[3.5]Iaijutsu Master?

[TaintedLight]

I've heard that this class is pretty insane, but how exactly does that work? Can someone show me where there are some builds with either swordsage/warblade and IM or any other combos? I hear factotums work nicely...

[KillianHawkeye]

Iaijutsu Master is a 3.0 class from Oriental Adventures. It uses a skill called Iaijutsu Focus which grants you bonus damage depending on how high you roll when you make an attack after drawing your weapon. And since Factotums get EVERY skill ever, well I'm sure you can put 2 and 2 together (the answer is 4 btw).

[TaintedLight]

Iaijutsu Master is a 3.0 class from Oriental Adventures. It uses a skill called Iaijutsu Focus which grants you bonus damage depending on how high you roll when you make an attack after drawing your weapon. And since Factotums get EVERY skill ever, well I'm sure you can put 2 and 2 together (the answer is 4 btw).

It was pretty clear that having Iaijutsu Focus as a class skill automatically was a big bonus, but surely there are more compelling reasons to choose a factotum? Aren't there good reasons to go with a martial adept or a fighter even?

[KillianHawkeye]

It was pretty clear that having Iaijutsu Focus as a class skill automatically was a big bonus, but surely there are more compelling reasons to choose a factotum? Aren't there good reasons to go with a martial adept or a fighter even?

I dunno, I'm not a Factotum guy. I was mainly pointing out that Iaijutsu Master is 3.0 (not 3.5) and that it used the Iaijutsu Focus skill to gain bonus damage. If memory serves, Iaijutsu Master mostly made you better at using the skill, since it could be used even without taking that class.

As far as martial adepts go, I don't think Iaijutsu Focus is incompatible with their maneuvers, so it should work okay.

[Tinydwarfman]

It was pretty clear that having Iaijutsu Focus as a class skill automatically was a big bonus, but surely there are more compelling reasons to choose a factotum? Aren't there good reasons to go with a martial adept or a fighter even?

Factotums are the ultimate skill monkey. They do EVERYTHING, and they do it quite well. With thier inspiration points, they can add the INT mod to pretty much everything, and they get 3/4 BAB, the ability to cast up to 7th level spells as spell-like abilities, 6+ int skills per level, and the ability to use inspirations points to do nifty things like take an extra standard action or sneak attack.

[tyckspoon]

It was pretty clear that having Iaijutsu Focus as a class skill automatically was a big bonus, but surely there are more compelling reasons to choose a factotum? Aren't there good reasons to go with a martial adept or a fighter even?

Factotum is more of a thematic thing, I think. Iajutsu Focus is an esoteric and rare skill, and that's what Factotums *do*. It's also a relatively-easily acquired source of bonus damage for a class that is otherwise pretty anemic in damage output (argument over whether or not you can get multiple Sneak Attack dice aside), especially when you don't want to spend extra Inspiration Points on it.

Martial Adepts or Fighters would indeed make appropriate Iajutsu fighters as well, but they'd either have to buy the skill cross-class or multiclass into one of the relatively obscure classes that has it. The Factotum is ready to use it out of the box.

[sofawall]

And what everyone has failed to do is say why Iaijutsu Master is good.

Cha mod to every Iaijutsu die. Not every attack, every die. Also, attack twice with a standard action. What do Factotums get a lot of again? Oh yeah.

Factotum 8/Iaijutsu Master 8/Fighter 4 gives you some fun stuff, and leaves all your general feats for FoI, qualifying using the Fighter Bonus feats.

[Eldariel]

If you want to see it in action, check out some of nefele's matches here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121363&page=1). The "matches"-list contains at least 6 of those. Moira (her character) is basically a rather optimized non-caster Iaijutsu Master (though Gestalt, of course, and thus of a Charismatic race with various Cha-bonuses) and can be frighteningly efficient in combat.


I personally prefer Factotum 8/Iaijutsu Master 5/Swordsage 7. Also, the Master of Masks-dip getting Gnomish Quickrazor proficiency (along with tons of other good stuff; see Haberdash (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88633)) for free.

[sofawall]

I personally prefer Factotum 8/Iaijutsu Master 5/Swordsage 7.

For those not familiar, 5 is the most common drop point, while 8 is only really beneficial for Factotums abusing Cunning Surge.

[9mm]

Iaijutsu Master gains the following ablities

Int To Dex AC bonus.
Cha to Inititive
Cha to Juju dice
2 attacks to a standard action
Gureenteed suprise round if next to an oppenent at the start of combat

Facti's love the int to AC, supercharged juju damage, and 2 attacks per cunning surge.

[Eldariel]

For those not familiar, 5 is the most common drop point, while 8 is only really beneficial for Factotums abusing Cunning Surge/

Aye; SS generally sidesteps that by using maneuvers with CS instead thus not really needing it, though that doesn't make it a bad option. Still, yours truly prefers higher level maneuvers to more efficient non-maneuver Surges.

[Choco]

Iaijutsu Master is awesome.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134276

[TaintedLight]

I'm curious about something else here, and yes I do know that the editing in OA is total crap.

Can an iaijutsu focus check be made to additional effect after the first strike of a combat? The skill description on page 58 says you have to catch them flat-footed, but it makes reference to iaijutsu duels on page 82 and says you only get it in the first round there. I think that's in reference to a duel setting only, but can someone clarify please?

[TheMadLinguist]

I'm curious about something else here, and yes I do know that the editing in OA is total crap.

Can an iaijutsu focus check be made to additional effect after the first strike of a combat? The skill description on page 58 says you have to catch them flat-footed, but it makes reference to iaijutsu duels on page 82 and says you only get it in the first round there. I think that's in reference to a duel setting only, but can someone clarify please?

