Saintheart
2022-08-17, 02:27 AM
http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/37300000/Ariana-ariana-grande-37320653-245-144.gif
I would've put a gif of Kitana here, but somehow this is more disturbing.
The Short Story:
I’m taking suggestions and thoughts for this ECL 11 build which is constructed around using two weapons: the War Fan (Oriental Adventures) and the Collapsing Crescent Fan (Sandstorm). The build stacks Iaijutsu Focus, Sneak Attack, and Knowledge Devotion and is built to level 11, immediately before an (intended) five levels in Iaijutsu Master.
Changeling, 2 flaws, ECL 11.
Rogue 1/Human Paragon 1/Rogue +2/Cloistered Cleric 1/Sorcerer 1/Human Paragon +1/Marshal 1/Exoticist 2/Barbarian 1
The Weapons:
Collapsing Crescent Fan (SStorm): 1d4(S), 1d6(M), 19-20/x2, Slashing, Light Exotic Weapon. When attack flatfooted opponent with it, +4 (untyped) to “the” attack roll.
War Fan (OA): 1d6(S), x3, Slashing, Exotic Weapon. When the War Fan is "first brought into melee", its wielder may attempt a Bluff vs. Sense Motive check. If win, +4 (untyped) to attack roll for his first round’s attack(s).” As a Small weapon, would be deemed Light weapon on Medium wielder.
Key RAW Observations:
War Fan indicates “When the fan is first brought into melee,” a Bluff check can be made. If it succeeds, a +4 (untyped) bonus applies to attack roll for first round’s ”attack(s)”. Therefore: successive War Fans pulled using Quick Draw in the same round (or subsequent rounds) allow additional untyped +4 bonuses to the round’s attacks.
“Subsequent rounds?” Yes. The bonus is conditioned on, and triggers on, a particular fan being “first brought into melee”. Nowhere is there a condition that the fan has to be brought into melee in the first round of combat. The weapon entry indicates “If the wielder wins the contest…” This is significant since, necessarily, one is not wielding a weapon until it is drawn. The remainder of that line says “…he adds a +4 bonus to the attack roll for his first round’s attack(s).” In context, that can only be parsed as attacks in the first round where (a) an attack is made and (b) the character wielded the War Fan at some stage. The weapon entry does not require that the attack(s) must be made with the War Fan, or that the attacks must happen in the first round of combat. Therefore: draw a new War Fan in another round, win a Bluff contest, get another +4, whether it’s the first round of combat or not.
This is entirely consistent with the fact the weapon by RAW "appears to the untrained eye to be nothing more than a beautifully crafted lady’s fan", and the point of the Bluff vs Sense Motive contest is in effect to fool or make the target uncertain about whether the fan is a weapon or not, as well as distracting the opponent from any other attacks the character will be making. Hence why our attacks get a +4. Or more, because with each fan drawn, the target becomes more and more confused and uncertain about which fan is a normal fan and which one is a deadly weapon.
Multiple War Fan draws add to attack bonuses at multiples of 4. These bonuses apply to all attacks in the first round at least, not only those with the War Fan. It is practically impossible to argue other than that ‘brought into melee’ means when it is first drawn.
(The TO implications should be obvious. Since all that’s required for a +4 is a Bluff vs Sense Motive check and not an actual attack, and the check being made on the fan draw, free action drawing War Fans under Quick Draw, and then dropping the fan as a free action, followed by pulling another fan garners multiple +4s to one’s attack rolls, no matter how many attacks you’ve actually got in the round. With 5 fans pulled and dropped in the same round as free actions, you give yourself a +20 to any attack rolls you care to make in that same round. Nowhere on RAW is this a feint or considered a feint, the Bluff vs Sense Motive check consumes no time. It's a lot more plausible than the old bag o' katanas trick. Indeed if you can find yourself a -2 cursed War Fan, the same trick can apply since the War Fan keeps reappearing in its sheath every time you drop it and then draw it.)
The key being that you must win the Bluff check. Which isn’t hard at these levels, as we’ll see, since this is not bound by feint’s rules or action economy consumption.
A Simple Attack Sequence:
(Assume 2 attacks per round)
Start unarmed. Approach to charge range in previous round (required for Slippers of Battledancing to activate).
