Additional Lancer Sphere Options
Lancer Sphere
All practitioners of the Lancer sphere also gain the following abilities without need for application:
Nail and Hammer
As a special attack action you may make a melee attack against the target with a lethal piercing or slashing weapon that Impales the target (see Impale for full detail) and deals damage as normal. Creatures impaled successfully by this attack provoke an attack of opportunity with another weapon you possess, dealing half damage with this attack and applying one (Drive) talent’s effects to the target.
If you possess the Ranged Impale talent you may make this Special Attack action as a ranged attack with a thrown piercing or slashing weapon, expending a move action to move (up to your speed) into melee range for the triggered attack of opportunity.
Hammer Down
If a creature is already impaled by a piercing or slashing weapon that you do not control you may instead make a special attack action against the target with a lethal melee weapon, applying one (drive) talent’s effects and triggering an attack of opportunity. This attack of opportunity always hits and can never critically hit, applying half damage only with no additional effects.
New Talents
Execute and Retrieve
As long as you have martial focus, whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points or fewer with a melee attack you may retrieve up to 3 weapons impaled into them, either wielding them or stowing them on your person, as an immediate action.
If you possess the Ranged Impale talent you may perform this on a ranged attack, taking a move action to move up to your speed and into a square adjacent to the creature.
Exhilaration
Following a successful hit with the Hammer Down or Nail and Hammer special attack actions while the creature is impaled by at least two weapons you may expend a move action to regain martial focus.
Puncturing Punisher (stance)
While in this stance you may draw a one handed piercing or slashing weapon as part of the Nail and Hammer special attack action or as part of an attack of opportunity using Opportune Impalement. Any weapon you attempt an attack to impale with is treated as having the same enhancement bonus to attack and damage as another weapon you are wielding.
In addition, as long as you have martial focus, you deal 75% damage with the triggered attack of opportunity from Nail and Hammer and Hammer Down if the target is impaled by 3 or more uncontrolled weapons.
Normal: The attack of opportunity triggered by Nail and Hammer and Hammer Down only deals 50% damage.
Prolonged Suffering
On a successfully confirmed critical hit against target suffering from a pain effect you may choose to reduce your critical multiplier by 1 (to a minimum of 1.5x) for that attack and gain Fanaticism for 1 round, + 1 round per 5 points of base attack bonus you possess. Benefitting from this talent while already under the effect of Fanaticism refreshes the duration.
Thrust Deep
You may increase the time required to use Nail and Hammer or Hammer Down to a full-round action to apply two (drive) talents to it. This attack still counts as a special attack action.
Drive Talents
All (drive) talents determine their effects based on the amount of uncontrolled impaling weapons in the target creature at the time of their application. If more weapons are impaled into the creature the (drive) talent must be reapplied to increase the effect’s potency.
Removing an impaling weapon from the target allows that creature to choose one (drive) talent the target is suffering from and remove it. For effects that scale upwards with additional impalements, reduce their severity by 1 step.
All (drive) talents are considered to be pain effects unless stated otherwise.
Arresting Skewer (drive)
Whenever the creature makes an attack roll, they suffer 5 points of untyped damage for each weapon impaled into them, up to a maximum of 25. This damage can only be suffered once per round, plus an additional 1 time per 6 points of base attack bonus you possess.
At +10 points of base attack bonus you may expend martial focus to increase this damage to 10 per impaled weapon, up to a maximum of 50.
Cruel Revelry (drive)
You gain Fanaticism until the end of your next turn.
In addition, whenever a hostile creature suffering from a pain effect within 60 ft of you is defeated (rendered unconscious or dead) you may gain Fanaticism until the end of your next turn as an immediate action.
Heartpiercer (drive)
The creature suffers a -2 penalty to Fortitude saves. This penalty increases by -2 per additional weapon impaling the creature, up to a maximum of 2 + 2 for every 7 points of base attack bonus you possess.
Impeding Impalement (drive)
Whenever the creature moves more than half of their movement speed in a single round they suffer 5 points of untyped damage for each weapon impaled into them, up to a maximum of 25. This damage can only be suffered once per round, plus an additional 1 time per 6 points of base attack bonus.
At +10 points of base attack bonus you may expend martial focus to increase this damage to 10 per impaled weapon, up to a maximum of 50.
Oozing Perforations (drive)
You deal an additional 4 points of bleed damage per weapon impaled into the creature (minimum 4), up to a maximum of 4 bleed damage per 4 points of base attack bonus.
This talent is not considered a pain effect.
Painspike (drive)
You inflict the creature with the sickened condition.
At +10 points of base attack bonus, if the creature is already impaled with at least one weapon, the creature must make a fortitude save or become nauseated. For each additional weapon the creature is impaled with beyond the second increase the DC by 2, to a maximum of +6.
Legendary Talents
Aggressive Acupuncture (drive)
Prerequisites: Lancer Sphere, impale ability, drive ability, base attack bonus +14
On the same turn as a successful impalement you may expend your martial focus as an immediate action and choose one of that creature’s arms or legs. The creature must make a fortitude save or lose the ability to use that limb until at least one impaling weapon is removed.
Losing the ability to use a limb has a number of debilitating effects. These include the following for arms:
- -5 penalty on Climb, Craft, Disable Device, Sleight of Hand, and Use Magic Device skill checks;
- -4 penalty on grapple checks;
- Must make a caster level check to cast spells with somatic components;
- Unable to wield two-handed weapons, make two-weapon attacks, or wield a tool in the missing hand, but may still wear a shield on the affected arm;
- Carrying capacity is not reduced. However, the maximum weight a character can lift over head or off the ground is reduced by one third.