Iaijutsu duels are a completely separate thing from combat.

[Saintheart]

I'm curious about something else here, and yes I do know that the editing in OA is total crap.

Can an iaijutsu focus check be made to additional effect after the first strike of a combat? The skill description on page 58 says you have to catch them flat-footed ...

Yup. Grab the skill trick Hidden Blade or the Flick of the Wrist feat and when you draw on someone, whether it's the first strike of combat or not, they're considered flatfooted. Ergo Iaijutsu damage kicks in. (By RAW, Hidden Blade would even allow you to pull a greatsword out of Hammerspace and apply Iaijutsu damage to it, which is just cool, even if it's only once per encounter.)

[Eldariel]

Yup. Grab the skill trick Hidden Blade or the Flick of the Wrist feat and when you draw on someone, whether it's the first strike of combat or not, they're considered flatfooted. Ergo Iaijutsu damage kicks in. (By RAW, Hidden Blade would even allow you to pull a greatsword out of Hammerspace and apply Iaijutsu damage to it, which is just cool, even if it's only once per encounter.)

There are also ToB maneuvers for this, notably Sapphire Nightmare Blade on the 1st level.

[Choco]

And a bag of marbles, that will work too if the DM neglected to give the target any points in balance. Don't do it too much else everyone you face will have exactly 5 points in balance.

I like to focus on ensuring I go first, and then getting as many attacks as possible in the first round. However, Sapphire Nightmare Blade and some bags of marbles are perfect for if the fight lasts any longer than your first action.

[Person_Man]

The big one for Iaijutsu Master is Strike from the Void, which adds your Cha bonus to every additional die of granted to you from Iaijutsu Focus. Since Iaijutsu Focus (http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/3.5_L5R_Skills) is a Skill, so it's not difficult to boost. Thus you can get 9d6 + (9*Cha mod) bonus damage on every attack against a Flat Footed enemy, nothing is immune to the extra damage (unlike Sneak Attack), and it doesn't dump your To-Hit or AC like Power Attack or Shock Trooper. And since it's not that hard to make an enemy Flat Footed (Win Initiative, Skill Tricks, Underfoot Combat), your damage output should be pretty massive.

Word of warning though - any uber damage combo is inherently easy for your DM to nerf. He just adds more enemies, and gives them more hit points. From a metagame perspective, you want to have multiple different spells/combos/whatever in your arsenal, and you want to avoid using any 1 trick every combat. So if you end up playing an Iaijutsu Master, don't put all of your eggs in one basket.

[Choco]

Word of warning though - any uber damage combo is inherently easy for your DM to nerf. He just adds more enemies, and gives them more hit points. From a metagame perspective, you want to have multiple different spells/combos/whatever in your arsenal, and you want to avoid using any 1 trick every combat. So if you end up playing an Iaijutsu Master, don't put all of your eggs in one basket.

Yeah, Iaijutsu builds suffer from the same problem as uberchargers. If you limit yourself to using Iaijutsu to just 2 attacks an encounter it is enough (once for first attack, once with Sapphire Nightmare blade, etc.) to make a difference without making the DM cry. Save the massive "16 hits in one round each with Iaijutsu damage applied"-type moves for the BBEG :smallamused:

[LichPrinceAlim]

Iaijutsu builds are great if you combo them with levels in Rogue (no really...Rogue). here was a build my buddy did one time:

Race: Dark Whisper Gnome (LA Buyoff)
Class: Soulknife 5 (really.)/OA Samurai 1/Iaijutsu Master 8/Rogue 3/Swashbuckler 3

How he did it: He used his Mind Blade as his Katana, getting a surprise strike, thus getting 3d6 SA damage plus his INT to damage (note: INT, DEX, and CHA were his top 3)

[JaronK]

Even though Iajuitsu Master is designed with wielding a katana in mind (the Int to AC is only while wielding one), a gnomish quickrazor is far better since it gives you more attacks that can use IF. A sample build would be Factotum 8/Iajuitsu Master 5... sneak up on your opponents, and then attack in the surprise round with a standard action charge. Hit for 9d6+9*Cha mod bonus damage. Now combat starts, but with your high Int and Dex you win initiative and can full attack for the iajuitsu damage. Next round, use an extra standard action to cast Grease, flat footing your opponent, and full attack for Iajuitsu Focus damage again. Yehaw. If necessary, use the Blurstriking enchantment or Sapphire Nightmare Blade to trigger flat footedness even more.

JaronK

[Greenish]

How he did it: He used his Mind Blade as his Katana, getting a surprise strike, thus getting 3d6 SA damage plus his INT to damage (note: INT, DEX, and CHA were his top 3)But you never actually draw your mindblade. :smallconfused:

[LichPrinceAlim]

But you never actually draw your mindblade. :smallconfused:

you use the "Quick Create" ability (I can't remember what it's called) and swing. It's too easy. It explicitly says it "Counts as Quick Draw"

[Greenish]

you use the "Quick Create" ability (I can't remember what it's called) and swing. It's too easy. It explicitly says it "Counts as Quick Draw"
Free Draw (Su)
At 5th level, a soulknife becomes able to materialize his mind blade as a free action instead of a move action. He can make only one attempt to materialize the mind blade per round, however.Well, it is called "draw", so it might work. Then the only problem is that you wasted five levels to get a weapon you can't enchant. [Edit]: Oh, and almost overlooked the fact that you can only do it once per round, so you'll only get one attack with Iaijutsu Focus.

[LichPrinceAlim]

Well, it is called "draw", so it might work. Then the only problem is that you wasted five levels to get a weapon you can't enchant.

It's cool looking, ok? THATS why he did what he did...