-
  cent to the path you would normally have to take in order to
  run. These walls must be adjacent to the squares that you
  would normally run through. This movement is part of, not
  in addition to, your run.
  You can extend your vertical movement, but doing so is
  difficult. For each additional 5 feet you want to move along a
  wall, the Difficulty Class of your Balance check increases by
  5. You cannot move a distance greater than your speed
  regardless of your ranks in Balance. You must decide how far
  you want to move along a wall before making your check.
  Skills and Stunts 
  The Bluff skill proves useful in combat,as a single check can strip away an opponent’s Dexterity bonus to Armor
  Class and leave her vulnerable to a rogue’s sneak attack.While other skills can at times prove helpful in combat,such as
  using Climb to scramble up a tree and escape a rampaging ogre,most of them are reserved for less violent situations.
  This chapter describes combat-specific uses for many existing skills.
  Chapter Four 53
  
  Bluff: Feign Death
  You attempt to play dead, absorbing an opponent’s attack and tum-
  bling to the ground. With luck, your opponent moves on to a dif-
  ferent target.
  Mechanics: You ready an action to make a Bluff check the next
  time you take damage. Make a Bluff check opposed by any interest-
  ed observer’s Sense Motive check. As a rule of thumb, only oppo-
  nents directly engaged against you should make this check. You
  automatically fall prone and drop any items you hold. Your DM
  keeps the result of the Sense Motive check secret, and you lose your
  Dexterity bonus to Armor Class until your next action. You are not
  considered helpless, as you can try to dodge a coup de grace or simi-
  lar attack at the last moment.
  If you attack an opponent who thinks you are dead, she loses her
  Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against you until the end of your
  action. Once your action ends, your foes obviously know that you
  are alive.
  Climb: Scaling Attack
  Against a larger opponent, you grab hold of its belt, armor, scales,
  horned plates, or other footholds to scramble up its body and
  attack.
  Mechanics: Against a creature that is at least two size categories
  larger than you, you may make a Climb check as a standard action
  opposed by the foe’s base attack check. If you succeed, you climb
  your opponent as per the Climb skill. You must use one hand to
  hold on as you take other actions, you cannot use a shield, and you
  lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class The opponent you
  climbed loses his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against your
  attacks. You occupy the same space as your foe. You provoke an
  attack of opportunity for entering a foe’s space.In addition,you suf-
  fer a –2 penalty to your Climb check if you have only one free hand.
  Your opponent can attempt to knock you loose by making a base
  attack check opposed by your Climb check. If he succeeds, you fall
  and take damage as if he hit you with a slam attack (consult the MM
  for damage for a slam based on the creature’s size) and from falling.
  You land prone in a randomly determined,unoccupied square adja-
  cent to your foe. If all of the adjacent squares are filled, you land in
  the nearest empty square (determine randomly if necessary).
  Concentration: 
  Focused Determination
  In times of dire need, you can clear your mind, focusing your atten-
  tion on a single act, and blotting out any external distractions.
  Mechanics: You can temporarily remove the effect of any morale
  penalties you suffer on attacks,checks,saves,and damage rolls.As a
  full-round action,you may make a Concentration check with a DC of
  15 + the penalty you wish to remove.Do not treat the penalty as a
  negative number when you add it.If this check succeeds,you ignore
  the morale penalty until the end of your next action.You can choose
  to try to ignore only part of a penalty (thereby making the DC lower).
  Diplomacy: Call for Truce
  Using your skills of persuasion, you call for a temporary halt to the
  fighting. Your enemies may halt to listen, but they remain alert and
  ready for a trick.
  Mechanics: As a full-round action,you call for an end to the
  fighting.Make a Diplomacy check with a Difficulty Class as indicat-
  ed on the table on the next page.If you succeed,your opponents
  The Book of Iron Might
  54
  
  ready actions to attack when you or your allies attack or take a threat-
  ening action.You may then parlay as normal with your foes.Your DM
  may consider your foes to remain active on their initiative counts.
  Combat does not end until both sides have stepped down from their
  alert standing.
  Situation
  DC
  Your foes have the advantage
  35
  The battle is even
  25
  Your opponents are losing
  15
  Your DM may rule that certain foes are immune to this skill use,
  such as fanatics who are inspired by religious or political fervor, rag-
  ing barbarians, and other hateful enemies. In addition, you must
  share a language with your opponents or otherwise have some
  means of communicating with them.
  Disguise: Disguise Weapon
  You hide a weapon on your person, making it appear as some orna-
  ment or other harmless keepsake. When you strike with it, you may
  surprise your enemy and leave her vulnerable to your attack.
  Prerequisite (Feat): Quick Draw.
  Mechanics: You may spend 10 minutes hiding a light, one-hand-
  ed weapon on your body. You may hide only one weapon at a time in
  this manner. Later, you can use your Quick Draw feat to ready it and
  attack as normal. When you do so, make a Disguise check opposed
  by your foe’s Spot check. Your opponent also gains her base attack
  bonus (without modifiers for Strength, feats, magic, and so forth) as
  a bonus on this check. If your check succeeds, your opponent loses
  her Dexterity bonus to Armor Class on your next attack.