A character who has lost the use of both arms, cannot use any of the listed skills, make attacks, cast spells with somatic components, or handle objects.
These include the following for legs:
- -5 penalty on Acrobatics, Climb, Ride, Stealth, and certain Perform skill checks (GM’s discretion).
- Cannot run.
- Cannot bull rush or overrun and takes a -4 penalty to resist these combat maneuvers.
- Land movement rate is reduced by half, and characters can no longer benefit from the fast movement class feature.
- Carrying capacity is reduced by one third and the maximum weight a character can lift over head or off the ground is halved. These penalties do not stack with other penalties for disabled limbs.
A character who has lost the use of both legs is always considered flat-footed and prone, and can only move 5 feet as a full round action, without the aid of magic.
Dimensional Pin (drive)
Prerequisites: Lancer sphere, impale ability, drive ability, Dimensional Pierce, base attack bonus +15.
The weight of your impaled weapons goes beyond the physical.
In addition to the effects of Dimensional Pierce, the Freedom of Movement spell or similar effects are suppressed as long as you do not control any weapon currently impaling them.
This is a supernatural effect.
Hex Nails (drive)
Prerequisites: Lancer Sphere, impale ability, drive ability, base attack bonus +7
The target creature’s ability to heal is diminished with each weapon you drive into them.
| Impaled Weapons | Effect |
| 1 | Fast Healing is reduced to 0. |
| 2 | Healing received is reduced by 50%. |
| 3 | Regeneration ceases to function. |
| 5 | Cannot be raised or resurrected by any means. A miracle or wish may be used to first remove all impaling weapons. |
This is a supernatural effect.
Insidious Injection (drive)
Prerequisites: Alchemy Sphere (Lasting Application), Lancer Sphere
You may select one poisoned weapon currently impaling the target, causing the target to make an additional save against that poison. You may select one additional poisoned weapon impaling the target for every 5 points of base attack bonus your possess, up to a maximum of 5 weapons. This consumes one 'strike' of potency remaining on the selected weapons whether the creature saves successfully or not.
In addition, if you use this talent as a full round action in conjunction with the Thrust Deep talent you may instead select all poisoned weapons currently impaling the target, triggering a save from each of them, regardless of your base attack bonus.
Plunge In
Prerequisites: Lancer Sphere, impale ability, drive ability, Opportune Impalement, base attack bonus +5
Once per turn you may use Opportune Impalement without expending martial focus. When using this talent you lose control of all weapons impaled into the target using an attack of opportunity this turn.
You may take Plunge In a second time at base attack bonus +10. If you do, you may use Opportune Impalement without expending martial focus twice per turn. When using this talent you lose control of all weapons impaled into the target using an attack of opportunity this turn.
You Must Accept This Pain!
Prerequisites: Lancer sphere, impale ability, drive ability, base attack bonus +1
You may affect any creature with your (drive) talents, bypassing any immunity to pain effects. This talent does not bypass other immunities a creature may possess.
You’re Next!
Prerequisites: Lancer sphere, impale ability, drive ability, Execute and Retrieve, base attack bonus +6
Upon retrieving impaled weapons with Execute and Retrieve you may expend martial focus to, until the end of your next turn, impale with any weapon attack you make regardless of the action used, up to a maximum number of times equal to the amount of weapons retrieved. You suffer a -2 penalty to hit on all attacks while benefiting from this talent.
In addition, you may now make use of Execute and Retrieve whenever a hostile creature within close range is defeated.
Sphere Specific Drawback
Unfettering Spikes
You automatically lose control of impaled weapons at the end of your turn and creatures you have impaled do not lose movement speed from your ongoing impalements. You must take a (drive) talent with this drawback.
Feats
Jubilant Execution (combat)
Prerequisites: Lancer sphere, impale ability, drive ability, Execute and Retrieve
You may use Execute and Retrieve as a free action once per round, even when it isn't your turn, and may retrieve up to 5 weapons at once with Execute and Retrieve.
When retrieving 3 or more uncontrolled weapons with Execute and Retrieve, you may recover your martial focus as an immediate action. If you retrieve 5 or more uncontrolled weapons, you may instead choose to either:
- Gain Fanaticism until the end of your next turn as an immediate action.
- Regain martial focus as a free action.
Mythic Sphere Talents
The following Mythic Sphere Talent has been altered.
Mythic Sphere Mastery: Lancer
You gain one Lancer talent you do not already have. In addition, choose one of the following.
- When you impale a creature, you may attempt to move it to any square within your reach; treat this as a reposition combat maneuver that does not provoke an attack of opportunity for any creature involved, and add your tier to your CMB for the check.
- When making either a ‘Nail and Hammer’ of ‘Hammer Down’ special attack action against a creature with at least 1 uncontrolled weapon impaling them, increase the natural roll of your attack by 1 (up to a maximum of 20) per weapon impaling them, up to a maximum of your mythic tier divided by 3. Also, the DC to remove an uncontrolled weapon you impaled an enemy with increases by your tier.
New Condition:
The addition of (drive) talents and related content brings with it a new condition, Fanaticism.
Fanaticism
When targeting a creature impaled by 1 or more uncontrolled weapons, increase the natural roll of your attacks by 1 (to a maximum of 20). Fanaticism cannot stack with itself or other abilities that affect your natural roll.