Help building Kenshiro.

[Axel_690]

Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star. This is more of a Theoretical Optimization thing.

I'm just trying to figure how to make a character that could kill an enemy with one punch at any level.

So far I've come up with +3d6 damage at level 1: +1d6 Iaijutsu Focus, +1d6 Pressure Points(d20 modern-blood and fist), and +1d6 Punishing Stance.

Taking Robilar's Gambit and Stormguard Warrior for a damage boost.

I'm curious to see what the experts on the boards can come up with.:smallwink:

[BWR]

Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star. This is more of a Theoretical Optimization thing.

I'm just trying to figure how to make a character that could kill an enemy with one punch at any level.


I think you've mixed up Kenshiro for Saitama: Kenshiro throws a ****ton of punches before his opponents explode into blood.

[Axel_690]

I think you've mixed up Kenshiro for Saitama: Kenshiro throws a ****ton of punches before his opponents explode into blood.

I seem to recall him also making people explode with a single punch, but I could be mistaken.

[Mike Miller]

Atatatatatatatatatatatatatatatata (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjuoIeLjN_WAhXFYiYKHbOVA7wQtwIIKDAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dj3 Xr82KPti4&usg=AOvVaw1hG0ZhZmBiujhiSESh6aJ4)

[Zaq]

Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star. This is more of a Theoretical Optimization thing.

I'm just trying to figure how to make a character that could kill an enemy with one punch at any level.

So far I've come up with +3d6 damage at level 1: +1d6 Iaijutsu Focus, +1d6 Pressure Points(d20 modern-blood and fist), and +1d6 Punishing Stance.

Taking Robilar's Gambit and Stormguard Warrior for a damage boost.

I'm curious to see what the experts on the boards can come up with.:smallwink:

Actual punches? It's, shall we say, inelegant to get Iaijutsu to work on an unarmed strike. By RAW, you can draw a weapon, make your IF check, and then attack with a different weapon like your unarmed strike, but I would not be surprised to have a GM be unhappy about that. Meaning that you'll need to find a way to sheathe/draw an unarmed strike, which I don't think is possible without even greater shenanigans. MAYBE a spiked gauntlet?

Long-term, if we're ignoring the completely correct advice that it's pretty much always better to make more attacks and just focusing on the thematic goal of hitting as hard as possible with one swing, a one-level dip in Monk for Overwhelming Strike (Overwhelming Assault? Overwhelming Attack? Whatever—that PHB2 ACF) is a simply doubling effect, though if we then want to pursue size-stacking effects on our unarmed strike, I think that having Monk can sometimes make that harder. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't having any actual Monk levels in your build mess up either Superior Unarmed Strike or another common size-booster? Greater Mighty Wallop should help in either case, though.

Speaking of Overwhelming Whatever, if extra dice aren't multiplied (and they usually aren't), you want flat damage bonuses. Get a die of Sneak Attack and throw Craven into the mix, because why not. I think there's a feat (Hammer Fist, maybe?) from one of the FR books that lets you treat your unarmed strike as a two-handed weapon for certain purposes (STR bonus, I think, and I forget about Power Attack, and any of those that work are flat bonuses), but I also seem to recall that there's something stupid about it that serves as a reason for people to not use it. If it isn't obvious, this entire post is from memory.

You mentioned Punishing Stance, which means that you're using ToB. ToB Strikes usually won't one-shot an equal-level opponent, but they're a nice quick-and-dirty way to just add a noticeable amount of damage to (usually) a single swing, so why not? Warblade seems good—Iron Heart, Stone Dragon, and Diamond Mind will all definitely contribute here. Hell, if you're willing to take a round charging up, Stormguard Warrior can be hilarious.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Overwhelming Strike (Overwhelming Assault? Overwhelming Attack? Whatever—that PHB2 ACF)
Decisive Strike, full-round action to make one attack for double damage. Overpowering Attack is a worse fighter option from the same book (it's basically Decisive Strike, but you get it at level 16, and you never get to make two attacks with it).

[Axel_690]

3rd party material, dungeon magazine, dragon magazine, and pathfinder are allowed.

AEG's Swashbuckling Adventures has a feat called Bruiser that doubles your strength modifier for melee damage.

[SoraWolf7]

You need Mosquito's Bite, which is a fantastic skill trick that lets you attack a flat-footed opponent with a light weapon and they won't notice they've been hit until the next round, which is exactly what Kenshiro does in his famous "You're already dead" thing. It doesn't stop the effects from happening like poison or ability damage or falling unconscious when you hit 0 HP. Its cost is only 12 ranks in Sleight of Hand.

This also requires making your opponent flat-footed for the first round, which is rather easy when you're fighting unarmed and you're just walking around casually.

[The Viscount]

If you're going for a single blow and not multiple, this can be accomplished a rather straightforward manner with a Small playable race with Improved Unarmed Strike (but not the monk class feature) using the old d2 Crusader (Aura of Chaos, Imbue Healing, and access to the Luck Domain). Simplest would be Cleric 1/Crusader 11, using your 12th level feat for martial stance to nab aura of chaos.

[Axel_690]

If you're going for a single blow and not multiple, this can be accomplished a rather straightforward manner with a Small playable race with Improved Unarmed Strike (but not the monk class feature) using the old d2 Crusader (Aura of Chaos, Imbue Healing, and access to the Luck Domain). Simplest would be Cleric 1/Crusader 11, using your 12th level feat for martial stance to nab aura of chaos.

I had considered this, but then decided it was too easy and took too long to come online.

