 Divine Fighting Technique (Combat)
Source Divine Anthology pg. 28, Weapon Master's Handbook pg. 10
You have trained in the divine fighting technique of a specific deity.
Prerequisites: Must worship a single patron deity that has an established divine fighting technique.
Benefit: You can use your patron deity’s fighting technique and receive any benefit associated with that technique for which you qualify, as described in the Divine Fighting Techniques section below.
Special: A cleric, inquisitor, or warpriest who worships a deity can choose to give up either the first power of one of her domains or a minor blessing benefit to gain access to her god’s divine fighting technique without having to meet the technique’s prerequisites (including the Divine Fighting Technique feat). In addition, a warpriest can give up a major blessing to gain the advanced benefit without meeting its prerequisites. Abadar's CrossbowSource Weapon Master's Handbook pg. 10
Abadar teaches complex crossbow techniques.
Initial Benefit: You can attempt a ranged stealAPG combat maneuver check with a crossbow, using your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier to calculate your Combat Maneuver Bonus. If you succeed, the stolen item is knocked away by the bolt; if the bolt can pierce any part of the item and the item weighs 2 pounds or less, the bolt continues past the creature and carries the item up to one range increment away, pinning it to whatever surface it lands on.
Advanced Prerequisites: Rapid Reload, base attack bonus +10.
Advanced Benefit: When fighting a foe adjacent to a firm surface, you can attempt a ranged dirty trickAPG combat maneuver check with a crossbow, using your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier to calculate your Combat Maneuver Bonus. If you succeed, your bolt pins the target’s clothing (or feathers, hide, or the like) to the surface, preventing the target from leaving that space until it breaks free by destroying the bolt or removing it with a successful Strength check (DC = the result of your combat maneuver check to pin it). Asmodeus’s MandateSource Divine Anthology pg. 28
Although soldiers and mercenaries alike in Cheliax claim that the martial techniques detailed within Wrath and Punishment, the most well-known fighting manual of the Church of Asmodeus, are as old as time itself, martial experts across the Inner Sea region note that Wrath and Punishment is less than 3 decades old. Of course, few in Cheliax dare to publicly make such claims. Outside of Cheliax, copies of Wrath and Punishment tend to be found in Hellknight enclaves.
Initial Benefit: Whenever you threaten a critical hit with a light mace or heavy mace on a foe, that foe becomes sickened for 1 round. If you confirm the critical hit, the sickened effect lasts for 2 rounds. The duration of the sickened effect doesn’t stack with multiple critical threats.
Advanced Prerequisites: Int 13; Combat Expertise; Divine Fighting Technique; Improved Feint; base attack bonus +10 or Bluff 10 ranks.
Advanced Benefit: An opponent that you hit with a light mace or heavy mace who is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC is also hindered by the attack. You can attempt a dirty trickAPG combat maneuver check as a swift action that doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity immediately after damage from the attack is resolved. Calistria's Poisoned LashSource Weapon Master's Handbook pg. 10
Calistria inspires creative ways to poison foes.
Optional Replacement: A chaotic neutral rogue or slayer who worships Calistria can replace one talent with the following initial benefit.
Initial Benefit: You can apply poison (your choice) to a whip as a move action. You do not risk poisoning yourself when applying poison to a whip. A whip you wield can deliver contact poison upon a successful combat maneuver check as well as upon a successful attack roll, regardless of whether you deal damage.
Advanced Prerequisites: Whip MasteryUC, base attack bonus +10.
Optional Replacement: A chaotic neutral rogue or slayer who worships Calistria can replace one advanced talent with the following advanced benefit even if she doesn’t meet the prerequisites.
Advanced Benefit: You can apply poison to a whip as a swift action. You can apply up to 3 doses of the same poison to a whip at a time. Foes are exposed to only 1 dose of poison from any one attack. Cayden Cailean's Blade and TankardSource Weapon Master's Handbook pg. 11
Cayden Cailean is famous for wading into battle with a tankard in his off hand.
Optional Replacement: A chaotic good fighter or swashbuckler who worships Cayden Cailean can replace proficiency with shields or bucklers with the following initial benefit.
Initial Benefit: You can wield a tankard (or mug) as a weapon, treating it in all ways as a light mace appropriate for your size. If you engage in two-weapon fighting with a rapier or light weapon in one hand and a tankard in the other, you can drink a potion or other liquid from the tankard or attempt to toss liquid from the tankard as a dirty trickAPG combat maneuver (such as to blind a foe) in place of attacking with it. You do not provoke attacks of opportunity for attempting a dirty trick maneuver with a tankard.