  Anyone who searches you must make a Search check opposed by
  your Disguise check to find the weapon. They gain no special bonus
  on this check—unlike with weapons hidden using the Sleight of
  Hand skill (see next page)—because you have physically modified
  the weapon in order to disguise it.
  Handle Animal: Manipulate Beast
  Your knowledge of animals allows you to alter their emotions in com-
  bat.For example,you might bat at a wolf’s head to get its attention
  and compel it to attack you instead of another target,or you could so
  enrage an alligator that its attacks become frenzied and clumsy.
  Mechanics: You may make a Handle Animal check against an ani-
  mal or vermin as a full-round action. The Difficulty Class of this
  check is the creature’s Hit Dice + 10. If your check succeeds, you may
  cause one of the following behaviors:
  Anger: The target creature focuses all its attacks on you. It moves
  toward you if possible, but it does not provoke attacks of opportuni-
  ty to reach you. If it cannot reach you, it fights as normal. This effect
  lasts 1d6 rounds.
  Calm: If the creature was not trained to fight, not set to guard an
  area, or not otherwise taught by a master, you can attempt to calm it.
  If the creature and other members of its pack or other allies are not
  subjected to an attack, spell, or other hostile act for 1 full round, it
  stops fighting. It resumes hostilities if anyone makes an aggressive
  move toward it.
  Rage: The creature thrashes in rage, biting and snapping at its
  enemies. It suffers a –2 morale penalty on its next attack roll.
  Handle Animal and Sense Motive:
  Study Beast
  Animals rely on relatively simple tactics and maneuvers in combat,
  allowing you to get a handle on their plans with a close study of
  their actions and bearing.
  Mechanics: You may make a conjoined Handle Animal and Sense
  Motive check against an animal or vermin as a full-round action. The
  Difficulty Class of these checks equals the creature’s Hit Dice + 5. If
  both checks succeed, you gain a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls and
  Armor Class against the creature as you learn to anticipate its
  actions in combat. In addition, you gain a +4 insight bonus on any
  Handle Animal, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks you make
  against it for the rest of the encounter.
  Intimidate: Blood-Kissed Threat
  As you cleave through your enemies, you use threats, taunts, and a
  bloody display of your martial prowess to strike terror into your
  remaining opponents.
  Prerequisites (Feats): Power Attack, Cleave.
  Mechanics: If you kill an opponent outright by dropping her from
  positive hit points to –10 or lower, you may make an Intimidate
  check against a second foe as a free action. The slain foe must have
  been able to fight when you cut her down. A paralyzed or otherwise
  helpless opponent does not qualify for this use of the Intimidate
  skill. The Difficulty Class of this check is the second foe’s Hit Dice +
  15. If your check succeeds, the foe becomes shaken. This is a mind-
  affecting effect.
  Jump: Leaping Charge
  As you rush at an opponent, you spring into the air, adding addi-
  tional momentum to your attack at the cost of accuracy.
  Mechanics: When you charge an opponent (see illustration, next
  page), you can choose to attempt a Jump check to gain additional
  momentum toward your foe. You lose the standard bonus on attacks
  after a charge, but you inflict extra damage. Make a Jump check (DC
  20) as part of your charge. If you succeed, you inflict +2 damage on
  your attack. If your check result is 30 or higher, you gain a +4 bonus
  to damage. Multiply this damage on a successful critical hit. You suf-
  fer the standard –2 penalty to Armor Class for charging as normal
  and end your movement as normal for a charge.
  Sense Motive: Predict Action
  You can sometimes read an opponent’s body language and eyes to
  determine the nature of her next action.
  Mechanics: As a move action,you can attempt a Sense Motive
  check opposed by either your opponent’s Bluff check or base attack
  Chapter Four: Skills and Stunts 55
  CALL FOR TRUCE
  
  check (opponent’s choice).If your check succeeds,you learn what
  your foe plans to do on her next action.You learn only general infor-
  mation,such as whether your foe intends to cast a spell,use a ranged
  attack against a specific target,or flee.You do not learn exactly which
  spell she plans to use,but you do know her target.You may then take
  your standard action as normal.Note that the result of your action,
  and others’ actions,could cause the target to change her mind.You
  only learn what she is planning to do at the moment you act.
  Sense Motive: Read Foe
  You pause to study your opponent, reading her stance, watching
  how she sets her feet, and interpreting her mood. Using this infor-
  mation, you learn to predict and counter her moves.
  Mechanics: As a full-round action,you may make a Sense Motive
  check opposed by your opponent’s base attack check. If your check
  succeeds, you learn to read your opponent’s reactions. You gain a
  +1 insight bonus on attacks against her and a +1 insight bonus to
  Armor Class against her attacks until the end of the encounter.
  Sleight of Hand: Conceal Weapon
  You keep a dagger or other small weapon concealed in your cloth-
  ing or even in your hand. If you make a sudden attack with it, you
  can catch an opponent by surprise.
  Mechanics: You may make a Sleight of Hand check, opposed by
  your foe’s Spot check, to ready a weapon in such a way that she fails
  to note that you are armed. Your foe applies her base attack bonus
  as a modifier on her Spot check. You may hide only one weapon at
  a time in this manner. If you then attack with this weapon on your
  current turn or your next action, your opponent loses her Dexterity
  bonus to Armor  Class.