[Axel_690]

What do you guys think of the Vital Strike feat chain for this build?

[Gruftzwerg]

Imho a build straight from lvl 1 is hard to accomplish without loosing to much on the longer run.

A clawlock ubercharger is one way to get high unarmed dmg, if you are fine with the fluff of the Eldritch Claws + Beast Strike Combo. (see my clawlock build).
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Other options could be unarmed swordsage builds which can have some nice manuevers.
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Or if you want to max cheese (but still slightly lesser than D2 crusader^^), go for and Idiot Crusader with Superior Unarmed Strike feat. Get the +20 initiative maneuver and White Raven Tactics and you got your build. But comes late online.
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Avalanche of Blades is another maneuver (7th) that comes late online and would fit the fluff. As long as you hit your (single) enemy, you get another attack at a stacking -4. Combine with high Str and other toHit bonuses (maybe a way to get True Strike) and your are rdy.

[Axel_690]

Imho a build straight from lvl 1 is hard to accomplish without loosing to much on the longer run.

A clawlock ubercharger is one way to get high unarmed dmg, if you are fine with the fluff of the Eldritch Claws + Beast Strike Combo. (see my clawlock build).
_____

Other options could be unarmed swordsage builds which can have some nice manuevers.
_____

Or if you want to max cheese (but still slightly lesser than D2 crusader^^), go for and Idiot Crusader with Superior Unarmed Strike feat. Get the +20 initiative maneuver and White Raven Tactics and you got your build. But comes late online.
_____

Avalanche of Blades is another maneuver (7th) that comes late online and would fit the fluff. As long as you hit your (single) enemy, you get another attack at a stacking -4. Combine with high Str and other toHit bonuses (maybe a way to get True Strike) and your are rdy.

Never played a Claw-lock before, but I am familiar with the concept. I suppose you could fluff the EB damage as destructive ki.
One of my ideas was a Warblade with Avalanche of blades+Robilar's Gambit+Stormguard Warrior.

[Prime32]

I seem to recall him also making people explode with a single punch, but I could be mistaken.Only people much lower level than him, which isn't difficult. He also regularly does stuff like spinkicks that take out multiple mooks at once.

[Axel_690]

Only people much lower level than him, which isn't difficult. He also regularly does stuff like spinkicks that take out multiple mooks at once.

Yeah, I remember him killing 3 people at once with a kick in the first episode.

[Psyren]

What do you guys think of the Vital Strike feat chain for this build?

You'd want Mythic Vital Strike. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/mythic/mythic-feats/vital-strike-mythic/) Kenshiro would be a Mythic Monk anyway (and Saitama for that matter.)

[Axel_690]

You'd want Mythic Vital Strike. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/mythic/mythic-feats/vital-strike-mythic/) Kenshiro would be a Mythic Monk anyway (and Saitama for that matter.)

I have that book. I'll have to dig it up and give it a look through.

[Rynjin]

If you're bringing in PF stuff, yeah, Mythic Vital Strike is the way to go.

My Monk (Tetori)/Fighter(Brawler)/Ulfen Guard multiclass was hitting (at level 20/mythic 10) 24d8+300+2d6 (Holy) punches with a +46 to-hit.

Then Amazing Initiative for one more. He was also optimized for grappling and not damage (I literally built him for the sole purpose of suplexing Cthulhu...and he did), so you can almost assuredly go higher, particularly with PF options that have come out since 2015.

This is assuming the MORE restrictive interpretation of Mythic Vital Strike, if anyone's wondering. RAW instead of multiplying his flat damage by 3 (the number of single iterations of damage dice Vital Strike lets you multiply) it would actually multiply his damage by the number of actual DICE. So 24d8+2400+2d6.

Sheet, though it's a bit of a mess. (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html?id=435394)

I probably made quite a few math mistakes (I was much newer to PF and had never played a game to such high level before at that point) but the general gist of it is there. If anything my mistakes probably COST me attack/damage rather than granted some that wasn't supposed to be there.

[Psyren]

Kenshiro was essentially a Mythic Monk surrounded by non-Mythic enemies.

The other feat chain you want to look at is Pummeling Style. (Note that that one actually went from being Saitama to Kenshiro style punching.)

[Axel_690]

Kenshiro was essentially a Mythic Monk surrounded by non-Mythic enemies.

The other feat chain you want to look at is Pummeling Style. (Note that that one actually went from being Saitama to Kenshiro style punching.)

Pummeling Style is amazing. What do you guys think about feats like Freezing the Life-Blood and other Stunning Fist modifiers?

[BWR]

What do you guys think about feats like Freezing the Life-Blood?

It was a decent conversion of the RnK kiho, unlike many of the other conversions WOTC and AEG did for L5R material. With the feat you can use it more often than the RnK kiho and is less costly and opponents can't retry shaking it off, but it is probably easier to resist.

[Axel_690]

It was a decent conversion of the RnK kiho, unlike many of the other conversions WOTC and AEG did for L5R material. With the feat you can use it more often than the RnK kiho and is less costly and opponents can't retry shaking it off, but it is probably easier to resist.

I am not familiar with these acronyms.

[Psyren]

I think it's a Legend of the Five Rings term? (That's what L5R means anyway - not sure about the RnK.)

[Axel_690]

I think it's a Legend of the Five Rings term? (That's what L5R means anyway - not sure about the RnK.)

Yeah, I was pretty sure L5R was 5 Rings, but RnK Kiho is totally foreign to me.

EDIT: I used my google-fu. RnK seems to mean "Roll'n'Keep", while Kiho is some sort of spell or maneuver system.