Sword School - Chthonic Serpent

[Amanojyaku]

The key to victory is flexibility. A warrior who can adjust to changing situations is one who can truly rule the battlefield. Of course, it's also rather difficult to "adjust" to the situation in which one's shattered limbs are crushed increasingly tighter against one's straining ribcage with each breath. The Chthonic Serpent sword school was developed to take advantage of that ultimate adversity; like a constricting serpent, the adept arrests his opponent's movements, traps their limbs and crushes the breath from their lungs.

The key skill for Chthonic Serpent maneuvers is Crafts, or much more specifically, the use of ropes and chains to bind and contain. Chthonic Serpent weapons are Flails, soft-bodied, flexible tools that, like snakes, can wrap around an enemy and strangle the life from him. Ophidians were among the first true masters of this sword school.

Level 1: Apprentice

-Weapon (Flail): Use Flails with martial maneuvers.

-Action (Grapple): Use Grapple actions in martial maneuvers. You may choose to apply damage bonuses to the Attack with Weapon option, or the opposed test to maintain the grapple, decided when the maneuver is created.

Level 2: Initiate

(-2)Relaxed Coils: Halve the dice rolled for this attack. If applied to a Grapple action, this also halves the dice rolled to maintain the grapple.

(3)Snakeskin Shibari: This attack gains the Snare property.

Level 3: Journeyman

(-1)Skill (Crafts): As part of this attack, make a Crafts test against the Static Defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.

(3*)Python's Grasp: If this attack hits, the target takes a check on their next saving throw against your weapon's Snare property or on the opposed roll of their next grapple test against you for each time this advantage is taken.

Level 4: Master

-Mastery (Ouroboros Method): You can use Dexterity instead of Strength in the opposed test to maintain a grapple, and Weaponry instead of Brawl to start a grapple while using a Flail.

(2)Anaconda Crush: Add your Strength as a static bonus to all rolls made as part of this attack.

Level 5: Grandmaster

(4)Bonds of Jörmungandr: This attack deals no damage. Instead, the target takes 1 level of fatigue for each raise you get on the attack roll or the opposed test to maintain the grapple. If the target is helpless or immune to fatigue, they simply lose the same amount of hit points instead.