  If you hold onto the weapon for more than 1 round, your oppo-
  nent gains another Spot check (modified by her base attack bonus)
  to notice it. You oppose this check with another Sleight of Hand
  check with a –2 penalty.
  The modifiers listed under Sleight of Hand for different weapon
  sizes, billowing clothes, and so forth apply to checks made to con-
  ceal a weapon. Consult the skill’s description in Chapter Four of
  the Player’s Handbook for more information.
  Note that the Disguise skill allows for a similar function (see
  previous page). The Disguise check takes longer to implement and
  requires the Quick Draw feat, but it works better when facing
  someone who may attempt to search you.
  Survival: Wilderness Tactics
  Your knowledge of the wilds allows you to turn your surroundings
  to your advantage. You might pick out just the right spot in a snow-
  bank where you can find a steady position while your foes flail
  through the snow.
  Mechanics: When fighting in any sort of terrain that restricts
  your movement, you may make a Survival check opposed by your
  opponent’s base attack check as a standard action. This single
  opponent must be in your threatened area. If your check succeeds,
  you can opt for one of several effects:
  The Book of Iron Might
  56
  
  Hindering Terrain: You can confer a –1 circumstance penalty on
  attacks and Armor Class upon your opponent as long as she is in the
  difficult terrain. You kick snow at her, shift the stones on a gravel
  slope so that she loses her balance, and so forth.
  Tangle and Drop: You pull on a vine to upset your opponent’s foot-
  ing or hit her at just the right angle to disrupt her balance, causing
  her to fall prone in her current space.
  Terrain Injury: You send a hail of stones,thorns,or some other envi-
  ronmental debris at your opponent.She suffers 1d6 points of damage.
  Tumble: Tumbling Strike
  You somersault and twist to avoid your opponent’s attacks and make
  a single, critical strike. Your maneuver catches your foe off guard,
  allowing you to strike her from an unexpected direction.
  Mechanics: As a full-round action, you may make a Tumble check
  with a Difficulty Class equal to your opponent’s base attack bonus
  +5. If your check succeeds, you may make a single attack at your best
  base attack bonus. Your opponent loses her Dexterity bonus to
  Armor Class against this attack. If your check fails, you provoke an
  attack of opportunity from your opponent.
  Use Rope: Create Lasso
  You can fashion a lasso from a length of rope and use it to rope an
  opponent. While a lasso can rarely hold a foe in place for long, it can
  at least temporarily hinder her.
  Mechanics: You must spend 10 minutes fashioning a 50-foot or
  longer length of rope into a lasso. This requires a Use Rope check
  (DC 20). If this check succeeds, your lasso is prepared for use.
  In combat, the lasso has a range of 25 feet, or half the rope’s
  length. It is a ranged weapon. If you hit, you may make a Use Rope
  check opposed by your opponent’s Strength check or Escape Artist
  check (opponent’s choice). If you succeed, your opponent suffers a
  –2 penalty on attacks, checks, and Reflex saves. She can escape by
  making a Strength check or Escape Artist check as a move action
  opposed by your Strength check. She can move only if she succeeds
  at an opposed Strength check against you. She drags you along
  unless you choose to drop the rope, at which point she springs free.
  Dropping the rope is a free action. While you have an opponent las-
  soed,you must use a standard action each round to keep her tangled.
  Otherwise, she immediately breaks free.
  Stunts: Free-Form Combat
  Skill Use
  A monk runs up a bent giant’s back to leap to the ceiling. A sorcerer
  slides along a patch of ice to dive beneath an oncoming white drag-
  on. A daring rogue swings on a chandelier to barrel into the corrupt
  duke’s guards. These astounding acts are perfectly at home on the
  silver screen, where frenetic action and dazzling effects can wow
  audiences. They can also make a fantasy game more interesting and
  entertaining. A character can dive from a cliff to tackle a villain, or
  someone might decide to take falling damage in exchange for flop-
  ping prone in front of a dangerous enemy.
  The following rules provide for a free-form use of skills to attempt
  stunts. You might use Balance and Tumble as a conjoined skill check
  to run along a rope, dive to the courtyard below, and somersault past
  a guard. You could use Climb and Jump to run up the back of a stag-
  gering ogre and leap to the balcony above the creature. Under the
  rules presented here, you pick out skills, describe what you want to
  do and the mechanical benefit you gain from it, and your DM gives
  you a Difficulty Class for the stunt you want to perform.
  Mechanics
  A stunt is a standard skill check or a conjoined skill check that
  allows you to make an astounding maneuver to slip past your ene-
  mies or attack them in a manner straight out of a high-octane action
  movie. With a sufficiently high check result, you can pull off a truly
  amazing act of acrobatics and athleticism.
  A stunt usually requires a move action, though an attack stunt
  (discussed later in this section) is a full-round action. As part of a
  stunt, you can move a distance of up to your speed as normal. In
  essence, a stunt combines a standard move with a skill check. For
  example, you might run across a balcony and flip through the air to
  land between the evil knight and the helpless old wizard. In this
  case, your stunt consists of a move followed by a skill check to land
  safely and to hit the exact spot between the two.