Cast Insightful Feint (SpC, Sor/Wiz 1) as Swift Action. This grants a +10 insight bonus to a Bluff check used for a Feint, and makes the Feint a free action if we have the Improved Feint feat.
Assuming we win the Bluff check, the feint succeeds and the target has no DEX bonus to AC to next attack (vulnerable to sneak attack) as it is a successful feint.
Barbarian Pounce to close with the target, i.e. full attack. Quick Draw War Fan. Make the required Bluff vs. Sense Motive check. Assume you win the Bluff check. +4 to attack roll. Assuming a hit with this attack, Sneak Attack damage applies as target has no DEX bonus to AC. Assume a minimum of 1 damage is inflicted. Drop War Fan (free action).
Surprising Riposte then applies as damage has occurred following a successful feint. Per the feat, the target is flatfooted for the whole round (or until it next acts).
Quick Draw Collapsing Crescent Fan. This attack takes +4 from the War Fan’s ability, and a further +4 from target being flatfooted. Iaijutsu Focus damage applies as target is flatfooted and this is an attack following an immediate weapon draw. Sneak Attack damage also applies as target is flatfooted.
Repeat in subsequent rounds from casting Insightful Feint.
HD Progression:
HD 1: BAB +0 Rogue 1 (Flaw Feat: Education: all Knowledge skills class skills) (Flaw Feat: Racial Emulation) (HD 1 feat: Quick Draw) Changeling Rogue ACF.
HD 2: BAB +0 Human Paragon 1 – 10 skills are class skills, Iaijutsu Focus becomes class skill for all classes.
HD 3: BAB +1 Rogue 2 (HD 3 feat: Combat Expertise)
HD 4: BAB +3 Rogue 3 – Changeling Rogue ACF
HD 5: BAB +3 Cloistered Cleric 1 (Time, Travel, Knowledge) (Time Domain: Improved Initiative) (Travel domain: traded for Travel Devotion) Knowledge domain: traded for Knowledge Devotion
HD 6: BAB +3 Sorcerer 1 (Viper Familiar) (HD 6 feat: Improved Feint)
HD 7: BAB +4 Human Paragon 2 – (Bonus feat: Surprising Riposte), 2nd level Sorcerer casting
HD 8: BAB +4 Marshal 1 – Skill Focus: Diplomacy, Minor Aura
HD 9: BAB +5 Exoticist 1 – proficiency in 4 exotic weapons (War Fan, Collapsing Crescent Fan, Katana, Kusari-Gama.) (Fighter Bonus Feat: Weapon Focus (Katana)) (HD 9 feat: Craven)
HD 10: BAB +6/+1 Exoticist 2 (Fighter Bonus Feat: Exoticist Dazzling Display ability).
HD 11: BAB +7/+2 Barbarian 1 – Spirit Lion Totem ACF (Pounce)
Required Equipment:
War Fans, Collapsing Crescent Fans
Slippers of Battledancing (DMG 2) – If move 10 feet, replace STR or DEX on melee and damage attacks with CHA bonus.
Gauntlets of Heartfelt Blows (Dragon 314) – Add CHA modifier in [fire] damage to melee attacks.
Masterwork Tool (Bluff)
Masterwork Tool (Iaijutsu Focus)
Masterwork Tool (Diplomacy)
Circlet of Persuasion
+6 CHA stat booster
Weapon with Focus[i/] weapon quality (OA)
Benchmarks:
- Average AC of Monster Manual CR 11 Monster: 23.71 (max 29). Flatfooted Average: 21.38 (max 27).
- Average Hitpoints of Monster Manual CR 11 Monster: 163.83 (max 228)
- Max Sense Motive class skill rank at HD 11 is 14. WIS is operative stat, assume monster WIS stat is 19 = +4. Therefore assume +18 Sense Motive modifier maximum. Therefore maximum possible Sense Motive score = 38.
- [i]On Feints in Combat: +18 Sense Motive + WIS +10 BAB = +28. Therefore maximum 48 score to beat at level 11 if feinting in combat. -8 to Bluff if INT 1 or 2 creature, therefore max score to beat at level 11 if feinting is 56.
