Stories detailing the creation of the style of the mental grip are frequently historically impossible, and always at odds with each other on a number of key points, but in a few areas there tends to be agreement. First, the style's creation has virtually nothing to do with Reshar, instead owing itself to a pair of mysterious figures known as the Dark Father and the Son. The Dark Father was a mighty psionic being of indeterminate race, whose face was never seen, always veiled behind a shadowy cloak, or black adamantine helm. But even given his great might, there was one greater still whom he served. Even less is known about this figure than the Dark Father himself, but historical artists frequently display him as an Emperor among mind flayers. The Dark Father resented his servitude to this Emperor, but found his power alone was not enough to break the bonds of his servitude. He pushed himself to his limit, and developed the rudiments of the Mental Grip, but could not fully exploit it; either he wasn't powerful enough, or the Emperor watched him too closely, or he was simply lazy, to drunk with his current power to try too hard to gain more. Second, the Dark Father eventually found a student. In some versions he is the darker Son of the Dark Father, in others he was a master assassin the Dark Father sought out after an untarnished record of assassinating legendary psionic figures, rivaling even the Annulus in number of psionic beings killed. Regardless of his actual familial status, he is known as the Son. The Dark Father taught him all of his exotic techniques, including the bits of the Mental Grip he had initiated. The Son took these rudimentary fragments of a style and honed them to a razor edge; his killing power rose tenfold, and his power grew to eclipse even that of his Father. He wrote many treatises on the style, and it is from these that practitioners of the other styles eventually pieced the Mental Grip style back together. Third, it was this mastery of the Mental Grip that eventually led to his downfall. Whether it was the Dark Father's jealousy, or the fact that his power grew too large to hide, eventually the Dark Father's plans were reversed; rather than allying himself with the Son against the Emperor, he was forced to ally with the Emperor against the Son. Though the Son's power was indeed great, he could not stand long against the combined might of the Dark Father and the Emperor. What became of the Father and the Emperor is unknown - though there are a handful of cults that claim to have the truth - and largely irrelevant. The fact remains that the Mental Grip is a potent, if unorthodox style, and is growing in popularity among psionic followers of the Sublime Way. It focuses mostly on the use of small weapons, and those easy to manipulate with one's mind: the dagger, the light hammer, the sai, the handaxe, and the scimitar. It also favors the unarmed strike, as physical discipline is important to fully grasp mental discipline. Its key skill is Autohypnosis, as the style focuses on driving your mind to master itself, its body, and even the outside world. The way of the Mental Grip is not available to all; a practitioner must be considered a psionic creature, whether due to power point reserve, or inherent psionic abilities. Of the psionic followers of the Sublime Way, only Swordsages find themselves with the ability to grasp the supernatural strongly enough to truly understand the way of the Mental Grip, as the way of the Mental Grip is made up entirely of supernatural techniques that are alien to those used to typical martial disciplines. However, the cost of studying such a foreign style is indeed great; the potential practitioner must either devote such a large amount of training to the style that most must exclude another style from their learning entirely. Upon gaining their first level of swordsage, a psionic character may choose to lose all access to one discipline typically known to swordsages in order to gain access to Mental Grip. Additionally, Autohypnosis becomes a class skill for the swordsage, and that discipline's associated skill is no longer a class skill. Alternatively, a potential practitioner may gain the Sublime Psychic feat detailed below to gain access to the discipline. The Crunch: Spoiler MENTAL GRIP MANEUVERS 1ST LEVEL • Brain Rush: Strike- Make a Bull Rush at range. • Empty Hand: Stance- Be treated as in an adjacent square for attacking purposes. • Far Fist: Strike- Make an unarmed attack as a ranged attack. • Psychogenic Shield: As wall of force, but only one square. • Thought Shield: Counter- Gain Deflection bonus to AC based on Autohypnosis ranks. 2ND LEVEL • Great Tap: Strike- Make attack as touch attack. • Inertia Vacuum: Counter- Gain DR/- against one attack, free movement based on damage prevented. • Lift Self: Boost- Assist your jumps with telekinesis. • Mental Shove: Boost- You or an ally takes a move action. 