Bushido Dignified - Help

[rmnimoc]

I'm making a new character (7th level) and I decided to try being a samurai. That being said, I've never actually made a pure martial character in pathfinder, and I'm not really sure what feats or prestige classes really stand out for them. Right now I'm looking at going Sword Saint archetype and focusing on 1v1 combat. My knowledge of 3.5 makes me think trying to optimize the fear effect of terrifying iajutsu is probably a good idea, but that's about as far as I've got. Anyone got any advice or ideas?

[Florian]

Sword Saint

Don´t do this, it´s a trap.

The main feature of a samurai is challenge, aka "Smite All". You might want to focus on high STR, high Crit, high crit multiplier for that, as this is how this class is effektive, by simply bringing a target down with sheer damage. Handing out the shaken condition via intimidate is a nice debuff, but a secondary tactic here.

[rmnimoc]

Don´t do this, it´s a trap.

The main feature of a samurai is challenge, aka "Smite All". You might want to focus on high STR, high Crit, high crit multiplier for that, as this is how this class is effektive, by simply bringing a target down with sheer damage. Handing out the shaken condition via intimidate is a nice debuff, but a secondary tactic here.

Mind if I ask why it's a trap? The abilities it gives seem a bit situational, but I don't really feel like I'm giving up anything I care about to take it. Indoor combat is more common than outdoor combat, so mount and mounted archery aren't that useful to me, and I don't really see myself caring too much about the banners, so it doesn't feel like I'm losing anything at all to take it, so while +3d6 damage on my first attack against a person a few times a day isn't that great, it also doesn't seem like a trap.

[Florian]

Reread Iaijutsu Strike again. You´ve got to have your weapon sheathed until you´re in strike range of the target, then use a full round action to make that one strike. Ok now, if you´re the target, wouldn't´t you just take a 5ft. step and watch that katana swing by without even touching you? No? Ok, at 10th you can do it as a standard action, but the damage output is simply underwhelming compared to a full attack, which you´ll want to do against the target of your challenge.

[rmnimoc]

Reread Iaijutsu Strike again. You've got to have your weapon sheathed until you´re in strike range of the target, then use a full round action to make that one strike. Ok now, if you´re the target, wouldn't´t you just take a 5ft. step and watch that katana swing by without even touching you? No? Ok, at 10th you can do it as a standard action, but the damage output is simply underwhelming compared to a full attack, which you´ll want to do against the target of your challenge.

Yeah, I noticed that, maybe take something like step up to prevent people from just 5-ft stepping away from me? If I'd never get to take advantage of the mount anyway, it's trading something I'll never use for something I'll rarely use so that seems a decent trade.

So what feats are good for helping with criticals? Improved critical seems a bit obvious, and I'm definitely looking at bleeding critical as a level 12 feat, but got any other ones?

[Crake]

Reread Iaijutsu Strike again. You´ve got to have your weapon sheathed until you´re in strike range of the target, then use a full round action to make that one strike. Ok now, if you´re the target, wouldn't´t you just take a 5ft. step and watch that katana swing by without even touching you? No? Ok, at 10th you can do it as a standard action, but the damage output is simply underwhelming compared to a full attack, which you´ll want to do against the target of your challenge.

What's to stop you from just 5 ft stepping to follow them? The real issue is that, since your weapon is sheathed, they can actually just full on walk away from you, and you can't do anything about it.

[Florian]

What's to stop you from just 5 ft stepping to follow them? The real issue is that, since your weapon is sheathed, they can actually just full on walk away from you, and you can't do anything about it.

Once you declare a full round action, you can't declare any other kind of actions.

[legomaster00156]

A 5' step is not an action, and can in fact be taken between other actions.

You can move 5 feet in any round when you don’t perform any other kind of movement. Taking this 5-foot step never provokes an attack of opportunity. You can’t take more than one 5-foot step in a round, and you can’t take a 5-foot step in the same round that you move any distance.

You can take a 5-foot step before, during, or after your other actions in the round.

You can only take a 5-foot-step if your movement isn’t hampered by difficult terrain or darkness. Any creature with a speed of 5 feet or less can’t take a 5-foot step, since moving even 5 feet requires a move action for such a slow creature.

You may not take a 5-foot step using a form of movement for which you do not have a listed speed.

[rmnimoc]

What's to stop you from just 5 ft stepping to follow them? The real issue is that, since your weapon is sheathed, they can actually just full on walk away from you, and you can't do anything about it.

Combat Scabbard will fix that issue doesn't it? It's not quite as good as the katana, but it lets me threaten anyway so they can't just walk off. Also, I was thinking order of the shield as my order, so that I can keep an enemy in melee more easily. Thoughts?

Also, I was thinking about equipment trick (heavy blade scabbard) and returning on the combat scabbard, just because the thought of boomeranging my sheath at people when I attack in hilarious.

[Ellrin]

I haven't really looked into samurai, let alone sword saint, but if you're thinking of making a build around iaijutsu and keeping your weapon sheathed, you might want to look into ways to get some Mithral Current maneuvers--assuming Path of War is allowed. That'll let you threaten and make normal attacks and AoOs, even while your sword is sheathed, as well as a few other potentially useful tricks, even if you don't necessarily go very far with it.

[Psyren]

Reread Iaijutsu Strike again. You´ve got to have your weapon sheathed until you´re in strike range of the target, then use a full round action to make that one strike. Ok now, if you´re the target, wouldn't´t you just take a 5ft. step and watch that katana swing by without even touching you? No? Ok, at 10th you can do it as a standard action, but the damage output is simply underwhelming compared to a full attack, which you´ll want to do against the target of your challenge.

You're confusing "full round action" with "one round." The former starts and ends on your turn, so the enemy does not get a chance to walk away before you swing. The latter is the one that won't happen until your next turn.

However, for the part about the strike itself generally being weaker than full-attacking, you're correct.

[Florian]

I haven't really looked into samurai, let alone sword saint

Conceptually, it´s a mounted switch-hitter. You open up with your longbow, do a mounted charge and then full attack your target to death. The Chain Challenge feat allows you to rinse and repeat that during combat.

Edit: It´s worth taking a look how class-specific items play into it. A Champion´s Banner will give 4 virtual levels to the effectiveness of Challenge, a Daikyu of Commanding Presence will greatly increase the range of banner and allows for ranged challenge.

Now Iaijatsu gives you on rogue SA under very specific conditions. That´s fine in a social game and can be paired with the Betrayer feat for added fun, but it´s not a very viable tactic in a dungeon-heavy game.