OA - Iaijutsu Master broken?

[Olive]

i've seen other people (notably monte cook) describe OA as havign lots of way overpowered stuff...the problem is that i don' look at rules and say "hmmm...looks to strong". it's not the way my brain works. so come on guys...what are you talkign about?

 

[Ruvion]

I have a player that has a level 8 Iaijutsu Master, and so far I found him subpar in most battles except during surprises. Believe me, except for duels and unlikely NPC confrontation (such as bar room brawl), combat do not usually start 5 feet away from you. Amazing duelist to be sure, but not a well rounded fighter; as a prestige class it captures the essence of specialization to the point of exclusion pretty well.

 

[Tsyr]

Thank you! When I first got the Player's Handbook (oh so many moons ago), I perused the Feats and immediately thought "Cool! I can make a samurai!", followed by "Cool! I could make a knight!", etc.

Now, for genre's sake, I can understand cranking up the importance of the quick draw, but a big part of the problem is just how D&D's ablative hit points work. You never kill anyone (important) in just one shot, so a single quick-draw attack before your enemy can act just isn't that valuable (unlike in real life or in a samurai movie).

Ahhhh, my old nemesis, so good to see you again.

I think saying that the damage delt by iajutsu isn't valuable isn't very accurate. If you take two fighters of realitivly equal skill (Or even a bit higher skill on the part of the opponenet) and strip away a considerable chunk of their hitpoints before the fight even begins proper, you have just made the fight that much easier for you. Indeed, the view of several people in this thread (not myself) is that if anything Iajutsu is too powerfull.

As for the first part, your getting your "no more core classes" arguements mixed up in a debate about prestige classes now? Really, I think Iajutsu Master is one of the better prestige classes, because it does exactly what prestige classes are supposed to do... not make your character into an uberbuff allpowerful demigod by the tenth level, but focus your character in one narrow margin (Iajutsu, in this case), at the cost of other things (Bonus feats if fighter/samurai, spell progression if paladin/ranger, etc)

 

[zorlag]

zorlag

Ironically, I find that the Iaijutsu Master's strongers ability is 'One strike, Two cuts', which basically lets you make two attacks with standard action. So to be bit more rounded fighter you need to get speed enhancement gear and mobility/spring attack and possibly good tumble skill. Used this way he's pretty good. Since iaijutsu damage comes mainly from Cha bonus on later levels you also need charisma boosting items...So I doubt I.Master is unbalanced, just very strong in some situations. I personally have much more trouble with things like Matsu Rager (Pounce anyone?)...

Z.

 

[Ruvion]

I agree with you on the One Stroke, Two Cuts power of the Iaijutsu Master zorlag. I think the PrC that you meant was "Singh Rager" not "Matsu Rager"...I have a player that has 7 levels of the Singh Rager and he is devastating with Pounce (even with the -2 to AC from charge)...

 

[mmadsen]

I think saying that the damage delt by iajutsu isn't valuable isn't very accurate.

What I meant was that the advantage of a first strike (via Quickdraw and Improved Initiative) wasn't enough to cut down your opponent in one blow (as in real life or any samurai movie), so they had to add special iaijutsu abilities (that mimic Sneak Attack).

Really, I think Iajutsu Master is one of the better prestige classes, because it does exactly what prestige classes are supposed to do... not make your character into an uberbuff allpowerful demigod by the tenth level, but focus your character in one narrow margin (Iajutsu, in this case), at the cost of other things (Bonus feats if fighter/samurai, spell progression if paladin/ranger, etc)

In a case like this though, a simple Feat progression could work just fine. As a mechanic, prestige classes are best suited to changing the various progressions (BAB, Save, Hit Dice, Skill points, Spells, etc.). We don't need a whole new class; an iaijutsu master is just a Fighter with quickdraw Feats.

 

[Corinth]

I diagree; this is such a powerful icon of Japanese history and mythology that it warrants a prestige class that puts the powers into playable terms.

 

[Tsyr]

I guess it might come down to taste MM, which we have discovered in the past you and I don't agree on.

I'd much rather be a samurai iajutsu master than a fighter with a few quickdraw feats, myself. It makes it more... special, I guess, to me at any rate.

 

[Black Omega]

In a case like this though, a simple Feat progression could work just fine. As a mechanic, prestige classes are best suited to changing the various progressions (BAB, Save, Hit Dice, Skill points, Spells, etc.). We don't need a whole new class; an iaijutsu master is just a Fighter with quickdraw Feats.

Just have to disagree here. Otherwise, everything is simply a variation on the fighter.

 

[Tokiwong]

Just have to disagree here. Otherwise, everything is simply a variation on the fighter.

Have to agree with Black Omega, I like the classes and PrCs from OA and Rokugan. They enhance the flavor of the setting, that is what PrCs are about in my humble opinion. But hey I am just in it to have fun.