3RD LEVEL • Forceful Yank: Strike- Pull an opponent into your weapon. • Mental Might: Stance- Deal bonus damage based on Autohypnosis ranks, take a penalty to attacks. • Rage of the Poltergeist: Strike- As telekinetic thrust. • Strength of Will: Boost- Make a Strength check using pooled mental stat bonuses. 4TH LEVEL • Featherweight: Stance- Reduce your weight so you can glide. • Hurl Weapon: Strike- Make full attack at range. • Mighty Tap: Strike- Make attack as touch attack, shove target back. • Psychogenic Barrier: As wall of force, but smaller. • Weapon of My Enemy: Counter- Attempt to disarm opponent, can't attempt to disarm you back. 5TH LEVEL • Forceful Blast: Strike- Deal 9d6 damage at range, possible knockdown effect. • Hurl Self: Boost- Speed is increased by 5 feet per rank in Autohypnosis for one round. • Psychic Pin: Strike- Telekinetically grapple your opponent. • Instant Halt: Counter- As Hold Person until your next action. 6TH LEVEL • Brainstorm: Strike- Deal 10d6 against every opponent within 30 feet. • Telekinetic Sweep: Strike- Make a single attack that effects three adjacent squares. • Telekinetic Warrior: Stance- Gain Telekinetic Maneuver at will. 7TH LEVEL • Crush: Strike- Telekinetically constrict your opponent. • Power Tap: Strike- Make attack as touch attack, deal +4d6 damage, hurl target back. • Psychogenic Wall: As wall of force. 8TH LEVEL • Animated Armory: Stance- Weapons and shields fight on their own. • Fastball Special: Strike- Throw ally at opponent, ally makes charge attack with bonus damage. • Mental Rush: Stance- Damage and throw back all nearby opponents. 9TH LEVEL • Telekinetic Surge: Strike- Deal damage, throw back, and knock prone everything within a cone. Maneuver Descriptions 1ST LEVEL Spoiler Brain Rush Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 1 Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: 30 feet Target: One creature Duration: Instantaneous You slam your opponent with a rush a telekinetic energy, shoving them aside. You make a bull rush attempt against a target within range, moving them in any direction you choose. You use your Charisma modifier instead of your Strength modifier for all purposes, and do not provoke any attacks of opportunity. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver and move your target at least 5 feet, the target is knocked prone. Empty Hand Mental Grip (Stance) Level: Swordsage 1 Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance You hold your weapon with telekinetic force, allowing you to strike from otherwise impossible angles. Choose one square that is adjacent to you. You treat this square as if you occupied it for the purpose of determining your reach and threatened area, replacing your normal reach and threat area. (If you are Large or bigger, you effectively shift your reach and threatened area by 5'.) Your actual space (or spaces if Large or bigger) is treated as having total cover relative to your new, effective position. You may change your effective square as a swift action. If you have an initiator level of at least 10, you may change your effective square as an immediate action. If you are psionically focused, the square may be any square within either your natural reach or 10 feet, whichever is larger; if you lose your psionic focus while you're fighting from a non-adjacent square, this stance immediately ends. You may change the square as a free action performable even not on your turn by expending your psionic focus, but note that unless you move it to an adjacent square, the stance will end immediately. Psychogenic Shield Mental Grip [Force] Level: Swordsage 1 Prerequisite: One Mental Grip maneuver Initiation Action: 1 Standard action Effect: Wall whose area is one 5-ft. square. Duration: Concentration + 1 round You knit together a small pane of telekinetic energy. As wall of force, except as noted above; you treat your initiator level as your Caster level. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, the duration is increased to Concentration + 1 round/level. Far Fist Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 1 Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: 30 feet Target: One creature Duration: Instantaneous You channel your ki, projecting a forceful blast at your opponent. You make a single attack with a Mental Grip weapon as a ranged attack against any opponent within 30 feet. You add your Charisma bonus to damage in addition to your Strength bonus. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, you may add your Charisma bonus to hit in addition to your Dexterity modifier. Thought Shield Mental Grip (Counter) Level: Swordsage 1 Initiation Action: 1 immediate action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Until your next turn You subconsciously wrench your opponents’ attacks so as to miss you. You gain a Deflection bonus to AC equal to half your ranks in Autohypnosis against melee attacks. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, the Deflection bonus equals your ranks in Autohypnosis. Spoiler Great Tap Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 2 Prerequisite: One Mental Grip maneuver Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature Duration: Instantaneous As you tap your opponent with your weapon, you suddenly jerk your weapon forward with a telekinetic burst, catching them off-guard and penetrating their defenses. As a part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack as a melee touch attack. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, you double your reach for this attack. Inertia Vacuum Mental Grip (Counter) Level: Swordsage 2 Initiation Action: 1 immediate action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Instantaneous Just as your opponent's attack reaches you, you take its inertia and apply it to yourself. You gain DR/- equal to your ranks in Autohypnosis against a single melee attack. For every point of damage this maneuver prevents, you may immediately move five feet; movement caused by this maneuver provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, you may move double the normal distance, and movement caused by this maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Lift Self Mental Grip (Boost) Level: Swordsage 2 Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 round You mentally assist yourself in a great leap, practically hurling yourself into the air. You gain a number of Jump-related bonuses:
If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, the DC for a high jump is equal to the distance you're attempting to jump, rather than quadruple that. Mental Shove Mental Grip (Boost) Level: Swordsage 2 Initiation Action: 1 immediate action Range: 30 feet Target: Yourself or one ally; see text Duration: Instantaneous You telekinetically shove yourself or an ally, allowing a tactical readjustment. You or an ally within 30' may immediately take a move action (but not a move-equivalent action). If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, you may affect either yourself and an ally, or two allies. Spoiler Forceful Yank Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 3 Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: 30 feet Target: One creature Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Reflex Negates You wrap a telekinetic fist around your opponent, and pull them onto your waiting blade. If your target fails a Reflex save (DC 13 + your Charisma modifier) they are moved in a straight line to the closest square adjacent to you, provoking no attacks of opportunity. If there are any intervening objects or creatures, your target and whatever it collides with take 2d6 damage; a creature may attempt a Reflex save (DC 13 + your Charisma modifier) to negate both the damage to himself and your target. Upon their arrival into an adjacent square you deal damage as though you'd hit them with a melee attack. This damage is dealt before any other traits of their current environment affect them - for example, if you drag them over an open pit, you attack them before they fall. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, you may attempt a ranged touch attack against your opponent first thing. If you succeed, the target automatically fails their Reflex save. Mental Might Mental Grip (Stance) Level: Swordsage 3 Initiation Action: 1 Swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance With your mental power aiding your physical strength, you become capable of mighty, if inaccurate, blows. While in this stance, with every attack you make you deal bonus damage based on your ranks in Autohypnosis, as displayed below:
However, this extra force comes at the cost of accuracy. You take a -2 penalty for every attack you make in a round. If you are psionically focused, you take no penalty to attacks. Rage of the Poltergeist Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 3 Prerequisite: One Mental Grip maneuver Initiation Action: 1 Standard action With a sudden rush of mental force, you hurl objects at your opponents – or you just hurl your opponents. As telekinetic thrust (save DC 13 + your Charisma modifier); you treat your base attack bonus as your Manifester level, and add your Charisma modifier to checks instead of your Intelligence modifier. