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View Full Version : Pathfinder Heritor Knight PrC - Vital Strike on any Standard-Action Attack, and how to use it



Serafina
2017-02-08, 04:15 PM
At 6th level, the Heritor Knight (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/e-h/heritor-knight) PrC gains Vital Strike and Improved Vital Strike as bonus feats - and maybe more importantly, the ability to apply them (and Greater Vital Strike) whenever they make a melee attack as a standard action.
Normally, you can only use Vital Strike with the highly specific "attack action" - so any feat or ability that works as a standard action can't benefit from it. No so in this case.

Now this is clearly intended to allow them to use their other class-abilities with this - but it also opens up other actions that can not normally benefit from Vital Strike.
I'd like to make a list of the options for this - whether they be feats, class features or other abilities.


Cleave (http://archivesofnethys.com/FeatDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Cleave) and Great Cleave (http://archivesofnethys.com/FeatDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Great%20Cleave) can be used with this. It even ought to apply to all the attacks you make with it, since they're all part of the same standard action.

The Combat Trick for Spring Attack (http://archivesofnethys.com/FeatDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Spring%20Attack) works with this as well, though the regular Spring Attack does not on account of being a full-round action.

Fittingly, the second ability of Iomedaes Inspiring Sword (http://archivesofnethys.com/FeatDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Divine%20Fighting%20Tech nique) works with this as well, though only the normal attack and not the one made at the end of a charge.

The Strike and Seize One-Handed Weapon Trick (http://archivesofnethys.com/FeatDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Weapon%20Trick) works with this as well. However, so does the Dual Slice Two-Weapon Trick, and that one gives you two attacks which both benefit from Vital Strike.

Deadly Stroke (http://archivesofnethys.com/FeatDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Deadly%20Stroke) would work too, and even be particularly devastating. Double damage on an Improved Vital Strike ought to ruin everyones day.

Using it with Merciless Butchery (http://archivesofnethys.com/FeatDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Merciless%20Butchery) would be total overkill - a Coup de Grace really shouldn't need the benefit of Vital Strike. Nevertheless, it does work.

Targeted Blow (http://archivesofnethys.com/FeatDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Targeted%20Blow) works with this just fine too.


As far as I can tell, that's all the options for feats. Getting all of that would be quite impractical, but it should be possible to combine some nice things here.
I'll go through options from classes at a later time - though really, this PrC stacks with Fighter for Weapon Training, Advanced Weapon Training is rather nice, and you probably want Fighter-levels for feats anyway.

CactusAir
2017-02-08, 09:14 PM
Hey, this is chloe over on SV.

If i'm reading the wording right, this lets you use Vital strikes on Martial Strikes. Thanks so much for PoW, DSP!

So Fighter (Myrmidon Archetype) 14/Heritor Knight 6 (not in that order), and you can still eke out one 9th level maneuver, I think.

Mithral Current and Scarlet Throne are probably good for you, since they are heavy on standard action strikes.

If you also have access to Akashic Mysteries, Shape Veil: Armory of the Conqueror + Expanded Capacity + Bonus Essence + Akashic Capacitor 3 = +3 size increases to your weapon at level 18 for three feats and a 36k gp magic item. If you DM lets it stack, add on Daisho Expertise and cart around a katana for maximum Edge (also 6d8 base weapon damage, lol).

Go forth and Iaijustu people to death. Katana + Mithral Current + Vital Strike are totally thematic and make sense together.

Gritty Samurai Movie Duel Go!

(You can also stack Warshade archetype with Myrmidon, but that's only really good if your DM lets you use Heritor Knight's ability to advance Weapon training to advance an ACF - not sure if that works or not)