Iaijutsu focus

[Uber Dungeon]

My group is having a very heated debate over this stupid skill, they are saying that it can be used any time an opponent is flat-footed.

And I'm saying there not reading the opening line of the skill that it's only for gathering your personal energy (ki) in an "iaijutsu duel." ... and thus can not be used any time on random monster or whatever it's flat-footed.

I want more opinions, what does everyone think?

IAIJUTSU FOCUS(CHA)
Use this skill to gather your personal energy (ki) in an iaijutsu duel.
Check: If you attack a flat-footed opponent immediately
after drawing a melee weapon, you can deal extra damage,
based on the result of an Iaijutsu Focus check. In addition, if
you and your opponent both agree to participate in a formal iaijutsu
duel, your Iaijutsu Focus check replaces your initiative
check for the ensuing combat.
In an iaijutsu duel (see Chapter 6), you and your opponent
make opposed Iaijutsu Focus checks, and the winner accumulates
extra damage dice according to the accompanying table.
You can also use Iaijutsu Focus in preparation for striking an
inanimate object, assuming no distractions. Your extra damage
is halved, just like your ordinary damage. This is the technique
martial artists use to shatter objects.

 

[kitcik]

My group is having a very heated debate over this stupid skill, they are saying that it can be used any time an opponent is flat-footed.

And I'm saying there not reading the opening line of the skill that it's only for gathering your personal energy (ki) in an "iaijutsu duel." ... and thus can not be used any time on random monster or whatever it's flat-footed.

I want more opinions, what does everyone think?

IAIJUTSU FOCUS(CHA)
Use this skill to gather your personal energy (ki) in an iaijutsu duel.
Check: If you attack a flat-footed opponent immediately
after drawing a melee weapon, you can deal extra damage,
based on the result of an Iaijutsu Focus check. In addition, if
you and your opponent both agree to participate in a formal iaijutsu
duel, your Iaijutsu Focus check replaces your initiative
check for the ensuing combat.
In an iaijutsu duel (see Chapter 6), you and your opponent
make opposed Iaijutsu Focus checks, and the winner accumulates
extra damage dice according to the accompanying table.
You can also use Iaijutsu Focus in preparation for striking an
inanimate object, assuming no distractions. Your extra damage
is halved, just like your ordinary damage. This is the technique
martial artists use to shatter objects.

Personally, I think it is clear it works any time, otherwise the "in addition, if" language would be silly. The initial descriptor is just a flavor summary and does not provide the meat & potatoes of the feat - this is true of all feat descriptors.

 

[Tilenas]

I think it can be used whenever you suddenly draw and attack. The only problem I see is that samurai code-of-conduct probably prevents any "honourable" character from doing so outside of an actual duel. If your character doesn't abide by any moral code, you should be fine.

 

[Empirate]

A skill only usable in the one situation that the D&D rules are weakest at modelling satisfactorily, and that will likely come up no more than once or twice in any given campaign - one-on-one duels between melee types - would be a weak skill indeed. Even more so if the kind of duels is highly formalized and open to only a very small segment of even the adventurer population (Samurai). Your reading of the skill description basically makes taking ranks in this skill a pure flavor decision that won't benefit anybody doing so. Even ranks in Decipher Script would be likely to see more playtime.

Moreover, the skill description doesn't state that the skill can only be used in an Iaijutsu Duel. What it does is provide a flavorful justification (you've learned how to gather your ki in an Iaijutsu duel) for a mechanical benefit (you deal bonus damage to flat-footed opponents).

So far I've argued game balance and rules text. But why shouldn't an accomplished Iaijutsu master be able to use his schtick outside of the situation he's trained for? After all, quickdrawing a Katana and attacking a flat-footed Bugbear you just ran into in a cave is very similar to quickdrawing a Katana and attacking a flat-footed Samurai in the arena. Your warrior instincts take over, your ki is focused very suddenly, and you let loose the dogs of war.
Iaijutsu masters train to focus their ki very quickly, after all (represented mechanically by taking ranks in IF), so why shouldn't they be able to do so in other situations as well?

 

[Sekhmet]

Let it be used anywhere. Remember that striking a flatfooted opponent outside of a formal duel is dishonourable. Remember that using a skill is a standard action (in most cases), not an attack action (which means your level 20 fighter can use it once per round).

It is not too overpowering to interpret the rules in that manner, nor will anyone argue that the spirit of the idea is in line with this interpretation.

The fact that you can use it against an object is indicative of this interpretation being correct.

 

[Dandu]

I think the check is not a standard action to make, much like a tumble check to move through threatened areas is made as part of movement iirc.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

IAIJUTSU FOCUS is usable anytime an opponent is flat footed, and you can draw your weapon in the process of making the attack, according to RAW.

This skill check is a free action made as part of the attack.

The only way it could possibly used, according to the text, more than once during an attack, is if you continued to draw a weapon as an attack. This either requires a fancy weapon such as the Gnome Quickrazor, or simply having multiple daggers sheathed and perhaps the Quickdraw feat. In this way, by RAW, it could be used as part of a full round attack.

The spirit of the skill seems to want to provide a bonus to an honorable individual in a declared duel. However, it also allows for attacking a Flat-Footed opponent, which, in my mind, is not only less-than-honorable, but a behavior most assiciated with Rogues. And breaking stuff, which is in now way attached to honor.

 

[Empirate]

How again did a concept such as a skill use's 'honourableness' enter into a rules discussion?

 

[frankthedm]

How again did a concept such as a skill use's 'honourableness' enter into a rules discussion?

Because of who gets the Iaijutsu Dual skill.

 

[Empirate]

Experts? Factotums? Human Paragons?