Advanced Prerequisites: Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +10.
Optional Replacement: A chaotic good fighter or swashbuckler of at least 10th level who worships Cayden Cailean can replace a bonus feat or deed with the following advanced benefit, even if he doesn’t meet the prerequisites.
Advanced Benefit: You can refill your tankard with a beverage, potion, or other liquid from a bottle or vial as a swift action. You gain a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks to perform dirty tricksAPG with tankards. The effects of such a dirty trick lasts for 1d4 rounds + 1 round for every 5 points by which the result of your combat maneuver check exceeds the target’s CMD; a standard action is required for the target to remove this penalty.Desna's Shooting StarSource Divine Anthology pg. 28
Among the divine fighting manuals of the Inner Sea, few are as ancient as Clamor of the Spheres, a collection of fighting techniques favored by Desna’s faithful. True to its name, the manual focuses on interpreting the chaos and sounds of combat, but nevertheless provides insightful and downright brilliant methods of defense with Desna’s favored weapon, using techniques that treat a fight with a starknife more as a beautiful dance than a battle.
Optional Replacement: A chaotic good bard of at least 2nd level who worships Desna can replace a versatile performance with the following initial benefit.
Initial Benefit: You can add your Charisma bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls when wielding a starknife. If you do so, you don’t modify attack rolls and damage rolls with your starknife with your Strength modifier, your Dexterity modifier (if you have Weapon Finesse), or any other ability score (if you have an ability that allows you to modify attack rolls and damage rolls with that ability score).
Advanced Prerequisites: Dex 17; Divine Fighting Technique; Point-Blank Shot; Rapid Shot; base attack bonus +11 or Sleight of Hand 11 ranks.
Optional Replacement: A chaotic good bard of at least 10th level who worships Desna can replace a versatile performance with the following advanced benefit without meeting its prerequisites.
Advanced Benefit: You can impart a powerful spin to a thrown starknife so that multiple blades strike the target rather than just a single blade of the four, dealing extra damage with the other blades. As a full-round action, you can make a single attack with a thrown starknife, rolling 1d4 to determine how many effective strikes you gain with the attack (if you roll a 1, then only one blade strikes). If the attack hits, all of the effective strikes damage the target. Apply precision-based damage (such as sneak attack damage) and critical hit damage only once for this attack. The damage bonus from your appropriate ability score modifier applies to each strike, as do other damage bonuses, such as a bard’s inspire competence bonus. Damage reduction and resistances apply separately to each strike. Erastil's Distracting ShotSource Divine Anthology pg. 29
Sometimes used as a companion piece to the Parables of Erastil, the lesser-known Horns of the Elk is a manual completely dedicated to archery. Lacking the folktales that the Parables are celebrated for, the Horns of the Elk instead focuses on covering a wide array of beginner and advanced archery tactics. A copy of the manual can be found virtually anywhere a shrine to Erastil exists.
Optional Replacement: A lawful good ranger who worships Erastil can choose Divine Fighting Technique as the bonus feat granted by his combat style if he chooses archery as his combat style.
Initial Benefit: As a standard action, you can fire a distracting shot from your longbow or shortbow; when you do, select one ally who is adjacent to the creature you are targeting with the distracting shot. If you hit the creature, the chosen ally gains a +2 bonus to her Armor Class against that creature. This bonus to her Armor Class lasts until the start of your next turn.
Advanced Prerequisites: Dex 17, Divine Fighting Technique, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, base attack bonus +10.
Optional Replacement: A lawful good ranger who worships Erastil and has the Divine Fighting Technique feat can replace the bonus feat granted by his combat style at 10th level with the following advanced benefit without meeting its prerequisites.
Advanced Benefit: When you fire a distracting shot at a creature and hit the creature, you grant a +4 Armor Class bonus to the selected adjacent ally and a +2 Armor Class bonus to all other allies within 30 feet of the selected adjacent ally against attacks by the targeted creature. Gorum's SwordmanshipSource Weapon Master's Handbook pg. 11
Gorum teaches devastating greatsword techniques.
Optional Replacement: A chaotic neutral barbarian or fighter who worships Gorum can replace a bonus feat or rage power with the following initial benefit.
