Choco
2009-12-08, 12:29 PM
K so I was bored and started thinking, the biggest problems with Iaijutsu Focus are:
1) The weapon has to come from the sheath and there is no "Quick Sheathe" feat, so you really only get the bonus once per round without pulling some gnome weapon cheese or carrying multiple weapons (we'll get to this later...) etc.
2) Due to the text specifically stating that Iaijutsu damage only occurs when the opponent is "flat footed", simply denying dex to AC is not enough (though this itself is debatable, since the CA text for the Scout's Uncanny Dodge says "cannot be caught flat footed" with a note to see the Barbarian's class ability in PH, where it says he keeps dex. Depends which interpretation the DM wants to use).
3) Relating to #2, the time when Iaijutsu Focus is most useful is if you win initiative during the first round of combat and during surprise rounds. However, you are usually not in melee range of the target at start of combat so even if there was a way to get around #1 or you use Sapphire Nightmare Blade, you still only get 1 attack.
So I quickly came up with the following build to make a Iaijutsu character a royal PITA the first round of combat.
Iaijutsu Katana Chucker
{table="head"]Class/Levels|Feat Selection/Relevent Special Abilities
Samurai1|Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes
Samurai2|Weapon Focus (katana)
Warblade1|Point Blank Shot
Warblade2|
Warblade3|
Bloodstorm Blade1|Precise Shot, Throw Anything, before lvlup retrain Weapon Focus to a thrown weapon
Master Thrower1|TWT(Defensive Throw), Quick Draw, retrain Weapon Focus back to katana
Iaijutsu Master1|Weapon Finesse (katana)
Master Thrower2|Weapon Proficiency(katana)
Master Thrower3|TWT(Doubletoss) or TWT(Sneaky Shot)
Master Thrower4|
Master Thrower5|TWT(Weak Spot), Two-Weapon Fighting
Iaijutsu Master2|Lightning blade
Iaijutsu Master3|
Iaijutsu Master4|Skill Focus (Iaijutsu Focus), Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
Iaijutsu Master5|Strike from the Void
Bloodstorm Blade2|Martial Throw
Bloodstorm Blade3|Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Precise Shot
Bloodstorm Blade4|Lightning Ricochet
Bloodstorm Blade5|Blood Wind Ricochet
[/table]
This is a build with late game in mind, so the PrC and feat selection order might be modified to make this build better low level. Anyway, the basic idea behind this build is to carry a multiple Katanas (20 recommended preferably all +1, perhaps have an NPC carry them for you and hand them to you as you are drawing, this is in addition to your main katana that you do not throw and use should the enemy survive the first round) and throw as many as possible during the first round of combat.
This build has Dex as the primary stat and Cha as secondary. Dex is for attack rolls mostly, Cha is for uber Iaijutsu damage.
Items that are HIGHLY recommended with this build are:
Belt of Battle
Some way of getting haste, not a weapon enchant for obvious reasons
Cha + Dex boosters
Str booster if you want to carry all the katanas yourself
Anyway, the important stuff, what each PrC gives you:
Iaijutsu Master
1) Allows you to use Dex mod with the Katana, which is cool since it allows this build to be Dex/Cha centered.
2) Lightning Blade add your Cha mod to initiative checks. Dex+Cha+4 to init checks in a Dex/Cha build = you almost always go first.
3) The first big one, Strike from the Void. This adds your Cha modifier to EVERY ADDITIONAL DAMAGE DICE granted to you from Iaijutsu Focus.
Bloodstorm Blade
1) Allows you to use a katana as a thrown weapon with no penalties.
2) Martial Throw allows you to use Sapphire Nightmare Blade with said thrown katanas for Iaijutsu damage if the foe survived the first round.
3) Lightning Ricochet returns your thrown katanas to you (makes collection after battle easier, enemies wont run off with them).
4) Blood Wind Ricochet allows you to hit enemies with total cover if you got an "enemy path" to them.
Master Thrower
1) Defensive Throw basically ensures you will never be hit with an AOO for throwing while threatened.
2) Doubletoss lets you throw 2 katanas with a standard action (good for surprise rounds). Or if you like take Sneaky Shot instead, it denies the opponents their Dex bonus to AC for that attack which works VERY well with #3 right below..
3) The other big one, Weak Spot. This makes your throws ranged touch attacks at the price of not applying your Str bonus to damage (yeah, like you were doing that with this build anyway).
So the build as I have it (a lot of feats, TWF for instance, arent needed but helpful) SHOULD result in quick, 1-round kills against even multiple enemies.
If there is a surprise round, use Doubletoss to fire off 2 katanas as ranged touch attacks at 1-2 foes and get some Iaijutsu damage in that way.
You should have easily won init the first combat round so you get 8 katana-chucking ranged touch attacks in a full round action (4 base, +1 haste, +3 TWF), then use the belt of battle to get another full round action and 8 more attacks. That's 16 attacks right there, the vast majority of which should hit due to them being ranged touch attacks and you having a godly high Dex. +2 if you got the surprise round in. That makes 18 attacks, each of which will have Iaijutsu damage applied, with each dice of Iaijutsu damage also beign increased by your Cha modifier.
Really painful build. Even if an enemy is immune to being caught flat footed (or even never denied dex depending on interpretation, see point #2 way at the top) 18 katana hits should still weaken them up a bit.
Also, I mentioned it sporadically before, but keep your normal, heavily enchanted katana seperate and dont throw it, that one is in case the fight lasts more than 1 round and you are reduced to using your best/main katana with Sapphire Nightmare Blade.
So what do y'all think? Any suggestions?
EDIT: For a different flavor and MUCH more power, take TWT(Palm Throw) instead of TWT(Doubletoss) or TWT(Sneaky Shot), and take Weapon Finesse instead of Weapon Proficiency(katana) and throw daggers instead.
