Is there any way to make the Iatjusu focus skill useful?

[jasin]

See title. Currently the only way to get it to work seems to be if you draw the weapon and attack when your opponent is flat footed, which is erm...a tad hard.....

Win initiative and charge.

Doesn't work always, but it's not that hard.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

The level 10 ability does nothing. Free surprise round when you start within mele range of an enemy? WTH? When has this ever happened without relying on stealth or magic?

It happens if you are a Iaijutsu master and have the ability to get a free surprise round, because then you get a free surprise round even without stealth or magic

No enemies lets you walk up to them and start combat, most times the enemies start the combat by showing themselves to the party.

That's a rather general view of things. I think there are enemies who let you walk up to them.

Plus, Iaijutsu isn't really there for situations like being ambushed. It's for Iaijutsu duels. The Iaijutsu Master's special abilities let him use his skills for things that they aren't made for.

We should totally ban sneak attack, sudden strike and skirmish attack. OMG class abilities THAT LET YOU DO DAMAGE and you can use them every round!

Class abilities, yes. We're not speaking about a class ability, though. We speak about a skill. Everyone can take this skill (even as class skill with the right feat) and get a lot of damage from the skill - on top of sudden strike, sneak attack, power attack, and everything else. That's a wee bit different.


Several of us did our best to describe what Iaijutsu is for, how you can use it for more than it should be used for, some even made the effort of writing whole paragraphs from the book down. And you thanks us by taking the mick out of us. That's the best way not get your questions answered next time.

 

[Storyteller01]

The level 10 ability does nothing. Free surprise round when you start within mele range of an enemy? WTH? When has this ever happened without relying on stealth or magic? No enemies lets you walk up to them and start combat, most times the enemies start the combat by showing themselves to the party.

The point is that the duelist is so quick that they still won't see it coming. Uber-Flick of the Wrist, that is.


We house ruled it. Ranged weapon users can use it as a sniper focus skill for targeting beyond 30 ft. Makes crossbows much more fun. It also makes the Iaijutsu Master a great Quick Draw Master for those of you that like hand crossbows or pistols.

 

[Storyteller01]

Class abilities, yes. We're not speaking about a class ability, though. We speak about a skill. Everyone can take this skill (even as class skill with the right feat) and get a lot of damage from the skill - on top of sudden strike, sneak attack, power attack, and everything else. That's a wee bit different.

I thought the Iai damage and the SA damage didn't stack. Not that I'll change that, but do you know where that's indicated? I also thought you had to have the right feat to gain PA with the skill?

Not snarking, just brushing up on rules.

 

[Storyteller01]

And the 3.0 Kakita Blade was just an adamantine katana, unless I'm missing something in the description..?

mechanically yes, but try asking a dwarf to do the same thing with just really good steel.

 

[geosapient]

What if two Iajutsu Masters squared off? Would they both get a surprise round on the other? Are they required to make some kind of check (sense motive or some such) to see who strikes first? Does it just go straight to initiative?

 

[Sejs]

What if two Iajutsu Masters squared off? Would they both get a surprise round on the other? Are they required to make some kind of check (sense motive or some such) to see who strikes first? Does it just go straight to initiative?

Then it'd go down to initiative. Winner gets the suprise round.

And likely the fight, as the other guy will be soaking up ... what, four or more iaijutsu attacks in the blink of an eye before they get to go? That feels appropriate for two absolute masters of the art squaring off against one another. They both start to move and before anyone can even begin to register what's happened, one man's sheathing his sword and the other's falling to the ground dead with 6 heinous wounds on him that havn't had the chance to start bleeding yet.

 

[Archimedes314]

How does the iatjutsu master PRC allow you to use the skill properly in normal battles? Its only boost to the skill itself is allowing you to add cha to damage dice(more MAD FTW....)

Actually, it adds your charisma to each extra damage die, which is absurd. Especially if you borrow the shugenja's cloak of charisma.

 

[Question]

Cha mod to extra damage dice is not absurd. What are you thinking, that the iajutsu master will have a +10 cha mod?

CC iatjutsu focus isnt going to be useful, and i cant really think of wizards, etc taking this. Its clearly a fighter type skill and you need to focus on it to do any good.

Starting combat within melee range of an enemy is just about impossible, unless you are using high level invisibility spells constantly, and none of the enemies you are fighting can stop it.

 

[IcyCool]

CC iatjutsu focus isnt going to be useful, and i cant really think of wizards, etc taking this. Its clearly a fighter type skill and you need to focus on it to do any good.

Starting combat within melee range of an enemy is just about impossible, unless you are using high level invisibility spells constantly, and none of the enemies you are fighting can stop it.

Have you been completely ignoring the people in this thread who pointed out when it is useful? Yes, in a standard D&D setting, it isn't very useful. In an Oriental Adventures setting where duels abound, the Iaijutsu Master is a duelling fiend.