Initial Benefit: If you have the Vital Strike feat, you can apply its effect to an attack you make with a greatsword at the end of a charge. If you don’t have the Vital Strike feat, that attack deals 1 additional point of damage instead. The first time you make an attack of opportunity with a greatsword after using Vital Strike with a greatsword on your turn, you can apply Vital Strike to that attack of opportunity.
Advanced Prerequisites: Str 13, Cleave, Power Attack, Vital Strike, base attack bonus +10.
Optional Replacement: A chaotic neutral barbarian or fighter of at least 10th level who worships Gorum can replace a bonus feat or rage power with the following advanced benefit, even if she doesn’t meet the prerequisites.
Advanced Benefit: When you use Vital Strike, Improved Vital Strike, or Greater Vital Strike with a greatsword, the damage counts as continuous damage from an injury for the purpose of determining whether a target must attempt a concentration check to cast spells (Core Rulebook 206). Iomedae's Inspiring Sword
Source Weapon Master's Handbook pg. 11
Iomedae demonstrates how to turn a longsword into a shining beacon of hope.
Optional Replacement: A paladin who worships Iomedae can replace a mercy with this initial benefit, even if she doesn’t meets its prerequisites.
Initial Benefit: While wielding a longsword, you can perform an impressive display of prowess as a full-round action. All allies within 30 feet who can see your display gain a +2 sacred bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks for 1 round + 1 round per 5 points of base attack bonus you have.
Advanced Prerequisites: Dazzling Display, Weapon Focus (longsword), base attack bonus +10.
Optional Replacement: A paladin of at least 9th level who worships Iomedae can replace a mercy with the following advanced benefit, even if she doesn’t meet the benefit’s prerequisites.
Advanced Benefit: As a standard action or at the end of a charge, you can make an attack against a foe with a longsword. If you succeed, you grant all allies who can see your attack a +2 sacred bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks for 1 minute. Irori’s Perfected FistSource Divine Anthology pg. 29
Practically synonymous with Irori and his faith, The Woven Fist is among the best known of all diving fighting manuals. Many learned monks were taught their first martial techniques using drills and regiments from this manual, which some claim was written by Irori’s own hand before his ascension to divinity. Although most commonly found in temples to Irori and secluded monasteries, copies of The Woven Fist often make their way into less scrupulous hands because of their effectiveness.
Optional Replacement: A lawful neutral brawler or monk can replace a bonus feat with the following initial benefit.
Initial Benefit: You can take a –2 penalty on all attack rolls made with your unarmed strikes in order to deal the average amount of damage with each successful attack instead of rolling your weapon damage. For instance, if your unarmed strike would normally deal 1d4 points of weapon damage, you instead deal 2 points of weapon damage. Apply bonuses and modifiers to this result as if you had rolled your damage normally. You must choose to use this benefit before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. You do not average additional damage dice (such as those granted by a sneak attack) when using this ability.
Advanced Prerequisites: Critical Focus; Divine Fighting Technique; Weapon Focus (unarmed strike); base attack bonus +10 or monk level 10th.
Optional Replacement: A lawful neutral brawler or monk of at least 10th level who worships Irori and has the Divine Fighting Technique feat can replace a bonus feat with the following advanced benefit without meeting its prerequisites.
Advanced Benefit: You no longer take a –2 penalty on attack rolls with your unarmed strikes when you choose to deal the average amount of damage. If you critically hit a creature when using this ability, you automatically inflict maximum weapon damage for that critical hit (although you must still roll sneak attack dice or any other dicebased additional damage). Lamashtu's CarvingSource Divine Anthology pg. 29
One of the grisliest divine fighting manuals is Fecundity of Corpses, a harrowing tome that depicts the fighting styles favored by the followers of Lamashtu, the Mother of Monsters. In addition to detailing many of the more gruesome rites favored by the Demon Queen, Fecundity of Corpses includes hundreds of techniques recorded in blood by cultists of Lamashtu from across the Inner Sea region. Though no standardized edition of this manual exists because of the cult’s discordant hierarchy, each tome manages to perfectly capture similar techniques for sowing fear and blood in Lamashtu’s name.