  Determining a Stunt’s DC
  A stunt relies on a few factors to determine its difficulty and the ben-
  efit it grants you. A stunt’s base DC is 10. When you attempt a stunt,
  you must describe it to your DM, who assigns it a DC  based on
  what you gain from it. You can attempt to gain more than one bene-
  fit at the same time, requiring you to make a conjoined check.
  The basic formula for a stunt DC is:
  10 + stunt DC modifiers + DM’s judgment factor
  or
  Stunt base DC + DM’s judgment factor
  If you must succeed at a conjoined skill check to complete a stunt,
  determine the DCs for each check separately.If everything you want
  to accomplish uses a single skill,your DM may call for a conjoined
  skill check involving multiple checks using the same skill for each part
  of the stunt.For example,if you want to leap to a rope dangling from
  a ceiling,swing over the room,then leap down to a giant’s back,your
  DM may require two conjoined Jump checks.The first check is for
  your leap to the rope,the second for the jump down to the giant.
  Skills and Stunts
  Each different type of stunt is tied to a specific skill. The skills and
  their related stunts are detailed below, using the following format.
  Stunts: Descriptions of effects and DC modifiers for typical stunts.
  Failure: What usually happens if you attempt the stunt and fail.
  Notes: General advice on how to use this skill if a character wants
  to attempt a stunt that these rules do not cover.
  These rules serve as basic examples of the sorts of stunts that a
  PC can attempt. You and your DM can use these rules as a basic
  template for determining other stunts.
  Chapter Four: Skills and Stunts 57
  
  Balance (Dex)
  One type of stunt that uses the Balance skill allows you to move
  along surfaces that normally would be impossible to walk upon,
  such as a giant’s back or a tightrope. Another allows you to hustle
  along, using the terrain to increase your speed.
  Stunts: The following stunts are possible through the use of the
  Balance skill.
  Daring Run: You move along a horizontal or sloped surface that
  normally might be impossible to walk along, such as a crouched
  ogre’s back or a collapsing tower—you run along its structure as it
  leans and falls to the ground. Modifier: +5 to check Difficulty Class
  for each 10 feet moved.
  Hustle: You move faster than normal, taking advantage of the
  environment, such as scurrying down a slope or making a short
  jump off a ledge, to increase the distance you can move. Modifier:
  +5 to check DC for each additional 5 feet moved.
  Failure: If you fail the Balance check to perform a stunt, you fall
  prone halfway through your move. You might suffer falling damage
  depending on the circumstances.
  Notes: Balance is useful for all stunts that require movement
  along a sloped or horizontal surface that would normally be impos-
  sible to negotiate. Think of it as a character’s ability to move from
  point A to point B with skill and panache.
  Climb (Str)
  The Climb skill is rarely used on its own to complete a stunt.
  Instead, it serves as a useful skill to conjoin with other attempts.
  Climb allows you to move vertically, such as scaling a giant’s body
  by grabbing onto its belt, the links of its chainmail, and other con-
  venient handholds.
  Stunts: The following stunts are possible through the use of the
  Climb skill.
  Rapid Ascent: With the aid of the terrain or the environment, you
  make your way up a surface with incredible speed. You can move
  upward a distance in feet equal to your Climb check result. Note
  that this stunt assumes you have some method of aiding your
  ascent, such as handholds or a rope. Otherwise, you probably need
  to use Jump to move upward.
  Rapid Descent: Using a rope or handholds, you scramble down a
  surface. You can move downward a distance in feet equal to twice
  your Climb skill check result, though you must move in increments
  of 5 feet as normal. Round down to the nearest number divisible by
  5 to determine how far you can move. Note that this stunt assumes
  you have some method of aiding your descent, such as handholds
  or a rope. Otherwise, you probably need to use Jump to move
  downward.
  Failure: If you fail your Climb check by 10 or less, you make no
  progress. If you fail by more than 10, you fall from your starting
  position and land prone. If you were standing on the ground, you
  still fall prone.
  Notes: When using it to perform a stunt, the Climb skill works
  well for any situation in which a character moves straight up or
  straight down with the assistance of some object or handholds.
  Jump (Str)
  If you want to move up or down without the aid of a rope or other
  piece of equipment, you need to use the Jump skill. Jump also
  allows you to land with precision. For example, you might want to
  leap onto a horse’s back.
  Stunts: The following stunts are possible through the use of the
  Jump skill.
  Downward Leap: You leap down and land in such a way that you
  keep your feet under you and avoid taking damage. The DC for this
  Jump check is half the distance you fall in feet, rounded down, +10.
  Precise Landing: You try to land in a precise spot, such as on top
  of an opponent, upon a horse’s back, or in a specific location
  (empty square,) ready to fight. If you want to land in a specific
  location, the stunt Difficulty Class modifier is +5. If you want to
  end your jump by landing on a target creature, the stunt Difficulty
  Class modifier depends on the target’s size in relation to yours:
  DC Modifier
  Target Size
  +15
  Two or more sizes smaller than you
  +10
  One size smaller than you
  +5
  Same size as you
  +0
  One size larger than you
  –5
  Two sizes larger than you
  –10
  Three sizes larger than you
  –15
  Four or more sizes larger than you
  If you want to inflict damage or knock a foe prone with this
  stunt, you need to consult the “Attack Stunts” section on page 60.