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, you are treated as if you spent a number of power points on the power equal to your initiator level. Strength of Will Mental Grip (Boost) Level: Swordsage 3 Initiation Action: 1 swift action; see text Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Until the beginning of your next turn; see text You focus your mental abilities, telekinetically performing feats that even the strongest man would struggle to complete. Whenever making any d20 roll modified by your Strength modifier, you gain a bonus to that check equal to your Charisma bonus (minimum +2). If you expend your psionic focus, you may use this power as an immediate action, and the duration changes to "Until the end of your next turn." Spoiler Featherweight Mental Grip (Stance) Level: Swordsage 4 Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance You wrap yourself in telekinetic energy, reducing your weight to virtually nothing, or even less. You gain a glide speed equal to twice your land speed, allowing you to more forward 20 feet for every 5 feet you fall, and making you immune to falling damage. If you are psionically focused, you may levitate yourself at will, as the spell levitate, except you take no penalty to attack rolls regardless of elevation. Hurl Weapon Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 4 Initiation Action: 1 full-round action Range: 60 feet Target: One creature Duration: Instantaneous Untethered from your hands, you telekinetically hurl your weapon against a number of opponents. Make a full attack action, except that you may attack anyone to whom you have line of effect that's within 60 feet, and may add your Charisma modifier to attack and damage instead of your normal ability modifiers (typically Strength). You may attack anyone within 60 feet to whom you have line of effect, ignoring the normal penalties for being unable to see your opponent. You still must be able to pinpoint their square. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, you may initiate it as a standard action. Mighty Tap Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 4 Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Reflex Partial As you tap your opponent with your weapon, you suddenly jerk it forward with a telekinetic burst, penetrating their defenses and shoving them back. As a part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack as a melee touch attack. In addition, your target must make a Reflex save (save DC 14 + your Charisma modifier) or be pushed back (away from you) a number of feet equal to your damage roll and knocked prone. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver and successfully hit, you deal bonus damage equal to your initiator level. Psychogenic Barrier Mental Grip [Force] Level: Swordsage 4 Initiation Action: 1 Standard action Effect: Wall whose area is up to two 10-ft. squares. Duration: Concentration + 1 round You knit together a large barrier of telekinetic energy. As wall of force, except as noted above; you treat your initiator level as your Caster level. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, the duration is increased to Concentration + 1 round/level. Weapon of My Enemy Mental Grip (Counter) Level: Swordsage 4 Initiation Action: 1 immediate action Range: Melee attack; see text Target: One creature Duration: Instantaneous As your opponent's weapon nears your body, you telekinetically rip it out of their hands. Make a disarm attempt against your opponent, with the following exceptions: you do not provoke an attack of opportunity, you are considered to be wielding a weapon of the same size as your opponent, you may use your Charisma modifier instead of your Strength modifier, and your opponent may not attempt to disarm you in return even if you fail. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, the range changes to 30 feet. Spoiler Forceful Blast Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 5 Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: 60 feet Target: One creature Duration: Instantaneous Save: Reflex partial; see text Gathering your ki, you hurl an invisible blast of telekinetic energy at your opponent, bowling him over. Make a ranged touch attack against any opponent within 60 feet; if you hit, your target takes 9d6 points of magical bludgeoning damage, and must make a Reflex save (DC 15 + your Charisma modifier) or be knocked prone. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, this maneuver grants no save. Hurl Self Mental Grip (Boost) Level: Swordsage 5 Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: One round You aid your muscles with an extra telekinetic “Oomph,” allowing you to move at inhuman speeds. Until the beginning of your next turn, you gain a bonus to your base land speed equal to five feet per rank in Autohypnosis. You may take a ten-foot step instead of a five-foot step whenever you would be allowed one during the duration of this maneuver, and following the same rules as a five-foot step (i.e., you wouldn’t provoke attacks of opportunity). If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, you gain a fly speed equal to your modified land speed with a maneuverability of poor for the duration of this ability. Instant Halt Mental Grip (Counter) Level: Swordsage 5 Initiation Action: 1 immediate action Range: Special Duration: Until you next take an action; see text As your opponent nears you to strike you, you wrap him in a blanket of your will, holding him where he stands. As Hold Monster (save DC 15 + your Charisma modifier), except as noted above and here. The range is any adjacent foe, or any foe targeting you with a melee attack. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, the duration is instead 1 round per initiator level. Psychic Pin Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 5 Prerequisite: One Mental Grip maneuver Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: 30 feet Target: One creature Duration: Up to 1 round/level; see text You mentally press down on your opponent, weighing them down until they can't even move. As a part of this maneuver, you make a ranged touch attack against your target. If successful, make an opposed grapple check, adding your Charisma modifier instead of your Strength modifier. If you succeed, your opponent is considered grappled for the duration; you need not remain within 30 feet for this maneuver to remain in effect, though if you are further away you may not concentrate on this maneuver (see below). Every round on their turn the target may attempt another opposed grapple check to break the grapple and end the maneuver. Any round that you concentrate on this maneuver as a standard action, you gain a +4 bonus on opposed grapple checks, and may attempt any action you normally could in a grapple (moving the target, dealing unarmed damage, pinning the target, etc.). If you are psionically focused when you initiate or concentrate on this maneuver, you may use your initiator level instead of your base attack bonus for grapple checks. Spoiler Brainstorm Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 6 Prerequisite: One Mental Grip maneuver Initiation Action: 1 full-round action Range: 30 feet Target: All opponents within range Duration: Instantaneous You gather all of your telekinetic energy into a massive storm of attacks. As a full-round action, make a ranged touch attack against every opponent within range. If you hit you deal 10d6 magical bludgeoning damage. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, instead of making ranged touch attacks you may automatically deal the listed damage. Telekinetic Sweep Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 6 Prerequisite: Two Mental Grip maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack; see text Target: All adjacent creatures; see text Duration: Instantaneous Aiding your attack with telekinetic force, you perform a massive, sweeping blow. Make a single attack that affects all adjacent creatures. Use a single attack (and if necessary, damage) roll for all targets. You may add your Charisma bonus to the attack and damage rolls instead of your Strength modifier. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, the range extends to all creatures within 10 feet. Telekinetic Warrior Mental Grip (Stance) Level: Swordsage 6 Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance You focus your ki, allowing you to use it instead of your hands or weapons for a number of combat maneuvers. You may use telekinetic maneuver at will, except that the range is 30 feet, you use your base attack bonus as your effective Manifester level, and you use your Charisma modifier instead of your Intelligence modifier. If you are psionically focused, you may use your Autohypnosis ranks as your effective Manifester level, and you may use telekinetic maneuver to resist a bull rush, a disarm, a grapple (including a pin), or a trip, in addition to using it to initiate them. Spoiler Crush Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 7 Prerequisite: One Mental Grip maneuver Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: 30 feet Target: One creature Duration: Up to 1 round/level; see text Saving Throw: Fortitude Partial; see text You wrap your opponent in bonds of pure mental energy, then squeeze. As a part of this maneuver, you make a ranged touch attack against your target. If successful, make an opposed grapple check, adding your Charisma modifier instead of your Strength modifier. If you succeed, your opponent is considered pinned for the duration; you need not remain within 30 feet for this maneuver to remain in effect, though if you are further away you may not concentrate on this maneuver (see below). Every round on their turn the target may attempt another opposed grapple check to break the pin and end the maneuver. Any round that you concentrate on this maneuver as a standard action, you gain a +4 bonus on the opposed grapple check, and if your opponent fails they take 10d6 constriction damage, with a Fortitude save (save DC 17 + your Charisma modifier) for half damage. If you are psionically focused when you concentrate on this maneuver, you may use your initiator level instead of your base attack bonus for grapple checks, and your opponent may