Bluff check:
At level 11:
+14 ranks in Bluff (11 via class ranks, 3 via cross-class)
+3 competence Circlet of Persuasion
+2 circumstance Masterwork Tools
+2 racial (Changeling)
+3 Viper Familiar (Sorcerer 1)
+5 CHA mod (18 to start with +2 at HD increases)
+3 enhancement stat boosting item
+8 CHA (Marshal 1)
Take 10 from Changeling Rogue ACF.
----
50 no-roll result on Bluff checks.
(If Feint in Combat, +10 insight bonus from Insightful Feint and +4 from Exoticist Dazzling Display = 64 no-roll result. Changeling Rogue can take 10 on Bluff checks even when distracted or threatened.)
Iaijutsu Focus check:
+14 ranks
+5 CHA mod (18 to start with +2 at HD increases)
+3 enhancement stat boosting item
+8 aura CHA (Marshal 1)
+3 competence Circlet of Persuasion
+2 circumstance Masterwork Tools
+4 insight (Focus sheath).
---
+39. Average 10 d20 roll = 49, creates +8d6 to rolls. Variance (40-59) is between +7d6 to +9d6 to rolls.
Damage
Weapon Damage Dice = 1d6 = 3.5
Sneak Attack Level 11: +2d6.
Craven: +11 to sneak attack.
Knowledge Devotion: Minimum +1 insight bonus to attack and damage.
Slippers of Battledancing = +8 CHA to damage.
Gauntlets of Heartfelt Blows = +8 in [fire] damage.
Damage expected:
1st blow: 1d6 [War Fan] +8 [Slippers of Battledancing] +8 [Gauntlets] +2d6 [sneak attack] +11 [Craven] +1 [Knowledge Devotion] = 3d6+28. Average Value: 40.5
2nd blow: 1d6 [Collapsing Crescent Fan] +8 [Slippers of Battledancing] +8 [Gauntlets] +2d6 [sneak attack] +11 [Craven] +1 [Knowledge Devotion] + Expected 8d6 damage = 11d6+29. Average value: 66.5 damage.
Total damage = 107 expected in full pass. Critical hits not factored in or accounted for.
Attack rolls:
BAB at ECL 11: +7/+2
Slippers of Battledancing: CHA +8
Knowledge Devotion: +1
War Fan Attack Bonus: +4 untyped
Collapsing Crescent Fan Attack: +8 (+4 from War Fan, +4 untyped from Collapsing Crescent Fan)
Attack rolls: +20/+19
- Attack rolls are uniformly against creatures with no DEX bonus to AC since the feint is practically irresistible and flatfooted conditions apply under Surprising Riposte.
- Attack rolls do not take into account Masterwork or Enhancement Bonuses to weapons.
[b]Build Notes:
[i]Slippers of Battledancing RAW: Something that most people overlook with these items is that there is a glaring RAW hole in how the Slippers work. Namely, for them to provide their bonuses to CHA, you have to have moved at least 10 feet during a move action. Not 10 feet during the round, 10 feet during a move action. The only saving hole in it is that it doesn’t specify when the move action has to be taken.
If the interpretation is that it has to be in the same round, then the slippers are a complete ****ing trap similar to Order of the Bow Initiate’s trappery for archer builds making d8 only available on a standard action. No one in their right mind should be recommending these slippers to a CHA-based character who wants to get up and do actual damage in the front line, because absent regular and painful use of a Belt of Battle or other shenanigans to get additional move actions specifically, you will never get to apply your biting-social-commentary-fuelled attacks more than once per round (absent, maybe, Attack of Opportunity builds).
Anyway, I am assuming it’s any move action during the encounter being enough to turn the Slippers on.
Barbarian: Needed for Pounce, no other reason. You need a way of moving and making multiple attacks in the same round, for survivability if nothing else. This is a similar reason why Travel Devotion is in here. The alignment won’t be a problem for when we go, next level, into Iaijutsu Master, because we’ll change to lawful. That in turn will take out the Barbarian Rage, but a barbarian becoming lawful only removes rage – not Pounce.