  Attack stunts allow you to use maneuver effects from Chapter One
  as part of a stunt. For example, you could jump on someone to
  knock her prone, stun her, or deny her a Dexterity bonus to Armor
  Class as you cling to your target’s back and hack away.
  Upward Leap: An upward leap is difficult but not impossible. You
  can jump up into the air a distance in feet equal to half your Jump
  check result. If you have a running start or other source of momen-
  tum, such as if you are starting out on the back of a horse, you can
  jump a distance in feet equal to your check result. As a rule of
  thumb, if you jump upward at 45 degrees or less, count it as a hori-
  zontal jump. If the jump’s angle is greater than 45 degrees, it’s a ver-
  tical jump. Round down the result to the nearest number divisible
  by 5, to account for the 5-foot spaces on the battle grid.
  Tumble (Dex)
  The basic rules for the Tumble skill already cover its primary use in
  stunts, which is the ability to move while avoiding attacks of
  opportunity. You can conjoin a Tumble check with some other skill
  check to complete a stunt without losing your guard and suffering
  attacks. For example, you might want to run down the banister of a
  staircase and past the guards charging up the stairs toward you.
  You would use Balance to move on the banister and Tumble to
  avoid the attacks of opportunity. In this case, the stunt allows you
  to use the lower Tumble DC for avoiding attacks as opposed to the
  Difficulty Class for moving through an enemy’s space.
  The Book of Iron Might
  58
  
  Tumble is best used for any situation in which other skills don’t
  seem to provide a good fit. It is also the primary skill used to com-
  plete most attack stunts, described on the next page.
  Other Skills
  You can use other skills to complete stunts, but space and practical
  considerations prevent this book from examining them all. There’s a
  point at which too many rules make a system unwieldy, slow, and
  difficult. In general, you can use other skills as they seem appropri-
  ate. For example, if a PC wants to stand on his horse and leap from
  the saddle to grab a flying creature’s talon, you might require a con-
  joined Ride and Jump check. You could also use Balance in place of
  Ride, but in this case a character’s ability to work with his mount is
  just as important as his ability to keep his feet. A skilled horseman
  might know his mount well enough to anticipate its moves or train it
  to run without bucking him. Use the guidelines below under “Free-
  Form Stunts” for information on setting Difficulty Classes.
  Free-Form Stunts
  The rules given above for specific stunts are meant as a starting point.
  Given that a stunt can involve almost any sort of physical activity,cat-
  aloging and describing every possible use for every skill would require
  hundreds of pages and would make these rules cumbersome and
  slow.Stunts should make the game feel more fluid,freewheeling,and
  exciting, not slower and more ponderous. This section gives you a
  basic overview of how to assign check DCs for free-form stunts.
  Gauge a stunt’s Difficulty Class modifier by its basic difficulty.The
  judgment factor, discussed below, allows the DM to further adjust a
  Difficulty Class based on the stunt’s applicability and net effect.
  +0 DC Modifier/No Check Needed: Stunts in this category allow
  a PC to take a normal action with panache and style. A character
  gains no special advantage from these stunts. She could move or use
  her skills as normal to complete the stunt. A character may want to
  use her Balance skill to run along a balcony’s railing before attack-
  ing. The immediate area around the balcony is devoid of obstacles.
  She could move the same distance on foot, but the player wants her
  swashbuckling character to make a flamboyant maneuver. Since the
  character could move the total distance along the balcony with no
  penalty, either she makes a DC 10 check (a stunt check without a DC
  modifier) or the DM can allow her to forgo the check entirely.
  +5 DC Modifier: A maneuver that grants a PC a small advantage
  falls into this category.These stunts are possible but require some effort.
  A fighter wants to cross an area along a balcony’s railing to attack an
  opponent.Since the floor around the balcony is crowded with people,
  the character decides to run along the railing to get where she wants to
  go.Because she gains a benefit from this tactic (being able to move
  through an obstructed area),the +5 modifier fits the situation.
  +10 DC Modifier: A stunt in this category requires amazing agility
  and skill to complete and provides two or more small benefits for
  performing it. A fighter who wants to swing along the chains from
  which lanterns dangle above a crowded balcony would use this mod-
  ifier. The fighter gets to move above the crowd, and she also wants to
  land behind the opponent.
  Chapter Four: Skills and Stunts 59
  
  +15 DC Modifier: A stunt in this category is possible only in a
  fictional context (movies, comic books, roleplaying games). While
  impossible to achieve in the real world, it is thrilling and fits the
  tone of the game. Such a stunt would provide an important tactical
  advantage if completed. A fighter could try to swing along the
  chains above a crowded balcony, then use the last chain to swing
  even higher into the air and land on the railing behind her oppo-
  nent. Not only does she move above the crowd and set herself up to
  flank her foe, but she also gains the benefit of being on higher
  ground when she attacks.