not save for half damage. Power Tap Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 7 Prerequisite: Two Mental Grip maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 standard action Range: Melee attack Target: One creature Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Reflex Partial As you tap your opponent with your weapon, you suddenly jerk it forward with a telekinetic burst, penetrating their defenses, causing more damage than otherwise possible, and hurling them back. As a part of this maneuver, you make a single melee attack as a melee touch attack. If it hits, it deals +8d6 damage. In addition, your target must make a Reflex save (save DC 17 + your Charisma bonus) or be pushed back (away from you) a number of feet equal to twice your damage roll, knocked prone, and dazed for a single round. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver and your opponent fails their saving throw, they are stunned instead of dazed. Psychogenic Wall Mental Grip [Force] Level: Swordsage 7 Initiation Action: 1 Standard action Duration: Concentration + 1 round You knit together a massive wall of telekinetic energy. As wall of force, except as noted above; you treat your initiator level as your Caster level. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, the duration is increased to Concentration + 1 round/level. Spoiler Animated Armory Mental Grip (Stance) Level: Swordsage 8 Prerequisite: Two Mental Grip maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance Saving Throw: Reflex Partial; see text You grab every weapon you can wrap your mind around, and make it fight for you. You animate a number of weapons or shields within 30 feet equal to 1 + 1/4 your initiator level, rounded down. You can even animate attended weapons and shields, but their wielder can attempt a Reflex save (DC 18 + your Charisma modifier) to mainain their hold on the object. An animated weapon fights on its own, using your base attack bonus, as a Dancing weapon, but with no time limitation (other than you remaining in the stance), and it fights from any square within 30 feet of you; you may choose to have it fight from your square, as a standard dancing weapon. An animated shield can be used to either perform as a weapon and make shield bashes, or as a shield and protect either yourself, or one person within range. Animated objects move with you, keeping their position relative to you, or else moving to the closest approximation if there's a barrier. They may occupy the squares of enemies. You may change which objects are animated (or force an opponent to save again or lose their equipment) and/or change the location of every object to anywhere else within 30 feet as a move action. You may drop control of an object as a free action peformable even not on your turn. If you are psionically focused, any weapon fighting from your square adds your Charisma bonus to damage rolls. Fastball Special Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 8 Initiation Action: 1 standard action; see text Range: 60 feet Target: One creature Duration: Instantaneous You reach out and mentally grab an adjacent ally, hurling him at a nearby opponent, allowing him to let loose and cause a large amount of pain. In order to perform this maneuver, you must have an adjacent ally who is willing to be used in this manner. You pick any one opponent within range, and hurl your ally at them. You must make a ranged touch attack on the target, using your Charisma modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier. If you hit, your ally is considered to have made a charge attack on them, except that they provoke no attacks of opportunity for movement along the way, they fly the entire distance (with perfect maneuverability), they gain an additional +2 to hit, and they deal +4d6 damage on a successful hit. If you miss, they still make the charge attempt, but they provoke attacks of opportunity as normal, take a -2 penalty to the attack roll (negating the normal +2 bonus for charging), and deal no extra damage. If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, your ally may make a full attack instead of just a single attack; they gain +2d6 bonus damage on each successful hit after the first (assuming you hit with your ranged touch attack). Mental Rush Mental Grip (Stance) Level: Swordsage 8 Prerequisite: Two Mental Grip maneuvers Initiation Action: 1 swift action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Stance Saving Throw: Reflex Partial; see text As your opponents close in around you, you concentrate for a moment, appearing defenseless, then just as they prepare to strike, you let loose unending waves of mental energy, hurling them all back. Anyone who ever gets within 10 feet of you, whether because of their movement or yours, takes 2d6 damage, is knocked back 1d6x5 feet (so 1d6 squares; if they would be unable to move the full distance, they