Knowledge Devotion: To give a better insight of the fundamentals, I have assumed you only get the absolute minimum of +1 to attack and damage when using the feat. This is likely a lot less than the reality once built and should be borne in mind that they’re about +2 - +3 short of where they would be operating. Getting a +1 takes a roll of 15 or less, maximum +5 takes a roll of 36. That’s an investment of 5 skill points in the qualifying skill to get Knowledge Devotion and then 5 more skill points to pick up 1 rank in each of the Knowledges that cover all creatures in the game – Arcana, Dungeoneering, Local, Nature, Religion, and the Planes. (The Changeling Rogue 3 ACF Minor Lore then also gives us a +1 to all Knowledge checks). This isn’t outside possibility at all: Education gives us all Knowledge skills as class skills and we have skill-heavy classes most of the way: Changeling Rogue 1 (10+INT x4), Rogue 2 (8+INT), Changeling Rogue 3 (10+INT), Cloistered Cleric (6+INT), Human Paragon (4+INT), Marshal 1 (4+INT), Exoticist 2 (2+INT), Sorcerer 1(2+INT), Barbarian 1(4+INT). Cloistered Cleric gives us access to Wands of Lore of the Gods which raise our Knowledge checks by +10 if we picked the right god. The attack and damage numbers accordingly
Changeling into Human Paragon: Racial Emulation allows us to emulate any humanoid’s race/subtype in effect, and count as that for all game purposes except picking up traits. Humans are humanoids. We may not gain a human’s traits, but all a paragon class requires is membership of a race to take it. So we stay in human form the vast majority of the time with minor change shape.
Wands of Insightful Feint: Have a few of these. Or Pearls of Power to recover the Sorcerer’s slots. You’re going to be casting this spell a lot. Don't worry, with your plethora of skill points, massive CHA bonuses and Marshal aura, you can stick a few points in Use Magic Device if you want to cast something not on your list.
Divine Insight wands for Iaijutsu Focus: We have a level of Cloistered Cleric in here and so could activiate wands of Divine Insight, which would give us a +8 insight to Iaijutsu Focus checks, but given it takes an immediate action to activate the effect, it’s not likely to actually all fit together. Iaijutsu Focus caps out at +9d6 when our skill roll comes up with 50 or over anyway (absent Iaijutsu Master 5, of course.)
Skill Focus tricks: Because you’ve got loads of skill points to work with, and we need more than one method to set off flatfooting. Group Fake-Out, Timely Misdirection, Hidden Blade, and Sudden Draw are all applicable.
Other functions: Leaving aside you’ve basically got enough class skills to do virtually anything in the world including basketweaving, you’re the party snake oil salesman when you’re not chopping stuff, and can sell oil to the snakes. Most of the bonuses being used also apply to Diplomacy checks:
+14 ranks
+3 competence Circlet of Persuasion
+2 circumstance Masterwork Tools
+2 racial (Changeling)
+3 Skill Focus (Diplomacy) (Marshal 1)
+5 CHA mod (18 to start with +2 at HD increases)
+3 enhancement stat boosting item
+8 CHA (Marshal 1)
Take 10 from Changeling Rogue ACF.
---
50 result, no roll required. Hostile to Helpful in 1 minute, or Hostile to Friendly in a single full-round action.
No multiclassing XP penalty
Changeling Rogue is favored class, everything else is within 1 level of each other.
“Where’s Factotum?”
I needed Human Paragon’s feat slots. Besides, Factotum into IF is boring.
”Where's Aereni Focus?”
You really want to just be an elf, specifically one from a specific place in Eberron?
Comparator on an Iaijutsu Focus straight samurai.
I consider a standard, solid, simple IF Samurai build to be the one by AvatarVecna in this thread: Making Iaijutsu Focus work (giantitp.com) At level 11, that build puts out (in damage terms) 1d10+8d6+3 as expected damage, or 1d10+9d6+33 with some build changes on the way. That Samurai build of course doesn’t include any stat-boosters, but I’d say 14d6+57 damage per round from mine compares okay.
The other 9 levels:
I had in mind Iaijutsu Master 5/Assassin 3/Nightsong Enforcer 1, all stat increases going to CHA. Iaijutsu Master 5 adds the CHA modifier to each bonus damage dice rolled on Iaijutsu Focus damage, which means an extra 9 x CHA 10 = 90 damage on Iaijutsu Focus. Absent some other way to raise CHA even higher I think that’s the maximum that can be squeezed out of IF (you could pull a last +1d6 out of OA where there’s a specific ancestor feat that adds another +1d6, but I’m not sure if that interacts with Iaijutsu Master 5 to give you another iteration of CHA bonus.)
