Martial Study (Island of Blades)

[AnonymousOne]

Looking into the Bo9S I stumbled across the Island of Blades stance. Now is it just me, or does a Rogue who DOESN'T take Martial study to get this feat crazy. The way I understand it, if you and an ally are threatening the same opponent regardless of actual position, you both gain the benefits of flanking.

This is quite possibly one of the best damn ways to sneak attack more enemies.

Am I reading this right?

 

[Zurai]

You cannot take a stance with Martial Study - you have to use the Martial Stance feat, after using the Martial Study feat on a maneuver of the same discipline first. In addition, you cannot take Martial Study at first level, because your initiator level is 0, and you need iLvl of 1 to take 1st level maneuvers and stances. So, the earliest a rogue could get Island of Blades stance is level 6 without multiclassing.

 

[Nifft]

You're mostly right. It says "adjacent", not threatening, so no Reach weapon users need apply.

However, note that it takes two feats to get that stance -- Martial Study (some shadow hand maneuver) + Martial Stance (Island of Blades). That's your 3rd level and your 6th level feats.

Cheers, -- N

 

[AnonymousOne]

You're mostly right. It says "adjacent", not threatening, so no Reach weapon users need apply.

However, note that it takes two feats to get that stance -- Martial Study (some shadow hand maneuver) + Martial Stance (Island of Blades). That's your 3rd level and your 6th level feats.

Cheers, -- N

Yay for flaws...

 

[Nifft]

Yay for flaws...

Those are always for 1st level feats, right? So you can use them for lots of stuff, but not this. (Nor Weapon Finesse, nor Exotic Weapon Proficiency...)

Cheers, -- N

 

[Zurai]

Yay for flaws...

Won't work. You cannot take Martial Study as a 1st level feat, and you cannot take Martial Stance without knowing a maneuver.

 

[AnonymousOne]

Yeah we don't play Flaw RAW.

Our DM encourages Powergaming and as such allows flaws at any level.

 

[Zurai]

Then "yay for house rules" would be more appropriate

 

[Mistwell]

I was quite bummed that my reach weapon rogue couldn't gain from this stance...

Aw well, two levels of Swordsage will still do him plenty of good. Improved Invis, teleportation, +2d6 sneak attack, a flanking elemental, extended reach, DR and hardness bypass, lots of goodness!