replicating iajatsu focus with limited sources

[jdizzlean]

So i'm working on a backup character for a game, and my thought process is to do CWar's Samurai, paired with the generic Warrior from UA, into Kensai using the whisper gnome. it's 36 pt buy, level 11, with standard WBL. Background is along the lines of being a bodyguard for a lost monarch, so samurai and kensai make for good roleplaying along those lines. the campaign is pretty deadly, so i'll need to worry about tactical teleportation via items, and having decent enough AC to not get insta-gibbed.

so, along those lines i want to try and replicate iajatsu focus for this guy, but i don't have access to the books that contain it as a skill. I suppose I could ask for an exception, but i already have 1 exception i'm planning on asking for. I'm away from my notes, but that is either a feat or an item, i can't recall offhand. I think it's actually to apply the Kensai's signature weapon to both swords from Samurai.

here's the source list:

Player's Handbook
Player's Handbook II
Tome of Battle
Complete Adventurer
Complete Divine
Complete Arcane
Complete Mage
Complete Champion
Races of Stone
Magic Item Compendium
Complete Scoundrel
Complete Warrior
Unearthed Arcana


I'm not sure whether to run down the TWF chain since Samurai gets that at 2nd level, or to go for a high DEX/crit fisher build and rely on items to do the other things. Any thoughts are welcome, I'm kind of stuck for the moment on what to do.

[Saintheart]

Mechanically Iaijutsu Focus comes down to bonus dice to your damage on the first weapon draw in combat. Iaijutsu Master basically allows you to add your CHA bonus to each of those damage dice, so that's an absolute maximum of 9d6 plus maybe 9 *4 or so = 9d6+36 on the first strike, added to your weapon damage and STR damage and so on.

In mechanical terms that sort of range of damage is reached by pushing Power Attack and/or precision damage instead. Quick Draw, Leap Attack, Pounce, et cetera et cetera.

Fortunately, in both fluff and mechanical terms you've been given access to the one book that allows you to look a hell of a lot like an Iaijutsu artist without ever being called one: Tome of Battle. At Initiator Level 11, that's 6th level strikes and stances available. At that level, Elder Mountain Hammer, out of Stone Dragon, does bonus damage of +6d6 and ignores DR and hardness. Rabid Bear Strike, same level, does +10d6, +4 to attack, at a -4 to AC. Combine that with Power Attack or similar and you're doing Iaijutsu Focus-level damage at least once per fight while being able to scream in full-on anime mode "ELDER MOUNTAIN BEAR WITH RABIES STRIKE!".

If you're looking to replicate Iaijutsu Focus cheese, i.e. generating flatfooted conditions and then smashing the enemy with precision damage, look at sneak attack optimisation builds. :)

[jdizzlean]

i'm using ToB in my current character, w/ warblade. i was gonna try for something different, however it's probably inevitable to use it again...

[Thurbane]

ToB has the Rapid Assault feat, that gives +1d6 damage in first round of combat. Not much, but it's something vaguely approximating what Iaijutsu Focus does.

The Eager weapon enhancement (MIC) gets +2 damage on the surprise round and first round of combat.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

If the problem is easy reference to the rules, D&D Tools has a page detailing iaijutsu focus. (Can't link to it here because of site rules, but it's easy to find with Google).

[Saintheart]

i'm using ToB in my current character, w/ warblade. i was gonna try for something different, however it's probably inevitable to use it again...

As said, really that comes down to optimising sneak attack damage in the first round when the enemy is flatfooted. There's a few threads that might help out in that respect:

The Rogue handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?156350-3-5-The-Rogue-Handbook-A-Fistful-of-d6&highlight=fistful+of+d6)
Sources of Sneak Attack thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?539828-Sources-of-Sneak-Attack&highlight=sneak+attack+optimisation)
MinMax forums on optimising precision damage (http://bg-archive.minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=1240)

As far as TWFing with a katana is concerned, (i.e. Samurai) ... doable, but not optimal. CW Samurai does get EWP (bastard sword) as a bonus feat, but the issue is rather more that you're straddling two styles: STR and DEX based fighting. The katana is a one-handed weapon (when you have EWP), but it's not a light weapon, so your STR bonus applies to it even if you have Weapon Finesse. But if you're TWFing, that second weapon in your off hand has to be light as well. This is why most TWFing builds tend to have some combination of a rapier and a dagger/kukri, because Weapon Finesse then applies to both and you can lessen your dependence on STR. (Shadow Blade, out of TOB, is great for this because it specifically adds DEX to damage when using Shadow Hand weapons and while in a Shadow Hand stance, of which dagger and short sword are two ... but again, not the katana.)

Feycraft weapons don't help with this because they're in the DMG 2, which is denied to you, but also because it's only Feycraft weapons that are already light which allow you to get DEX to attack rolls with this.

[Aniikinis]

Well, if you decide to use your exception on the skill itself instead you already have one of the best weapons for it in your available books: the Gnome Quickrazor. Additionally, you could go rogue and optimize your TWF+Sneak Attack damage wielding 2 quickrazors as they're drawn as a free action with each attack.