(3.5 Feat) Gemini Strike (PEACH)

[DracoDei]

This was part of my individual dragons creation project for Alchemyprime's contest. He apparently REALLY liked it, so I am posting it separately for people to use (also so it can have a unique link so people can find it in my extended signature).


Gemini Strike[General][Fighter]
You and a team-mate strike as one, speeding by to deliver such well coordinated blows that you gain the benefits of both hit-and-run tactics, and superior positioning... and then some.

Prerequisites:
Ride-by Attack OR Fly-by Attack OR Spring Attack, OR Swim-by Attack
Dodge AND Mobility
Sneak Attack +2d6 OR Skirmish +1d6/+1 OR BAB +6


Benefits:
Two or more allied creatures may activate who each have this feat may activate it when initiative is called for, but before it is actually rolled. They must declare which specific individuals they are activating it with, and all members of a group must have this feat. In such a case they both/all act on the lowest initiative in the group.
Alternatively, groups may be formed mid-combat by all prospective group members announcing such on their respective turns which are then delayed to an initiative 2 points lower than the lowest one in the group. IF any prospective group member elects not to enter the forming group, then the others already in the group may elect to proceed with only the members who are already delaying, who act immediately, in order of the initiatives they had before they started delaying.
While acting together, group members must use the same types of actions (Full round, Swift, Move Equivalent, Standard), in the same order, and each of these actions is taken simultaneously with every other member of the group. (although they may always use any type of action to do nothing at all to maintain this synchronization). If moving at the same time, they must expend proportionate (or equal if they have the same speed) amounts of their movement at the same times, although slowing down is modeled as expending movement without changing squares.
If two or more members of a group have each moved at least 10 feet, will (unless something changes to prevent them) move a further 10 feet, currently are creating a flank with each other against that opponent and are using any of the feats that allow movement both before and after an attack, then they each gain an additional +1 to hit against that opponent, and each deal an additional 1d6 of Sneak Attack damage, provided that individual is already dealing at least +2d6 of Sneak or Skirmish damage.
Normal: Turns are taken in sequential order.
Special: A fighter may take this as one of her bonus feats.

[DracoDei]

Making this a second post so that people who have already read this will see the following:

How would this same effect look as a White Raven Boost that delays your turn until that of a specified ally you will be syncing up with (they need no special abilities) and lasts for 1 shared turn, and also as a White Raven stance that RAISES that of a specified ally to yours when you assume the stance if you use it after initiative is rolled, but before either of you takes your first turn, and if you use it at any other time lowers your initiative to their's but, in either case, lasts as long as you remain in the stance? Would it be different if you had to pick the ally when you assumed the stance, and changing allies required you to delay until the turn of the new ally, rather than taking your turn on the initiative you share with the old ally?

As a wild guess I am thinking 2nd level boost, and a 6th5th level stance?

[DracoDei]

Bumping in hopes of feedback, especially on the White Raven thing.

[Kellus]

Hum. Interesting. Messing around with initiative like this has always appealed to me, and I've always been curious what it would be like to have two people act at exactly the same time in combat.

It's neat, but fairly limited. It would hardly ever see play, since I've very rarely seen two players in the same party that would be interested in taking pretty much the same entire feat chain.

In addition, the BAB bonus alternative requirement doesn't make a lot of sense, since the sneak attack effect mentions that you only get the benefit if you're already dealing sneak attack or skirmish damage. I'd just let the BAB person get sneak attack even if he doesn't have any already.

Also, you should probably drop the skirmish requirement to +1d6/+1 instead of +2d6, to make it more fair for scouts. They get the short end of the stick most of the time as it is in things like this (cough ambush feats cough).

The worst part, though, is that it takes an awful lot of setup for not a lot of rewards. +1 to hit, +1d6 sneak attack, and +10ft. of movement, I think? Way too complicated for what it gives you.

Very cool idea though. It's nice to see things like this that aren't just cookie-cutter variants on things that have come before. That's something I really like about most of your homebrews, DracoDei– they're not always perfect, but they're always thought-provoking.

As far as a White Raven maneuver goes, I think that would probably work a lot better. Especially the Boost idea, which would be perfect for the flavour of the feat. You delay your turn and then strike at exactly the same time for added effect. The rogue would love you. :smallsmile:

For more ideas on synchronized action, check out the timethief (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62071) class I made ages ago. Might provide some inspiration for similar feats or abilities.

[DracoDei]

If scouts get the same amount of skirmish damage as an equally leveled rogue gets of sneak attack, I see no reason to reduce it, especially since, without a rogue in the mix, their is very little reason to take the feat (a bit of bonus damage, but... so what? Scouts don't need flanking to get their damage, and thus can do their spring-attacks out of sync with their allies without losing anything)... the point of this feat is effectively combining spring-attack with flanking, and leaving no effective target for counter-attack. The bonus to hit and sneak damage is just a little extra nudge to make the feat more worth actually taking it. And the BAB thing was a specific suggestion on the thread this was created in for Fighter types who want to help out their rogue partners.

PS: It gives no bonus movement.

[Kellus]

Yes, but scouts don't get the same progression of skirmish damage, which is something that everybody always overlooks. At 3rd level, when a rogue has +2d6 sneak attack, a scout has +1d6/+1 skirmish. He gets +2d6 skirmish damage at 5th level, and would have a harder time taking this feat if he wanted to multiclass than an equally levelled rogue.

[DracoDei]

Just edited in a note that the feat gives no bonus damage.

Ah, Ok, well since I have never ACTUALLY seen the scout class, I didn't know that. That seems a reasonable change to make, so I have now put it in... did I do it right? "+1d6/+1" seems an odd construct to me so I typed it as how I would write what I THINK you meant.

[Kellus]

Oh, my bad. I assumed you'd seen the scout if you were posting homebrew for it. It's actually "+1d6/+1", because it grants +1d6 damage and +1 AC.

[DracoDei]

Nope, just the guy Alchemy Prime suggested I open the feat up to scouts and thus I did. I think he may have even said "2d6 skirmish" but I am not sure. Going back to edit now.


Edits below:
Should I drop the base requirement for the skirmish damage to get the bonus sneak attack damage too?

How do the levels for the boost and the stance look?