Anyone got suggestions for improvements, and in particular, other feats and equipment? (Bear in mind this is about basing a build around the specific weapons, ideally themed with Iaijutsu Focus in mind ... rather than just a comment like "Be a caster and just be better all round".
I would've put a gif of Kitana here, but somehow this is more disturbing.
The Short Story:
I’m taking suggestions and thoughts for this ECL 11 build which is constructed around using two weapons: the War Fan (Oriental Adventures) and the Collapsing Crescent Fan (Sandstorm). The build stacks Iaijutsu Focus, Sneak Attack, and Knowledge Devotion and is built to level 11, immediately before an (intended) five levels in Iaijutsu Master.
Changeling, 2 flaws, ECL 11.
Rogue 1/Human Paragon 1/Rogue +2/Cloistered Cleric 1/Sorcerer 1/Human Paragon +1/Marshal 1/Exoticist 2/Barbarian 1
The Weapons:
Collapsing Crescent Fan (SStorm): 1d4(S), 1d6(M), 19-20/x2, Slashing, Light Exotic Weapon. When attack flatfooted opponent with it, +4 (untyped) to “the” attack roll.
War Fan (OA): 1d6(S), x3, Slashing, Exotic Weapon. When the War Fan is "first brought into melee", its wielder may attempt a Bluff vs. Sense Motive check. If win, +4 (untyped) to attack roll for his first round’s attack(s).” As a Small weapon, would be deemed Light weapon on Medium wielder.
Key RAW Observations:
War Fan indicates “When the fan is first brought into melee,” a Bluff check can be made. If it succeeds, a +4 (untyped) bonus applies to attack roll for first round’s ”attack(s)”. Therefore: successive War Fans pulled using Quick Draw in the same round (or subsequent rounds) allow additional untyped +4 bonuses to the round’s attacks.
“Subsequent rounds?” Yes. The bonus is conditioned on, and triggers on, a particular fan being “first brought into melee”. Nowhere is there a condition that the fan has to be brought into melee in the first round of combat. The weapon entry indicates “If the wielder wins the contest…” This is significant since, necessarily, one is not wielding a weapon until it is drawn. The remainder of that line says “…he adds a +4 bonus to the attack roll for his first round’s attack(s).” In context, that can only be parsed as attacks in the first round where (a) an attack is made and (b) the character wielded the War Fan at some stage. The weapon entry does not require that the attack(s) must be made with the War Fan, or that the attacks must happen in the first round of combat. Therefore: draw a new War Fan in another round, win a Bluff contest, get another +4, whether it’s the first round of combat or not.
This is entirely consistent with the fact the weapon by RAW "appears to the untrained eye to be nothing more than a beautifully crafted lady’s fan", and the point of the Bluff vs Sense Motive contest is in effect to fool or make the target uncertain about whether the fan is a weapon or not, as well as distracting the opponent from any other attacks the character will be making. Hence why our attacks get a +4. Or more, because with each fan drawn, the target becomes more and more confused and uncertain about which fan is a normal fan and which one is a deadly weapon.
Multiple War Fan draws add to attack bonuses at multiples of 4. These bonuses apply to all attacks in the first round at least, not only those with the War Fan. It is practically impossible to argue other than that ‘brought into melee’ means when it is first drawn.
(The TO implications should be obvious. Since all that’s required for a +4 is a Bluff vs Sense Motive check and not an actual attack, and the check being made on the fan draw, free action drawing War Fans under Quick Draw, and then dropping the fan as a free action, followed by pulling another fan garners multiple +4s to one’s attack rolls, no matter how many attacks you’ve actually got in the round. With 5 fans pulled and dropped in the same round as free actions, you give yourself a +20 to any attack rolls you care to make in that same round. Nowhere on RAW is this a feint or considered a feint, the Bluff vs Sense Motive check consumes no time. It's a lot more plausible than the old bag o' katanas trick. Indeed if you can find yourself a -2 cursed War Fan, the same trick can apply since the War Fan keeps reappearing in its sheath every time you drop it and then draw it.)
The key being that you must win the Bluff check. Which isn’t hard at these levels, as we’ll see, since this is not bound by feint’s rules or action economy consumption.
