Iaijutsu Headaches

[Deaths_Fist]

Hopefully you folks can help me come to a conclusion about this. With Iaijutsu focus, does only the first attack after drawing one's weapon recieve the bonus damage dice? It seems to me that any subsequent attacks no longer meet the requirement of being *immediately* after the weapon is drawn, even if the extra attacks all occur in the same round. Other interpretations of the rules I've seen are equally split on this or have a completely different view altogether. Basically I'm looking for a concensus on what happens if an Iaijutsu master with the first epic level of the same class (from Epic Swordfighters, off the Wizards site) uses both One Strike, Two Cuts plus Echoes of the edge. I know he recieves three attacks, one after the other, but which of these recieve Iaijutsu Focus? The first one does for sure, but my opinion is that subsequent attacks are no longer "immediately" after drawing the weapon, the weapon already having been drawn for the first attack. Echoes of the edge will exactly duplicate the damage of the first strike, sans damage from Iaijutsu, to my thinking.

I'm losing sleep over this. Help!

 

[avin]

as i understand (and we play in our group) only the first attack should be considered an iaijutsu attack: it works only when your sword is sheated, so...

 

[Camarath]

IMO only with first normal attack after drawing a weapon can one use Iaijutsu focus. (Of course the player could Quick Draw another weapon use Iaijutsu focus again or you could let the player take some sort of Quick Sheath feat.) I believe you are correct that if you use Echoes of the Edge on an attack that use Iaijutsu focus it would deal the same damage as that attack including the Iaijutsu focus damage.

 

[MarauderX]

to sooth your soul even more, i agree it's only the very first strike.

 

[Jeremy]

While it is more balanced to house rule it that way, and it makes sense in the origin of the class (though it makes sense in the other way too depending on your sources) the pertinent text is on page 82.

IAIJUTSU STRIKES IN NORMAL COMBAT
You can use your Iaijutsu Focus bonus damage in normal combat too, but only when you draw your weapon in the same round you strike.

There can be a lot of strikes in the round you draw your weapon. Especially if you are epic iaijutsu master. Thankfully there is only one feat and one epic ability that can MAKE an opponent who is not flatfooted, flatfooted. Iaijutsu doesn't apply to opponents who have lost their dexterity, who can't see invisible or any other number of similar conditions. Only to flatfooted opponents.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

as i understand (and we play in our group) only the first attack should be considered an iaijutsu attack: it works only when your sword is sheated, so...

The cheesy way, which may actually work, is to have a means of keeping vast hordes of suitable weapons, like the Sheath of Infinite Katanas. "Draw, *whack*, draw, *whack*, draw, *whack*, draw, *whack*, draw, *whack*!"

Of course, it doesn't fit the style, or the spirit of the class and skill, so I couldn't really bring myself to try it.

Brad

 

[hong]

There can be a lot of strikes in the round you draw your weapon. Especially if you are epic iaijutsu master. Thankfully there is only one feat and one epic ability that can MAKE an opponent who is not flatfooted, flatfooted. Iaijutsu doesn't apply to opponents who have lost their dexterity, who can't see invisible or any other number of similar conditions. Only to flatfooted opponents.

What Jeremy said. And really, the iaijutsu master isn't that great, except for this ability to dish out lots of damage in the first round.[*] In that respect, he's kinda like a rogue, except he can't also do it when flanking and has more hit points (and fewer skill points). Allowing iaijutsu damage on only one attack roll would seem to make the class pretty weak.


[*] and against people who are balancing on a tightrope and stuff, but let's not talk about that.

 

[FrankTrollman]

Note that it is legal to, as a full attack: quick-draw a dagger, drop it, kick someone in the head (focus damage applies), quick draw another dagger, drop that, and kick someone in the head again.

The literal restriction is that you have to draw a weapon and then make a melee attack against a flat-footed opponent. You need to draw one wepaon per attack made in this way - although oddly it does not literally require it to be the same weapon. *shrug*

You can tighten it up further - although I think that the spirit should allow it to apply to every single attack you make between the time you draw your weapon and they become no longer flat-footed. Otherwise it leads people to drawing wakizashi in order to immediately leave them in their opponent. While that's a kind of schticky way for someone to fight - it's a damn stupid way for everyone to fight.

-Frank

 

[Pax]

The cheesy way, which may actually work, is to have a means of keeping vast hordes of suitable weapons, like the Sheath of Infinite Katanas. "Draw, *whack*, draw, *whack*, draw, *whack*, draw, *whack*, draw, *whack*!"

Of course, it doesn't fit the style, or the spirit of the class and skill, so I couldn't really bring myself to try it.

Brad

What, a Marilith Iai Master doesn't suit your style? Whyever not ... ?

Six arms. Six swords. Six iaijutsu draws.

 

[Dr_Scarabus]

IMHO the Iajutsu skill is the stupidest thing I have come across in D&D (the Thief Acrobat from UA a close second). I let one player play an Iajutsu Master Samurai and the next campaign I rule zeroed it and all of OA out of my games. The idea of a samurai bounding down a dungeon corridor and then whipping out his katana and doing sneak attack damage just because he kept his weapon sheathed is ludicrous to me. I was under the impression this was supposed to be a dueling-type skill. Am I wrong? Did samurai keep their katana's sheathed during battle so they could generate more force to do more damage? (sarcasm)