1) The weapon has to come from the sheath and there is no "Quick Sheathe" feat, so you really only get the bonus once per round without pulling some gnome weapon cheese or carrying multiple weapons (we'll get to this later...) etc.
2) Due to the text specifically stating that Iaijutsu damage only occurs when the opponent is "flat footed", simply denying dex to AC is not enough (though this itself is debatable, since the CA text for the Scout's Uncanny Dodge says "cannot be caught flat footed" with a note to see the Barbarian's class ability in PH, where it says he keeps dex. Depends which interpretation the DM wants to use).
3) Relating to #2, the time when Iaijutsu Focus is most useful is if you win initiative during the first round of combat and during surprise rounds. However, you are usually not in melee range of the target at start of combat so even if there was a way to get around #1 or you use Sapphire Nightmare Blade, you still only get 1 attack.
So I quickly came up with the following build to make a Iaijutsu character a royal PITA the first round of combat.
Iaijutsu Katana Chucker
{table="head"]Class/Levels|Feat Selection/Relevent Special Abilities
Samurai1|Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes
Samurai2|Weapon Focus (katana)
Warblade1|Point Blank Shot
Warblade2|
Warblade3|
Bloodstorm Blade1|Precise Shot, Throw Anything, before lvlup retrain Weapon Focus to a thrown weapon
Master Thrower1|TWT(Defensive Throw), Quick Draw, retrain Weapon Focus back to katana
Iaijutsu Master1|Weapon Finesse (katana)
Master Thrower2|Weapon Proficiency(katana)
Master Thrower3|TWT(Doubletoss) or TWT(Sneaky Shot)
Master Thrower4|
Master Thrower5|TWT(Weak Spot), Two-Weapon Fighting
Iaijutsu Master2|Lightning blade
Iaijutsu Master3|
Iaijutsu Master4|Skill Focus (Iaijutsu Focus), Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
Iaijutsu Master5|Strike from the Void
Bloodstorm Blade2|Martial Throw
Bloodstorm Blade3|Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Precise Shot
Bloodstorm Blade4|Lightning Ricochet
Bloodstorm Blade5|Blood Wind Ricochet
[/table]
This is a build with late game in mind, so the PrC and feat selection order might be modified to make this build better low level. Anyway, the basic idea behind this build is to carry a multiple Katanas (20 recommended preferably all +1, perhaps have an NPC carry them for you and hand them to you as you are drawing, this is in addition to your main katana that you do not throw and use should the enemy survive the first round) and throw as many as possible during the first round of combat.
This build has Dex as the primary stat and Cha as secondary. Dex is for attack rolls mostly, Cha is for uber Iaijutsu damage.
Items that are HIGHLY recommended with this build are:
Belt of Battle
Some way of getting haste, not a weapon enchant for obvious reasons
Cha + Dex boosters
Str booster if you want to carry all the katanas yourself
Anyway, the important stuff, what each PrC gives you:
Iaijutsu Master
1) Allows you to use Dex mod with the Katana, which is cool since it allows this build to be Dex/Cha centered.
2) Lightning Blade add your Cha mod to initiative checks. Dex+Cha+4 to init checks in a Dex/Cha build = you almost always go first.
3) The first big one, Strike from the Void. This adds your Cha modifier to EVERY ADDITIONAL DAMAGE DICE granted to you from Iaijutsu Focus.
Bloodstorm Blade
1) Allows you to use a katana as a thrown weapon with no penalties.
2) Martial Throw allows you to use Sapphire Nightmare Blade with said thrown katanas for Iaijutsu damage if the foe survived the first round.
3) Lightning Ricochet returns your thrown katanas to you (makes collection after battle easier, enemies wont run off with them).
4) Blood Wind Ricochet allows you to hit enemies with total cover if you got an "enemy path" to them.
Master Thrower
1) Defensive Throw basically ensures you will never be hit with an AOO for throwing while threatened.
2) Doubletoss lets you throw 2 katanas with a standard action (good for surprise rounds). Or if you like take Sneaky Shot instead, it denies the opponents their Dex bonus to AC for that attack which works VERY well with #3 right below..
3) The other big one, Weak Spot. This makes your throws ranged touch attacks at the price of not applying your Str bonus to damage (yeah, like you were doing that with this build anyway).
So the build as I have it (a lot of feats, TWF for instance, arent needed but helpful) SHOULD result in quick, 1-round kills against even multiple enemies.
If there is a surprise round, use Doubletoss to fire off 2 katanas as ranged touch attacks at 1-2 foes and get some Iaijutsu damage in that way.
You should have easily won init the first combat round so you get 8 katana-chucking ranged touch attacks in a full round action (4 base, +1 haste, +3 TWF), then use the belt of battle to get another full round action and 8 more attacks. That's 16 attacks right there, the vast majority of which should hit due to them being ranged touch attacks and you having a godly high Dex. +2 if you got the surprise round in. That makes 18 attacks, each of which will have Iaijutsu damage applied, with each dice of Iaijutsu damage also beign increased by your Cha modifier.
Really painful build. Even if an enemy is immune to being caught flat footed (or even never denied dex depending on interpretation, see point #2 way at the top) 18 katana hits should still weaken them up a bit.
Also, I mentioned it sporadically before, but keep your normal, heavily enchanted katana seperate and dont throw it, that one is in case the fight lasts more than 1 round and you are reduced to using your best/main katana with Sapphire Nightmare Blade.
So what do y'all think? Any suggestions?
EDIT: For a different flavor and MUCH more power, take TWT(Palm Throw) instead of TWT(Doubletoss) or TWT(Sneaky Shot), and take Weapon Finesse instead of Weapon Proficiency(katana) and throw daggers instead.