A Simple Attack Sequence:
(Assume 2 attacks per round)
Start unarmed. Approach to charge range in previous round (required for Slippers of Battledancing to activate).
Cast Insightful Feint (SpC, Sor/Wiz 1) as Swift Action. This grants a +10 insight bonus to a Bluff check used for a Feint, and makes the Feint a free action if we have the Improved Feint feat.
Assuming we win the Bluff check, the feint succeeds and the target has no DEX bonus to AC to next attack (vulnerable to sneak attack) as it is a successful feint.
Barbarian Pounce to close with the target, i.e. full attack. Quick Draw War Fan. Make the required Bluff vs. Sense Motive check. Assume you win the Bluff check. +4 to attack roll. Assuming a hit with this attack, Sneak Attack damage applies as target has no DEX bonus to AC. Assume a minimum of 1 damage is inflicted. Drop War Fan (free action).
Surprising Riposte then applies as damage has occurred following a successful feint. Per the feat, the target is flatfooted for the whole round (or until it next acts).
Quick Draw Collapsing Crescent Fan. This attack takes +4 from the War Fan’s ability, and a further +4 from target being flatfooted. Iaijutsu Focus damage applies as target is flatfooted and this is an attack following an immediate weapon draw. Sneak Attack damage also applies as target is flatfooted.
Repeat in subsequent rounds from casting Insightful Feint.
HD Progression:
HD 1: BAB +0 Rogue 1 (Flaw Feat: Education: all Knowledge skills class skills) (Flaw Feat: Racial Emulation) (HD 1 feat: Quick Draw) Changeling Rogue ACF.
HD 2: BAB +0 Human Paragon 1 – 10 skills are class skills, Iaijutsu Focus becomes class skill for all classes.
HD 3: BAB +1 Rogue 2 (HD 3 feat: Combat Expertise)
HD 4: BAB +3 Rogue 3 – Changeling Rogue ACF
HD 5: BAB +3 Cloistered Cleric 1 (Time, Travel, Knowledge) (Time Domain: Improved Initiative) (Travel domain: traded for Travel Devotion) Knowledge domain: traded for Knowledge Devotion
HD 6: BAB +3 Sorcerer 1 (Viper Familiar) (HD 6 feat: Improved Feint)
HD 7: BAB +4 Human Paragon 2 – (Bonus feat: Surprising Riposte), 2nd level Sorcerer casting
HD 8: BAB +4 Marshal 1 – Skill Focus: Diplomacy, Minor Aura
HD 9: BAB +5 Exoticist 1 – proficiency in 4 exotic weapons (War Fan, Collapsing Crescent Fan, Katana, Kusari-Gama.) (Fighter Bonus Feat: Weapon Focus (Katana)) (HD 9 feat: Craven)
HD 10: BAB +6/+1 Exoticist 2 (Fighter Bonus Feat: Exoticist Dazzling Display ability).
HD 11: BAB +7/+2 Barbarian 1 – Spirit Lion Totem ACF (Pounce)
Required Equipment:
War Fans, Collapsing Crescent Fans
Slippers of Battledancing (DMG 2) – If move 10 feet, replace STR or DEX on melee and damage attacks with CHA bonus.
Gauntlets of Heartfelt Blows (Dragon 314) – Add CHA modifier in [fire] damage to melee attacks.
Masterwork Tool (Bluff)
Masterwork Tool (Iaijutsu Focus)
Masterwork Tool (Diplomacy)
Circlet of Persuasion
+6 CHA stat booster
Weapon with Focus[i/] weapon quality (OA)
Benchmarks:
- Average AC of Monster Manual CR 11 Monster: 23.71 (max 29). Flatfooted Average: 21.38 (max 27).
- Average Hitpoints of Monster Manual CR 11 Monster: 163.83 (max 228)
- Max Sense Motive class skill rank at HD 11 is 14. WIS is operative stat, assume monster WIS stat is 19 = +4. Therefore assume +18 Sense Motive modifier maximum. Therefore maximum possible Sense Motive score = 38.
- [i]On Feints in Combat: +18 Sense Motive + WIS +10 BAB = +28. Therefore maximum 48 score to beat at level 11 if feinting in combat. -8 to Bluff if INT 1 or 2 creature, therefore max score to beat at level 11 if feinting is 56.
