Is there another skill that adds damage?

[Jallis370]

I am sure I found someone somewhere talking about a skill that gave bonus damage yesterday, but I've been searching for it for too many hours and still can't find it. I'm making a Factotum and I've been reading many of the guides available and the skill Iaijutsu Focus was mentioned on all of them, so I tried finding an alternative skill that could add some damage.

The skill I found someone mention had a small damage output of 5 on a skill check of 35 if I remember correctly. Anyone know what skill I'm talking about, or did I just dream about this after too much D&D forum reading?

[ArcturusV]

You might be looking for the Knowledge Devotion thing, where having the appropriate Knowledge skill gives bonus damage to enemies of that type.

Also you might be thinking of Iajutsu Focus. If you draw your weapon and attack a flatfooted enemy, you get a number of d6 bonus damage dice depending on your skill check result.

[The-Mage-King]

Indeed, Iaijutsu Focus is a skill that deals bonus damage on a successful check. It's Cha-based, requires a flat-footed target, with some other catches.


It's found in Oriental Adventures.


EDIT: Yeah, Knowledge Devotion is another thing to look at. Bonuses to hit and damage keyed off of Knowledge checks, based on the enemy's Type. It's in Complete Champion.

[aeauseth]

If you draw your weapon and attack a flatfooted enemy.

I just wanted to mention that it is very difficult to reliably catch your opponent flat-footed. Winning Initiative is the only reliable way, but that's just for 1 round. Flanking does not equal flat-footed. Being invisible does not make your opponent flat-footed. Balancing and climbing can make someone flat-footed.

[Equinox]

I just wanted to mention that it is very difficult to reliably catch your opponent flat-footed. Winning Initiative is the only reliable way, but that's just for 1 round. Flanking does not equal flat-footed. Being invisible does not make your opponent flat-footed. Balancing and climbing can make someone flat-footed.

Requires some investment, but doable.
Distract Assailant spell (UMD a wand if needed)
Sapphire Nightmare Blade (levels in Warblade or Martial Study)
Grease spell (unless they have ranks in Balance)

That's off the top of my head

[The-Mage-King]

I just wanted to mention that it is very difficult to reliably catch your opponent flat-footed. Winning Initiative is the only reliable way, but that's just for 1 round. Flanking does not equal flat-footed. Being invisible does not make your opponent flat-footed. Balancing and climbing can make someone flat-footed.

Nah. I can think of a few ways.


Sapphire Nightmare Blade. Grease. And other myriad ways. (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=8741.0)

[Crake]

I just wanted to mention that it is very difficult to reliably catch your opponent flat-footed. Winning Initiative is the only reliable way, but that's just for 1 round. Flanking does not equal flat-footed. Being invisible does not make your opponent flat-footed. Balancing and climbing can make someone flat-footed.

Actually, unless they specifically have some means of seeing you (blindsight and tremorsense, see invis and true seeing work, but blindsense and listen checks do not) then attacking a foe while invisible does make them flat footed.

[Urpriest]

I just wanted to mention that it is very difficult to reliably catch your opponent flat-footed. Winning Initiative is the only reliable way, but that's just for 1 round. Flanking does not equal flat-footed. Being invisible does not make your opponent flat-footed. Balancing and climbing can make someone flat-footed.

True, but being invisible allows you to Hide, and Hiding, as per Rules Compendium 92, means

If you’re successfully hidden with respect to another
creature, that creature is flat-footed with respect to you

Edit:

Actually, unless they specifically have some means of seeing you (blindsight and tremorsense, see invis and true seeing work, but blindsense and listen checks do not) then attacking a foe while invisible does make them flat footed.

Pretty sure this is false. Just being Invisible is insufficient, you also need to be hidden. Otherwise they're just denied Dex bonus, not flat-footed.

[holywhippet]

The archivist class can their allies bonuses against certain monsters with a successful knowledge check (type depends on the type of monster). Damage is one of the possible bonuses after they reach level 8.

[Jallis370]

I already mentioned Iaijutsu Focus in red, and this thread was supposed to be about other alternatives to that particular skill, not a discussion about how to use it effectively... I will check out the Knowledge Devotion though. It might be the thing I found yesterday.

[Jallis370]

And Knowledge Devotion was the thing I searched for.

It seems like the feat can't be taken before lvl 3 due to the requirement of a knowledge rank of 5.

[holywhippet]

And Knowledge Devotion was the thing I searched for.

It seems like the feat can't be taken before lvl 3 due to the requirement of a knowledge rank of 5.

Max skill rank is character level + 3 so you could take it at level 2, provided you get a feat at that level. Or you might be able to save a feat from level 1 - I don't think the rules say you have to fill in a feat slot as soon as you get it.

[ZamielVanWeber]

A cleric with the knowledge domain (or a cloistered cleric) can trade the domain for the feat to get it at level 1.

[Jallis370]

A cleric with the knowledge domain (or a cloistered cleric) can trade the domain for the feat to get it at level 1.

But that is the only option, right? A Factotum will have to wait until lvl 3?
Seems like this is a great sacrifice to gain a small amount of damage, compared to Iaijutsu focus, which do not need a feat.
Good to have explored the alternative option at least. Now I'm off to make the typical Factotum build everybody screams about :D

Thank you for your quick answers :)

[ZamielVanWeber]

Correct. A factotum needs to wait until 3.

[Urpriest]

But that is the only option, right? A Factotum will have to wait until lvl 3?

Yes, a Factotum will have to wait till level 3.

[holywhippet]

Can you really not hold off taking a level 1 feat until level 2?

[Urpriest]

Can you really not hold off taking a level 1 feat until level 2?

No, why would you be able to? It's not like you can save up your skill points or BAB or something for a higher level.

[holywhippet]

No, why would you be able to? It's not like you can save up your skill points or BAB or something for a higher level.

His question was if he can only take the feat at level 3 because that is when he gets a new feat and has the required skill points to qualify. But he can get the required skill points at level 2 and this take the feat then if he hasn't used on at level 1.

[Urpriest]

His question was if he can only take the feat at level 3 because that is when he gets a new feat and has the required skill points to qualify. But he can get the required skill points at level 2 and this take the feat then if he hasn't used on at level 1.

But you don't get an option to "save up" a feat, because that's not how the vast majority of games with leveling systems work. I'm just confused why someone would expect this one to work that way.

[holywhippet]

But you don't get an option to "save up" a feat, because that's not how the vast majority of games with leveling systems work. I'm just confused why someone would expect this one to work that way.

That's why I asked, I couldn't see anything in the rules that says you can't save your feat for a later level. In fact the rules even say "A character can gain a feat at the same level at which he or she gains the prerequisite." although I suspect that refers to applying enough skill points or whatever to meet the requirements on that level up.

[Karnith]

That's why I asked, I couldn't see anything in the rules that says you can't save your feat for a later level.
"The rules don't say I cant" is not a valid RAW justification; you need a rule that allows you to do something in order to do it. Otherwise you get into "nothing says say that elves don't shoot lasers out of their eyes" territory.

There exist no rules (to the best of my knowledge) for delaying feat acquisition, and hence you cannot wait on picking a feat. You must select a feat when the rules say that you do so (i.e. at 1st level, every 3rd level thereafter, or when you acquire a feat from some other source, such as a class feature).

"A character can gain a feat at the same level at which he or she gains the prerequisite." although I suspect that refers to applying enough skill points or whatever to meet the requirements on that level upThat is exactly what that means, yes. It also has absolutely nothing to do with delaying feat acquisition, as it does not say that you can change when you select feats.