  +20 DC Modifier:A stunt in this category is difficult or almost
  impossible even in fictional worlds. If completed, it would provide
  four or more minor advantages or a critical edge in a fight.The fight-
  er from our continuing example could swing along the chains,swoop
  low to clear the area in front of her opponent for her friends to
  approach, then soar into the air to land on the railing behind the
  opponent.The fighter moves above the crowd,clears the area in front
  of the opponent to make this foe vulnerable to other attacks, moves
  past the opponent into flanking position, and gains higher ground.
  As you can see from these examples, in general a +5 DC modifier
  is used when a stunt provides a single advantage. When assigning
  DCs on the fly or deciding on them for areas outside of the rules,
  use that as your rule of thumb. A single advantage is a +5 modifier,
  and each added advantage increases the DC by another +5.
  Attack Stunts
  A stunt doesn’t always involve a leap from a balcony or some other
  daredevil act. You can also execute an attack with artistry or in
  some novel, unexpected manner. For example, you might pick up a
  barrel and hurl it down an alley to scatter a gang of approaching
  thugs. This type of stunt allows you to make one attack against
  many opponents.
  Attack stunts use the maneuver system from Chapter One to
  determine their DCs.You simply pick effects that fit with the stunt’s
  intent,then make a skill check.Your opponent’s Armor Class serves
  as the DC for this check,with the attack modifiers for the effects used
  to modify the DC.All attack stunts use the same drawbacks to modify
  their DCs:They are all full-round actions and inflict their effects only,
  allowing you to reduce the DC by 10.You normally cannot add other
  drawbacks to reduce the DC.Thus,the base DC for an attack stunt is:
  Target’s AC – 10 + maneuver penalties – DM’s judgment factor
  If you want to inflict damage with an attack stunt, you must
  either use a maneuver as normal if you wield a weapon, or you can
  attempt an improvised attack stunt (see below).
  Base Attack Checks
  When PCs attempt an attack stunt, they can use their base attack
  bonus and whatever ability modifier fits the situation. This is a
  good option for many attack stunts. For example, a thief may try to
  throw a sheet over a guard to blind him for the moment she needs
  to escape. This stunt draws on her ability to throw the sheet with
  the accuracy needed to drape it over the guard’s eyes, using her
  fighting ability (base attack bonus) and her Dexterity modifier.
  Improvised Attack Stunts
  Completing an improvised attack stunt involves an improvised
  weapon, such as a feature of the environment. For example, a
  strong character could push over a crumbling wall in a ruined castle
  to make an area attack against the orcs guarding the courtyard.
  This sort of attack requires a full-round action and an ability check.
  You also must select the damage you want it to inflict.
  Modifier: This stunt’s DC modifier is based on the damage you
  choose to inflict on a successful attack.
  Points of Damage
  DC Modifier
  2d6
  +5
  3d6
  +10
  4d6
  +15
  5d6
  +20
  6d6
  +25
  Special: This stunt is designed to model a variety of special
  attacks a character can gain from the environment. You might
  design encounter areas that allow the characters to push boulders
  down on foes or pull a tapestry over a target to blind her—think of
  this stunt as a utility knife with a variety of applications.
  Ability Checks and Stunts
  Ability checks are a useful tool to determine the DC of a stunt if a
  skill check is not applicable. For example, a barbarian may attempt
  to roll a barrel down an alley as an attack stunt against a gang of
  orcs.Since this stunt relies on raw physical power to get the barrel
  rolling,it requires a Strength check.Reduce a stunt’s Difficulty Class
  by 10 if it uses an ability check as opposed to a skill check.
  The DM’s Judgment Factor
  As mentioned earlier, stunts are appropriate for certain types of
  games, particularly those that focus on swashbuckling, heroic
  action and creative battles. The tone and feel of the campaign play
  important roles in determining how stunts should work. Thus, this
  system uses a DM’s judgment factor as part of the calculation of a
  stunt’s Difficulty Class. This factor allows a DM to shift stunt DCs
  to fit his game. If he wants stunts to be common, he can reduce all
  DCs by 10 or more. If he wants them to play a small role in the
  game, he can increase all Difficulty Classes by 5 or more.
  Below are several campaign templates the DM can draw upon to
  help guide him in assigning a judgment factor to a stunt’s DC.
  Campaign Type
  DM’s Judgment Modifier
  Low stunts
  +5
  Normal
  +0
  Action-adventure
  –5
  Swashbuckling
  –10
  Low Stunts: In this sort of campaign, realism and plausibility
  are important parts of the game. Stunts might be possible, provid-
  ed that a PC has the needed athletic skill.
  The Book of Iron Might
  60
  
  Normal: This is a good setting for most campaigns. The standard
  stunt rules are balanced so that PCs who rely on speed and mobility
  can make use of stunts, but others cannot take advantage of them.
  Action-Adventure: This sort of campaign emphasizes high-stakes
  action. A typical fight looks like something from an action movie,
  with combatants dashing about and spending as much time
  attempting cool maneuvers as they do attempting normal attacks.
  Swashbuckling: In a swashbuckling campaign, almost everyone
  uses a stunt at least once per combat encounter. Improvised attacks
  and daring maneuvers play a key role. If you find that combat in the
  core rules sometimes becomes a bit predictable, this type of setting
  lets you introduce a major element of improvisation and wild action.