Bluff check:
At level 11:
+14 ranks in Bluff (11 via class ranks, 3 via cross-class)
+3 competence Circlet of Persuasion
+2 circumstance Masterwork Tools
+2 racial (Changeling)
+3 Viper Familiar (Sorcerer 1)
+5 CHA mod (18 to start with +2 at HD increases)
+3 enhancement stat boosting item
+8 CHA (Marshal 1)
Take 10 from Changeling Rogue ACF.
----
50 no-roll result on Bluff checks.
(If Feint in Combat, +10 insight bonus from Insightful Feint and +4 from Exoticist Dazzling Display = 64 no-roll result. Changeling Rogue can take 10 on Bluff checks even when distracted or threatened.)
Iaijutsu Focus check:
+14 ranks
+5 CHA mod (18 to start with +2 at HD increases)
+3 enhancement stat boosting item
+8 aura CHA (Marshal 1)
+3 competence Circlet of Persuasion
+2 circumstance Masterwork Tools
+4 insight (Focus sheath).
---
+39. Average 10 d20 roll = 49, creates +8d6 to rolls. Variance (40-59) is between +7d6 to +9d6 to rolls.
Damage
Weapon Damage Dice = 1d6 = 3.5
Sneak Attack Level 11: +2d6.
Craven: +11 to sneak attack.
Knowledge Devotion: Minimum +1 insight bonus to attack and damage.
Slippers of Battledancing = +8 CHA to damage.
Gauntlets of Heartfelt Blows = +8 in [fire] damage.
Damage expected:
1st blow: 1d6 [War Fan] +8 [Slippers of Battledancing] +8 [Gauntlets] +2d6 [sneak attack] +11 [Craven] +1 [Knowledge Devotion] = 3d6+28. Average Value: 40.5
2nd blow: 1d6 [Collapsing Crescent Fan] +8 [Slippers of Battledancing] +8 [Gauntlets] +2d6 [sneak attack] +11 [Craven] +1 [Knowledge Devotion] + Expected 8d6 damage = 11d6+29. Average value: 66.5 damage.
Total damage = 107 expected in full pass. Critical hits not factored in or accounted for.
Attack rolls:
BAB at ECL 11: +7/+2
Slippers of Battledancing: CHA +8
Knowledge Devotion: +1
War Fan Attack Bonus: +4 untyped
Collapsing Crescent Fan Attack: +8 (+4 from War Fan, +4 untyped from Collapsing Crescent Fan)
Attack rolls: +20/+19
- Attack rolls are uniformly against creatures with no DEX bonus to AC since the feint is practically irresistible and flatfooted conditions apply under Surprising Riposte.
- Attack rolls do not take into account Masterwork or Enhancement Bonuses to weapons.
[b]Build Notes:
[i]Slippers of Battledancing RAW: Something that most people overlook with these items is that there is a glaring RAW hole in how the Slippers work. Namely, for them to provide their bonuses to CHA, you have to have moved at least 10 feet during a move action. Not 10 feet during the round, 10 feet during a move action. The only saving hole in it is that it doesn’t specify when the move action has to be taken.
If the interpretation is that it has to be in the same round, then the slippers are a complete ****ing trap similar to Order of the Bow Initiate’s trappery for archer builds making d8 only available on a standard action. No one in their right mind should be recommending these slippers to a CHA-based character who wants to get up and do actual damage in the front line, because absent regular and painful use of a Belt of Battle or other shenanigans to get additional move actions specifically, you will never get to apply your biting-social-commentary-fuelled attacks more than once per round (absent, maybe, Attack of Opportunity builds).
Anyway, I am assuming it’s any move action during the encounter being enough to turn the Slippers on.
Barbarian: Needed for Pounce, no other reason. You need a way of moving and making multiple attacks in the same round, for survivability if nothing else. This is a similar reason why Travel Devotion is in here. The alignment won’t be a problem for when we go, next level, into Iaijutsu Master, because we’ll change to lawful. That in turn will take out the Barbarian Rage, but a barbarian becoming lawful only removes rage – not Pounce.
