Please rate the Lasher

[smetzger]

Lasher, Sword & Fist p.26

Req: BAB +5, Rope Use 2 ranks, Craft (leatherworking) 2 ranks, Weapon Focus(Whip), Exotic Weapon Proficiency(Whip), must own a whip or whip dagger

Class Features: Whip sneak attack, close combat, wound, whip lash, Improved trip, third hand, Crack of fate, Lashing whip, Improved Disarm, Stunning Snap, Crack of Doom, Death Spiral

 

[the Jester]

It's a great example of a prc that takes an extremely suboptimal option (the whip basically sucks) and makes it a good option.

Fantastic for flavor, decent on mechanics, cool abilities. I'd say it's higher on the 'cool' factor than anything. I give it an 8.

 

[guido1999]

I have a lasher IMC right now and she is a terror in combat. No questions asked, these guys can deal major damage. The whip is also a very versatile tool as well as weapon. Lasher's have a very unorthodox fighting style and have great versatility in the way they can attack. They also are one of the only classes I know of that can flank and sneak attack with a ranged weapon.

The major con of a lasher IMHO is that they are focused on a single weapon. One that you rarely find enchanted, unless you do it yourself or comission someone to make a magical whip for you.

 

[Baron Von StarBlade]

I agree, the Lasher can cause problems in combat similar to the OotBI class. However if you ever remove that focus (the whip) your lasher becomes a watered down Rogue/Fighter.

The Lasher really becomes nasty if you allow Mighty whips or Whip daggers (or both). That is where you can really start to see obscene damage amounts. Lashers can produce a large number of attacks. For Example my 13th level lasher had attack iterations of 31/31/31/26/21/16 (I think) before haste. Luckily the DM only allowed me to use normal whips so my damage was 1D2+7 (20 x2) before sneak attack, otherwise it would have been in the neighborhood of 1D6+10 (15-20 x2) + S.A.

So really it's just like most prestige classes. They are fine by themselves, but once you start adding in strange feats, exotic weapons, or spells the class starts to look over powered.

 

[melkoriii]

Im playing a Halfling Rouge/Fighter that will go into the Lasher (only 5 lvl now)

How do others deal with the Flanking and AoO?

5'? 15'?

Can you use Rapid Shot with Crack of Fate or Crack of Doom?

Is the Improved Disarm even worth it? Whip is a small weapon.


My DM is allowing AoO and Flanking at 15' but no Rapid Shot.

Of couse we have not gone in to play with this yet.

 

[Baron Von StarBlade]

Im playing a Halfling Rouge/Fighter that will go into the Lasher (only 5 lvl now)

How do others deal with the Flanking and AoO?

5'? 15'?

I'm pretty sure you can't flank at all. No where does it state that the whip actually becomes a Melee weapon. You can however get AoO's with a whip (1st level ability I think) but only within 5', so that would be a decent gauge for flanking. However at that level you should be first in line for Blink or Improved Invis so flanking really isn't that important.

Can you use Rapid Shot with Crack of Fate or Crack of Doom?

Yep you can, so that is up to three extra attacks total (Notice in the description it states how CoF and CoD are mutually exclusive).

Is the Improved Disarm even worth it? Whip is a small weapon.

Yeah it's pretty useless, I never used with my Halfling Ftr/Rog/Lasher. I tried working with my DM into providing a bonus to disarm (+2/+4) but we never got around to implementing anything.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

You may be in line for Improved Invisibility but unless you have 5 levels of sorceror or wizard (or use wands or scrolls), you won't be in line for Blink. Blink, like Shield, is a Personal range spell.

However at that level you should be first in line for Blink or Improved Invis so flanking really isn't that important.

 

[melkoriii]

I'm pretty sure you can't flank at all. No where does it state that the whip actually becomes a Melee weapon. You can however get AoO's with a whip (1st level ability I think) but only within 5', so that would be a decent gauge for flanking.

If you read the Sword and Fist Errata.

The Lashers Sneak Attack discript was changed to read after "Whether he has a Dex bonus ot not"
add
"or when the Lasher flanks the Target."

Since the Lashers SA ability can only be used with a whip, that stats you can flank with it.

 

[Hypersmurf]

"or when the Lasher flanks the Target."

Since the Lashers SA ability can only be used with a whip, that stats you can flank with it.

Well, no, it doesn't actually state that.

Given that flanking occurs when making a melee attack, and nothing actually says that a Lasher makes melee attacks, it would be perfectly valid for "or when the Lasher flanks the target" to mean "never".

Granted, the implication is that the Lasher is intended to be able to flank - perhaps within 5', where they threaten an area for AoOs with a whip - but by the wording of the class abilities, their attacks are still ranged attacks, and therefore never actually qualify for flanking.

-Hyp.

 

[0-hr]

If you read the Sword and Fist Errata.
.

The second printing of the book incorporates that erratta. It also says "Treat the lasher's whip as a Medium-size weapon for purposes of disarming an opponent."

I think that the person who wrote the PrC thought that whips threatened an area which, by the book, they do not. That explains the "flank" thing, as well as the Close Combat ability which says "the lasher can sttack an opponent in a threatened square..."

They need to add an erratta that says Close Combat alllows the lasher to threaten a 5ft radius as if a whip were a melee weapon. That would also solve the flanking error.

(Or maybe the author was thinking that a player threatens the area with his feet and so can make AoO's with his whip?)