  Descriptions and Stunts
  One of the fun things about stunts is that they add a lot of fun visual
  details to the game. Rather than merely standing still and trading
  blows, a fighter dives from a balcony to attack a villain, a rogue rolls
  under a table and springs up to knife an orc, and so on. The descrip-
  tions of these maneuvers can add a lot of fun to the game for everyone.
  Under this optional rule, the DM can reduce the Difficulty Class
  for a stunt based on your visual description of it or its plausibility. If
  you are entertaining, or if you provide a good reason why the stunt
  should be easier to perform, your DM might reduce its Difficulty
  Class. This rule doesn’t provide an excuse for players to be obnox-
  ious and badger the DM into giving them a bonus. Instead, look at it
  as a chance to describe your character’s skill and panache. As a rule
  of thumb, any description or justification that takes more than 15
  seconds to verbalize is too unwieldy or convoluted to be a practical
  course of action in a six-second combat round.
  Description
  DC Adjustment
  Entertaining, noteworthy
  –5
  A logical, plausible description
  –5
  Worthy of a blockbuster action flick
  –10
  Sensible and obvious, though daring,
  –10
  course of action
  Brilliantly conceived or dramatically appropriate
  –15
  Common Sense and Stunts
  One final piece of advice to the DM:Keep common sense in mind when
  adjudicating a stunt.When the rules collide with your common sense,
  your sense should always win out.Stunts cover a staggering array of pos-
  sibilities.No set of rules could provide contingencies for every action—
  you must think on your feet sometimes and make snap judgments.
  For example,a barbarian drops a ceiling tapestry onto a mob of
  mercenaries.You judge that this is an attack stunt with the maneuver
  effects of blinding its targets and knocking them prone.However,
  common sense tells you the barbarian only needs to cut or loosen the
  rope that holds the tapestry in place.Thus,instead of forcing him to
  attempt a stunt that could have a massive DC,you simply allow him a
  Strength check to destroy the rope or a Use Rope check to untie it.
  On the other hand,the mercenaries can escape the tapestry as a full-
  round action.They only need to crawl out to escape.
  Optional Stunt Rules
  The following optional rules are for DMs who want to encourage
  stunt attempts and make them a bigger part of the campaign. If you
  use one of the DM judgment factors that make stunts easier, these
  options are additional tools that make stunts a valid option for a
  wider variety of characters. PCs who don’t have many skills or those
  who suffer armor check penalties to Jump, Climb, and similar skills
  usually fail at the skill check DCs that stunts require.
  Battle Stunts (Optional Rule): Stunts are a lot of fun in combat,but
  you may find that fighters,barbarians,and paladins simply lack the skill
  ranks needed to be good at many of them.Under this optional rule,any
  character can substitute her base attack bonus for her ranks in a skill
  ordinarily needed to pull off a stunt.Use this rule if you want fight-
  ers, not just characters with lots of skill ranks, to attempt stunts.
  Magic Stunts (Optional Rule): In games that feature lots of
  stunts, you can allow spellcasters to attempt them using their caster
  level + their spellcasting key ability modifier in place of the relevant
  skill modifier. To leap across a gap between two buildings, a sorcerer
  might tap into his draconic heritage to create spectral wings, while a
  cleric might invoke her god’s name as she lifts a monstrous rock slab
  and hurls it at a frost giant. Use this rule to give spellcasters a
  chance to describe mundane actions in terms of magical effects and
  to make stunts available to them.
  The Stunt Skill (Optional Rule): In some campaigns, stunts are
  as much a part of combat as initiative checks and attack rolls. In
  such a case, you can simplify things and encourage stunts by replac-
  ing the various skills needed to attempt stunts with a single Stunt
  skill. A character’s Stunt skill modifier depends on her class.
  Fighters, paladins, rangers, and barbarians have a Stunt bonus equal
  to their base attack bonus. Bards, monks, and rogues have a Stunt
  bonus equal to their class level + 3. Sorcerers, wizards, clerics, and
  druids have a Stunt bonus equal to their caster level.
  For Stunt checks,spellcasters always use their spellcasting key abil-
  ity modifier;others use an ability modifier related to the nature of the
  stunt. A stunt that requires speed and precision draws on Dexterity,
  while one that demands raw physical power calls for Strength.
  A multiclass character determines her Stunt bonus using the class in
  which she has the most levels.Determine a PC’s Stunt bonus as if she
  had all her levels in that class.For example,a character with 10 levels
  in fighter and two levels in rogue has a Stunt bonus equal to the base
  attack bonus she would have if all 12 levels were fighter.If a character
  has an equal number of levels in two or more classes,the player choos-
  es.When prestige classes are involved,the DM judges which kind of
  standard class equates with a prestige class.Some of these decisions
  are logical and easy—treat assassin levels as rogue levels,hierophant
  levels as cleric levels,and dragon disciple levels as sorcerer or bard levels.
  However,the number of prestige classes in the game (counting the Core
  Rulebooks as well as other published works) makes it virtually impos-
  sible to slot every prestige class into a particular category.