stop whenever they hit something and take 1d6 damage), and falls prone; A successful Reflex save (save DC 18 + Charisma modifer) negates the knockback and knockdown effects. Any opponent who is prone is immune to the effects of this stance. If you are psionically focused, all die rolls for this maneuver are maximized (so you deal 12 damage, and knock opponents 30 feet; they take 6 damage if they hit something). Spoiler Telekinetic Surge Mental Grip (Strike) Level: Swordsage 9 Prerequisite: Three Mental Grip maneuvers Initiation Action: Special (see text) Range: Special (See text) Target: Cone-shaped emanation Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Reflex Partial You channel vast amounts of telekinetic energy, letting it loose in a massive surge that rips everything it touches back. This maneuver has slightly different effects and different ranges based on how long you spend gathering the energy to power it. Immediate Action: You deal damage equal to your initiator level to everything within range and everyone within range is knocked back 10 feet and falls prone. They stop whenever they hit something; if the collision would cause them to move less distance than otherwise, they and whatever they hit take 1d6 damage. Range: 10 feet. Swift Action: As immediate action. Range: 20 feet. Standard Action: As swift action, except you deal damage equal to two times your initiator level and the knockback effect is 20 feet. Range: 30 feet. Full-Round Action: As standard action, except you deal damage equal to three times your initiator level and the knockback effect is 30 feet. Range: 40 feet. Every additional full-round action (Max of nine additional): As full-round action, except you deal one more multiple of your initiator level in damage (i.e., four times at two rounds, five times at three rounds, etc.), and the range is increased by ten feet per round. In every case, a successful Reflex save (save DC 19 + you Charisma modifier) halves the damage and negates any knockback effect. All damage may either ignore or be applied to objects in the area, at the Initiator's option (it does not ignore hardness, or gain any special bonus to damaging items). If you expend your psionic focus as a part of initiating this maneuver, you deal additional damage equal to your initiator level. MENTAL GRIP FEATS SUBLIME PSYCHIC [Psionic] You've been trained in the exotic discipline of the Mental Grip. Prerequisite: Swordsage 3rd or Warblade or Crusader 6th, Autohypnosis 3 ranks or Skill Focus (Autohypnosis). Benefit: Choose one class that you have that grants access to martial maneuvers. You may now choose from Mental Grip maneuvers for that class, following the normal rules for selecting martial maneuvers; additionally, you may immediately exchange up to three of your known maneuvers for maneuvers from the Mental Grip discipline. Autohypnosis is now a class skill for all of your classes. FOCUSED MIND [Psionic] You've learned how to push your psionic talents to the limit. Prerequisite: One Mental Grip strike, manifester level 1st Benefit: Whenever a Mental Grip maneuver would benefit from you expending your psionic focus, you may instead expend a number of power points equal to the level of the maneuver to gain the same benefit. Whenever you enter a Mental Grip stance, you may spend a number of power points equal to twice the level of the stance to attempt to gain psionic focus as a part of the same action. MENTAL TOUCH [Psionic, Tactical] The practitioner of the way of the Mental Grip must understand that not only can he use his psionic abilities to aid his physical ones, he can use his psionic abilities to outright replace his physical ones. Prerequisite: Psionic Meditation; three Mental Grip maneuvers, at least one of which must be a stance; BAB +6 Benefit: This feat enables the use of three new combat options. • Mental Hand (Su): As long as you are psionically focused, you may use Mage Hand, as the spell, at will. • Telekinetic Force (Su): As long as you are in a Mental Grip stance, you may add your Charisma modifier to damage instead of your Strength modifier when using any weapons associated with Mental Grip. • Telekinetic Weapon (Su): As long as you are psionically focused and in a Mental Grip stance, you may add your Charisma modifier to attack instead of your Strength modifier when using any weapons associated with Mental Grip. MENTAL GRIP ITEM Mental Grip Glove A Mental Grip Glove is a single black gauntlet made of leather, and reinforced with strips and studs of adamantine. The glove is long, reaching halfway up the wearer's forearm, and deceptively heavy, given the adamantine. The glove functions as a Crown of White Ravens, except that it features maneuvers from the Mental Grip discipline. It comes in Novice, Scholar, or Master varieties. Weight: 2 lbs. Price: 3,000 gp (novice), 15,000 gp (scholar), or 45,000 gp (master) --- |