Initial Benefit: As a standard action, you can make a single attack with a falchion or a kukri in order to deal bleed damage to the target. When you make this attack, you do not apply your ability modifier (normally Strength, but potentially other modifiers) to the hit point damage dealt by your attack—instead, add an amount of bleed damage equal to this modifier. The bleeding can be stopped by a successful DC 15 Heal check or any amount of magical healing. Bleed damage from this benefit doesn’t stack with itself.
Advanced Prerequisites: Str 13, Dazing AssaultAPG, Divine Fighting Technique, Power Attack.
Advanced Benefit: Whenever you hit a bleeding creature with a melee attack using a falchion or a kukri, that creature must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + your base attack bonus) or become staggered for 1 round. Multiple attacks do not cause this condition to stack, and a creature that successfully saves against this staggering effect is immune to this effect for 1 round. Norgorber’s Silent ShivSource Divine Anthology pg. 30
Entombed within a volume known as The Reaper’s Hand, the divine fighting techniques of Norgorber are among the most elusive in the Inner Sea region, but are theorized to cover the techniques that acolytes of Father Skinsaw use to move and strike unseen. Copies of this manual are rare, and those who spill its secrets to anyone unworthy often meet a swift and bloody end at the hands of the faith’s inquisitors.
Optional Replacement: A neutral evil rogue of at least 2nd level who worships Norgorber can replace a rogue talent with the following initial benefit.
Initial Benefit: Whenever you attack an opponent that is completely unaware of your presence (such as when you are using the Stealth skill or invisible), your attack deals damage as if you were one size category larger. This benefit applies only to the first attack that you make against the target, and only with attacks made with light or one-handed weapons intended for creatures of your size (including thrown attacks).
Advanced Prerequisites: Divine Fighting Technique, Stealth 10 ranks.
Optional Replacement: A neutral evil rogue of at least 10th level who worships Norgorber can replace an advanced rogue talent with the following advanced benefit without meeting its prerequisites.
Advanced Benefit: At the start of each round, choose one opponent that you can see and attempt a Stealth check as a swift action. If the result of your check exceeds the target’s CMD, treat the target as if it were completely unaware of your presence for the purpose of the initial benefit of this divine fighting technique. If you beat the target’s CMD by 5 or more, you also treat it as being completely unaware of your presence for the purposes of all class features and feats you have. Rovagug’s ThunderSource Divine Anthology pg. 30
Most copies of Ravage and Ruin, the divine fighting manual of the Rough Beast Rovagug, are scrawled in blood upon flensed skins by orc priests—and indeed the vile techniques described within originated from the Hold of Belkzen not long after the orcs first seized that land as their own. Reviled across the Inner Sea, Ravage and Ruin sees additional use among savage Ulfen clans who have fallen to the Rough Beast’s urges to become corrupt, lunatic cannibals who relish despoiling beauty in Rovagug’s name.
Initial Benefit: Whenever you succeed at a dirty trickAPG combat maneuver check against an opponent, you deal an amount of nonlethal damage equal to 1d6 + your Charisma modifier. In addition, whenever your dirty trick combat maneuver check beats an opponent’s CMD by 5 or more, you can forgo increasing the duration of your condition by 1 or more rounds to instead impose a –2 penalty on all of that opponent’s Charisma-based checks. This penalty doesn’t stack with itself, and it lasts for a number of minutes equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 minute) or until the target receives any form of magical healing.
Advanced Prerequisites: Power Attack, Divine Fighting Technique, base attack bonus +10.
Optional Replacement: A chaotic evil barbarian of at least 10th level who worships Rovagug can replace a rage power with the following advanced benefit without meeting its prerequisites.
Advanced Benefit: Anytime you use Power Attack with a great axe or a natural attack, you ignore an amount of the target’s hardness or damage reduction equal to the penalty Power Attack imparts to your attack roll. This benefit stacks with Penetrating Strike and Greater Penetrating Strike. Sarenrae's MercySource Divine Anthology pg. 30
Although the Dawnflower is the goddess of healing and redemption, she is not a goddess of peace, and her followers are taught that combat may be the only way to ensure the safety of those who look to the faith for protection. In such situations, the faithful of Sarenrae are expected to end combat swiftly and efficiently, to avoid drawing out the pain and agony of battle. When one can end a battle without resorting to killing, the opportunity for redemption of the defeated foe still remains. The pages of Dawnflower’s Mercies teach methods by which those who serve Sarenrae as soldiers can vanquish enemies in combat without killing them, and encourage those who follow the teachings held within to offer those they take prisoner the chance to be welcomed into Sarenrae’s arms.