  In addition to these base Stunt modifiers,a character can spend
  skill points to increase her Stunt bonus to a maximum of her level + 3.
  Use this rule if stunts are an important part of your game. With
  this option, every character has a basic aptitude for stunts.
  Chapter Four: Skills and Stunts 61
  
  Arcana Unearthed Conversions
  Using The Book of Iron Might with Monte Cook’s Arcana Unearthed is easy.This appendix offers notes on how
  to categorize the new feats from this book and also discusses the role of hero points in stunts and maneuvers.
  Stunts, Maneuvers
  and Hero Points
  Stunts and maneuvers are exactly the sort of
  actions that hero points were tailored to
  cover. If you spend a hero point, you can cre-
  ate a maneuver or a stunt on the fly. You gain
  a +20 bonus on the attack roll or skill check
  you make to complete the action.
  The Ironborn
  The ironborn are not part of the official Arcana
  Unearthed setting, but you can add them to
  your game using the history and backstory
  from this book.The ironborn may have been
  created by a lone spellcaster of indeterminate
  race.The giants have the same caretaking atti-
  tude toward the ironborn as they do toward
  other races, allowing the ironborn to fit into
  society with fewer obstacles. However, other
  races may be less sympathetic. Sibeccai may
  find them vaguely offensive, since ironborn
  remind them of their origin as a created race.
  Feats
  Each new feat category introduced in this
  book falls into one of the categories described
  in Arcana Unearthed, with a few exceptions.
  Arcane Battle Feats: These count as gen-
  eral feats. Use them unchanged.
  Battlemind Feats: These count as ceremo-
  nial feats.
  Fighting Style Feats: All fighting style
  feats count as talents. Otherwise, they
  remain the same. Note that in some cases,
  existing talents are in essence replaced by
  these new feats. For example, Natural Archer
  and Natural Swordsman fill roles similar to
  particular fighting styles from this book.
  However, they have fewer prerequisites,
  which makes them more useful to some
  characters.
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  d20 System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2004,
  Wizards of the Coast,Inc.;authors Jonathan Tweet,Monte
  Cook,Skip Williams,Rich Baker,Andy Collins,David
  Noonan,Rich Redman,and Bruce R.Cordell,based on 
  original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  The Book of Iron Might Copyright 2004 Monte J.Cook.
  All rights reserved.
  Monte Cook’s Arcana Unearthed Copyright 2003 Monte
  J.Cook.All rights reserved.
  Appendix
  
  Dragon and Dungeon are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ©2004 Wizards. Undefeated is ™ and © 2004 Paizo Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.
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  MONTE COOK’S ARCANA EVOLVED™
  A “Director’s Cut” edition of the popular variant player’s handbook
  Discover a new class, race, spells, and more, plus The Diamond Throne’s setting material
  and the rules from your favorite variant player’s handbook—all together in full color!
  With 10th-level spells, up to 25th-level characters . . . and dragons.
  More dungeon mastery from the guy who wrote the book.
  On sale in March • 432 pages • $49.99 (US) • WW16146 • ISBN 1-58846-780-5
  Free previews at www.montecook.com
  ©2004 Monte J. Cook. Malhavoc is a registered trademark owned by Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. The Sword & Sorcery logo is a trademark of White Wolf Publishing, Inc.
  The d20 System and d20 System logo are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast and are used with permission. 
  ®
  ®
  IT’S
  TIME
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  YOUR
  GAME
  TO
  EVOLVE
  IT’S
  TIME
  FOR
  YOUR
  GAME
  TO
  EVOLVE
  
  ®
  ®
  ™
  Requires use of the Dungeons & Dragons®  Core Books,Third Edition,
  published byWizards of the Coast®,Inc.
  ©2004 Monte J.Cook
  W
  Free bonus material at WWW.MONTECOOK.COM
  W
  ho needs eldritch might? Barbarians,fighters,
  rangers,paladins,and warriors meet their foes head
  on,relying on nothing but their cool nerves and
  skill at arms.They would say a good swordarm is worth a
  thousand spells.
  Any party's strength rests on a foundation of cold steel,mighty
  thews,and strong hearts.The Book of Iron Might gives you a
  whole new way to look at combat,showing you how to create
  combat maneuvers for called shots,daredevil stunts,and
  other thrilling actions on the fly.This book also includes:
  • Three new types of feats for combat-oriented characters
  • New uses for skills that increase your options in a fight
  • The ironborn,an exciting new character race
  • An innovative new stunt system
  The Book of Iron Might covers new ground in the d20 System
  rules—no other book provides this unique look at combat.
  Characters of all levels in any fantasy campaign can use these
  rules,all updated to v.3.5.If you liked the Books of Eldritch
  Might, don’t miss this essential companion volume.
  Monte Cook,codesigner of 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons®,started Malhavoc®
  Press as his own d20 System imprint to publish unusual magic,monsters,
  and evocative game elements that go beyond traditional fantasy.
  Malhavoc Press products exhibit a mastery of the d20 System rules
  that only one of the game’s original designers can offer you.
  Free bonus material at WWW.MONTECOOK.COM
  PDF Version 1
  October 2004
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Sword & Sorcery/WW16109 The Book of Iron Might.pdf