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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jeremy" data-source="post: 150531" data-attributes="member: 4036">Iaijutsu SmackdownOriginally posted by Black ArrowAfter a much enjoyed break, I decided it was high time to get back to business of Smackdown Productions...here's another product inspired by the vision of Smackdown's gifted acting CEO, Carpe DM; much appreciated secretary of smack, Jeremy; and the rest of the talented staff...I picked up a copy of Oriental Adventures recently; found food for thought for a novel smackdown twist, incorporating the Singh Rager's 'pounce' (think 'Fleetrunner of Ehlonna') with the iaijutsu focus skill. With iaijutsu, speed is everything; there is no time to drink a potion, activate a magic item, etc...opponents MUST be flat-footed.So without further ado...Human 1st ranger/6th fighter/4th singh rager/5th iaijutsu masterSuggested/Required Feats:Power Attack-Iaijutsu (bonus ancestral feat)Quickdraw (1st)Improved Initiative (1st fighter)Weapon Focus(katana) (2nd fighter)Iron Will(3rd)Weapon Specialization(katana) (4th fighter)Ki Shout (6th)Exotic Weapon(katana) (6th fighter)Improved Two Weapon Fighting (9th)Expert Tactician (12th)Skill Focus(Iaijutsu Focus) (4th iaijutsu master)Improved Critical(katana) (15th)Let's say the character started at first level with a great Dexterity (16), top Charisma (18), and good Strength (14). Increased Charisma to 22 at levels 4, 8, 12, & 16. Character's initiative bonus here is +13 - likely to outgun pretty much anyone.Also has an adamantine katana (+2 non-magical enhancement bonus) and adamantine wakizashi (+1 non-magical enhancement bonus)...perhaps a bandoleer with a dozen masterwork daggers as well...Also assume the character has 19 ranks of the Iaijutsu Focus skill (+27) and 19 ranks Tumbling (+22).Tactic: During surprise round (if available) partial charge flat-footed opponents while initiating "Lion's fury" (think lawful Barbarian rage). Character whips out katana with both hands, flies into a rage, charge attacks with the katana, quickdraws a wakizashi (or possibly daggers), and finishes attacking with both weapons. Here are the stats for a "Lion's Pounce" charge. BAB: +21/+21(expert tact)/+20(offhand)/+16/+15(offhand)/+11/+6Dmg:  5*[(d10(katana)+4(Str)+2(enhancement)+2(specialization)+6d6+36(iaijutsu 37.5 avg skill check)+1d6+6(Power Attack-Iaijutsu)] + 2*[(d6(wakizashi)+2(half Str)+1(enhancement)+7d6+42(combined avg iaijutsu bonus)]TOTAL = 5* (80=avg katana dmg) + 2* (73=avg wakizashi dmg) +2(half Str bonus for first two-handed atk with katana) = 548 dmg(avg) possible per charge attack action, assuming each attack hits.*Note: this does not factor in probable additional dmg from critical hits (on a 17-20 w/katana, a 19-20 w/wakizashi).After surprise round, assuming initiative(+13) is won, take a full-round attack option to mop up anything left in the vicinity, or use tumble(+22) to plow through (if necessary) and charge another group of opponents to repeat devastating attack (1,096 total dmg(avg) possible including previous surprise round, before opponents can blink).Also note that average katana dmg and wakizashi dmg drops to 13.5pts/hit and 6.5pts/hit respectively after round 1, so make the first hits count!In review, the iaijutsu focus skill operates "if you attack a flat-footed opponent immediately after drawing a melee weapon"(OA p.58). The combat section further clarifies what is meant by "immediately" - "You can use your iaijutsu focus bonus damage in normal combat too, but only when you attack a flat-footed opponent and you draw your weapon in the same round you strike"(OA p.82). So in summary, any attack made by a weapon in the round you drew it receives the bonus damage against a flat-footed opponent.Best thing about singh rager and iaijutsu master is that none of their abilities are denoted "(Su)" or "(Sp)". This character would make a great champion of a prince or emperor...especially if confined to an anti-magic field or dead magic zone. Better yet, this smackdown is fully effective against monsters that are immune to sneak attacks and critical hits. If you wanted to make this attack routine even more lethal, give this king's champion a +4 inherent bonus to Charisma (from multiple miracle or wish spells). A 26 Cha would provide the champion with a +15 initiative and +29 Iaijutsu Focus skill - this would increase average damage of the above smackdown by +14 dmg per hit, and half the time (on average) would add another 1d6+8 per successful hit due to an additional iaijutsu focus dice; if all fourteen hits were successful the additional damage would be [((+14)*14(atks)) + (11.5(avg dmg)*7(atks))] = 224 additional dmg(avg) [or 1320 avg dmg possible] over two charge actions. Also note that if you give the king's bodyguard 3 additional levels of singh rager (bringing him to 19th lvl), in addition to another feat, he gains the ability to cause fear as a free action during a full attack action with 'roaring strike', and the ability to initiate haste ('swiftness of the lioness') as a free action (= one extra partial charge during surprise round and one extra partial charge during the regular round against flatfooted opponents, or double the effective number of iaijutsu attacks [2640 avg dmg possible here].So next time the characters try to thwart the DM's sinister plot by sneaking in and killing the evil tyrant (in his magic-proof chamber), let the king's LE champion ambush (surprise action) the party, slicing through a rice paper screen near the king's throne, charge, and double 'pounce' the unsuspecting players...after rolling up new characters they'll think twice before blatantly trying to destroy a well-prepared storyline/plot by attacking the archenemy in his stronghold</blockquote>

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