[POW] Is ihis too munchkiny?

[JMAP94]

I gotta say, I love Path of War.

My friend is running a one-shot next week, and our tradition is that anything on d20psfrd website is fair game. Sometimes, for fun, when I'm bored, I try to theorycraft really powerful builds, and I found a way to make a really powerful character, and I wanted peoples opinion on if its too OP that it will ruin the game for everyone else (including me), or if its just a "good build."

So, I found a way to make a Martial character who can attack once a turn as if the enemy is flat footed, and thus constantly applies their Sneak Attack damage on the first attack each turn by cycling between two manuevers, "Dimensional Strike" from the Veiled Moon (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/veiled-moon-maneuvers/)Discipline and "Swift Current" from the Mithral Current (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/mithral-current-maneuvers) Discipline.

The Bushi template gives me the ability to sheathe a weapon and recover a manuever as a swift action. Sheathing a weapon also sets up my next attack for a lot of Mithral Current (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/mithral-current-maneuvers) moves. The Hooded Killer Stance would give me +3d6 Sneak attack on top of the class' 2d6 sneak attack.

On my first turn in combat, id use "Swift Current." This would do 1d12 damage (two handed) plus my sneak attack damage as the target is flat footed. On turn 2, I'd use "Dimensional Strike." This would do 1d12 damage plus sneak attack. Then, Id use my swift action to recover "Swift Current." On turn 3, I'd use "Swift Current" and recover "Dimensional Strike."I'd do some counters and stuff outside my turn, but this would be my "standard melee attacks."

Character Build

Level 5
Ability Scores: Dex>Int>Con>Wis>Cha
Race: Tiefling OR Human
Class: Bushi Template (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/classes/martial-class-templates/bushi-template/) Stalker (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/classes/stalker/) with Vigilante (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/classes/stalker/stalker-archetypes/vigilante/) archetype (Intelligence is initiation mod)
2 Traits: Clever Wordplay (Perform(dance)), and Unorthodox Method (swap out Tempest Gale for Veiled Moon)
Bonus Feats from Class: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (katana and wakisashi) and Quick Draw (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/quick-draw-combat/)
Feat Level 1: Daisho Expertise (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/feats/daisho-expertise-combat/)
Feat Level 3: Deadly Agility (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/feats/deadly-agility-combat/)
Feat Level 5: Pirannah Strike? Advanced Study?

Stalker Art for Level 2: Rogue Talent (Bleeding Attack) OR Bushido (Honor)

Manuevers Known List:
1: Swift Current (MC), Flowing Creek (MC), Dizzying Venom Prana (SS), Crushing Blow (PF), Dimensional Strike (VM),
2: Fading Strike (VM) OR Ride the Wave (MC)
3: Ghost Walk (VM)
4: Flicker Strike (VM), Tearing Fang (SS)
5: Flowing Stream (MC)

Stances:
1: Ready the Draw (MC)
5: Hooded Killer Stance (SS)

[upho]

First off, only your GM and group can answer the question about whether this build risks being OP for the game in question.

That said, considering the much more powerful combos possible with the ton of material available on pfsrd, I don't believe there's a particularly high risk for this ending up OP in a game allowing all said material. Perhaps most notably, the build focuses almost exclusively on dealing melee damage, which as you probably know is quite easily circumvented by many abilities opponents may have even at this relatively early level. Not to mention for example a level 5 natural attack barb or bloodrager using only Paizo material can have much higher DRP numbers. I'd be more wary if the build also has plenty of supporting abilities increasing versatility in combat, like say reliable mobility and targeting enhancers bypassing many of the opponents defenses (flight, see invisibility etc).

I recommend you explain the build for your GM and ask them if they think it would be fine.

[Elricaltovilla]

Well, let's do some math.

You are level 5, making a single attack against a flat footed enemy. Your attack would deal, according to you, 1d12 + (1.5xSTR) + 5d6 Sneak Attack + 1d6 Maneuver (if using Swift Current). So let's assume you minmaxed as much as reasonable and started play with 18 DEX.


Your attack bonus at this level is +9, probably. When you hit, you would deal 1d12 + 6 + 6d6 + 1 (assuming +1 katana). If you hit, you would deal 14 to 55 damage with your one attack, averaging 33 damage. According to the monster creation tables (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/monster-creation/), a CR 5 monster has 18 AC and 55 Hit points. You're hitting a flat-footed opponent, so you probably hit more often than not, and can only one shot a CR appropriate enemy if you roll maximum damage. So it will probably take you two turns to kill a CR 5 opponent.

A CR 5 monster is supposed to be fought about 4 times per "day" by a party of level 5 adventurers. Likely you'll see some larger groups of lower CR enemies, and probably face some enemies with higher CRs (and better defenses) as well. Whether or not the ability to two-round a hypothetical CR appropriate monster is overpowered for your group or not is difficult to say, every table plays differently.

Now, there are a few problems with your build that I noticed. Firstly, you don't mention what weapon you're using, but I assume it's a katana, since you took Daisho Expertise. A katana deals 1d8 damage as a base for a medium creature. With Daisho Expertise, it deals 1d10 damage, not 1d12. It's a die increase, not a size increase, and even if it was a size increase, it would deal 2d6 damage, not 1d12. Following the progression chart in this FAQ from Paizo (https://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fm#v5748eaic9t5u) (the FAQ is "Size Changes, Effective Size Changes, and Damage Dice Progression", I can't get it to properly link directly). Second, the Bushi doesn't let you sheathe your weapon as a swift action at all. At 6th level, you gain the Mixed Combat feat, which allows you to sheathe your weapon as a free action, but you are not at that level yet. Until you get Mixed Combat, you must still sheathe your weapon as a move action, or use one of the stances from Mithral Current that let you sheathe once per round as a free action (which would cost you your Hooded Cobra Stance). There might be a few other issues with your plan, but I can't pick them out with just the amount of information you've shared

So is this a munchkin build? Maybe, you built it to do one thing very well, and it's consistently able to pull off that trick. Some people consider that munchkinry. However, your build has some holes in it, and isn't quite able to 1 round bosses so at least at my table it would be acceptable.

[JMAP94]

My mistake on the katana. For some reason I thought it upped one die if you were using it two handed. Maybe I'm thinking about 5e.

Nvm I read quick draw wrong. Thays what I wasnt getting.