Initial Benefit: You take no penalty on attack rolls for using a scimitar to deal nonlethal damage. If your attack with the scimitar would normally deal additional damage (such as via sneak attack, the flaming weapon special ability, or the like), this additional damage can be nonlethal damage. You can also alter spells with the fire, good, or light descriptor and inflict spells so that the damage they deal is nonlethal damage instead. You can choose to apply this effect as the spell is cast.
Advanced Prerequisites: Great Fortitude, Weapon Focus (scimitar), Heal 10 ranks.
Advanced Benefit: Once per round as you strike a foe with a weapon and deal nonlethal damage with that attack, you regain 1d6 hit points as the warmth of Sarenrae’s approval and the conviction that you are doing the right thing to minimize suffering infuses your body and soul. If the attack that dealt nonlethal damage was from a scimitar, you instead regain 2d6 hit points. You can gain the benefit of this healing only once per round, regardless of how many successful attacks you make with the weapon. Torag's Patient StrikesSource Divine Anthology pg. 31
Copies of Lessons of the Father, the divine fighting manual of Torag, are somewhat rare outside of the Five Kings Mountains, as tradition mandates that all copies of Lessons of the Father must be scribed by hand in Dwarven on iron sheets and bound between slabs of stone hand-carved by a cleric of Torag. As a result, these tomes are somewhat cumbersome to transport (even the smallest copy of the book weighs 50 pounds, and most exceed 100 pounds in weight). Those who have mastered the Lessons of the Father are highly respected within the faith.
Initial Benefit: Whenever you wield a warhammer, add your Wisdom bonus to the total number of attacks of opportunity that you can make per round. These additional attacks of opportunity don’t stack with those granted by Combat Reflexes, but this benefit counts as Combat Reflexes for the purpose of satisfying feat prerequisites and prestige class requirements. In addition, you can make attacks of opportunity while you’re flat-footed.
Advanced Prerequisites: Divine Fighting Technique, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (warhammer), base attack bonus +10.
Advanced Benefit: Once per round, before you make an attack of opportunity with a warhammer, you can declare an opportunistic strike. If the attack hits, you can apply the effects of your Vital Strike feat. You can apply the Improved Vital Strike or Greater Vital Strike feat instead if you have either of those feats. If you confirm a critical hit with an opportunistic strike, you can attempt a disarm or trip combat maneuver check against the target as a free action—this combat maneuver does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Urgathoa's HungerSource Divine Anthology pg. 31
The grisly content of Pallid Cravings can be found in many places where the Pallid Princess maintains a significant presence, especially within the undead nation of Geb. The pages of this manuscript are said to be tattooed onto a humanoid and flensed off while the victim is still alive; the swaths of skin are then carefully preserved for presentation in the book. Pallid Cravings details hundreds of ways for a member of Urgathoa’s faithful to satisfy her depraved urges for an opponent’s flesh and blood while in battle.
Initial Benefit: A number of times per day equal to your Wisdom bonus, you can feast upon the life essence of a creature that you hit with a scythe. Activating this ability is a swift action. When you do so, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to the damage you dealt with the scythe attack. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute and don’t stack.
Advanced Prerequisites: Divine Fighting Technique, Heal 10 ranks, base attack bonus +7.
Advanced Benefit: A number of times per day equal to your Wisdom bonus, you can exacerbate any lingering contagions within a target’s body upon making a successful melee attack with a scythe. Activating this ability is a swift action, and causes the target to immediately attempt additional saving throws against all diseases with which it is currently afflicted. Any failed saves cause the target to immediately take the effects of that disease, while a successful save does not count toward the number of consecutive saves that the target must succeed at in order to cure the disease. Zon-Kuthon's FlensingSource Weapon Master's Handbook pg. 11
Zon-Kuthon invites all mortals to join in inflicting and suffering pain.
Initial Benefit: Once per round, when you hit a foe with a spiked chain, you can twist the chain so it painfully flenses both of you. You and your target are both sickened for 1 round, and the target must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Wisdom bonus) or be sickened for an additional 1d4+1 rounds.
Advanced Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +10.
Advanced Benefit: Whenever you sicken a foe with pain using a spiked chain (whether by flensing, as a dirty trickAPG combat maneuver, or otherwise), the victim must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Wisdom bonus) or be nauseated for the first round of the duration.
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