Knowledge Devotion: To give a better insight of the fundamentals, I have assumed you only get the absolute minimum of +1 to attack and damage when using the feat. This is likely a lot less than the reality once built and should be borne in mind that they’re about +2 - +3 short of where they would be operating. Getting a +1 takes a roll of 15 or less, maximum +5 takes a roll of 36. That’s an investment of 5 skill points in the qualifying skill to get Knowledge Devotion and then 5 more skill points to pick up 1 rank in each of the Knowledges that cover all creatures in the game – Arcana, Dungeoneering, Local, Nature, Religion, and the Planes. (The Changeling Rogue 3 ACF Minor Lore then also gives us a +1 to all Knowledge checks). This isn’t outside possibility at all: Education gives us all Knowledge skills as class skills and we have skill-heavy classes most of the way: Changeling Rogue 1 (10+INT x4), Rogue 2 (8+INT), Changeling Rogue 3 (10+INT), Cloistered Cleric (6+INT), Human Paragon (4+INT), Marshal 1 (4+INT), Exoticist 2 (2+INT), Sorcerer 1(2+INT), Barbarian 1(4+INT). Cloistered Cleric gives us access to Wands of Lore of the Gods which raise our Knowledge checks by +10 if we picked the right god. The attack and damage numbers accordingly
Changeling into Human Paragon: Racial Emulation allows us to emulate any humanoid’s race/subtype in effect, and count as that for all game purposes except picking up traits. Humans are humanoids. We may not gain a human’s traits, but all a paragon class requires is membership of a race to take it. So we stay in human form the vast majority of the time with minor change shape.
Wands of Insightful Feint: Have a few of these. Or Pearls of Power to recover the Sorcerer’s slots. You’re going to be casting this spell a lot. Don't worry, with your plethora of skill points, massive CHA bonuses and Marshal aura, you can stick a few points in Use Magic Device if you want to cast something not on your list.
Divine Insight wands for Iaijutsu Focus: We have a level of Cloistered Cleric in here and so could activiate wands of Divine Insight, which would give us a +8 insight to Iaijutsu Focus checks, but given it takes an immediate action to activate the effect, it’s not likely to actually all fit together. Iaijutsu Focus caps out at +9d6 when our skill roll comes up with 50 or over anyway (absent Iaijutsu Master 5, of course.)
Skill Focus tricks: Because you’ve got loads of skill points to work with, and we need more than one method to set off flatfooting. Group Fake-Out, Timely Misdirection, Hidden Blade, and Sudden Draw are all applicable.
Other functions: Leaving aside you’ve basically got enough class skills to do virtually anything in the world including basketweaving, you’re the party snake oil salesman when you’re not chopping stuff, and can sell oil to the snakes. Most of the bonuses being used also apply to Diplomacy checks:
+14 ranks
+3 competence Circlet of Persuasion
+2 circumstance Masterwork Tools
+2 racial (Changeling)
+3 Skill Focus (Diplomacy) (Marshal 1)
+5 CHA mod (18 to start with +2 at HD increases)
+3 enhancement stat boosting item
+8 CHA (Marshal 1)
Take 10 from Changeling Rogue ACF.
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50 result, no roll required. Hostile to Helpful in 1 minute, or Hostile to Friendly in a single full-round action.
No multiclassing XP penalty
Changeling Rogue is favored class, everything else is within 1 level of each other.
“Where’s Factotum?”
I needed Human Paragon’s feat slots. Besides, Factotum into IF is boring.
”Where's Aereni Focus?”
You really want to just be an elf, specifically one from a specific place in Eberron?
Comparator on an Iaijutsu Focus straight samurai.
I consider a standard, solid, simple IF Samurai build to be the one by AvatarVecna in this thread: Making Iaijutsu Focus work (giantitp.com) At level 11, that build puts out (in damage terms) 1d10+8d6+3 as expected damage, or 1d10+9d6+33 with some build changes on the way. That Samurai build of course doesn’t include any stat-boosters, but I’d say 14d6+57 damage per round from mine compares okay.
The other 9 levels:
I had in mind Iaijutsu Master 5/Assassin 3/Nightsong Enforcer 1, all stat increases going to CHA. Iaijutsu Master 5 adds the CHA modifier to each bonus damage dice rolled on Iaijutsu Focus damage, which means an extra 9 x CHA 10 = 90 damage on Iaijutsu Focus. Absent some other way to raise CHA even higher I think that’s the maximum that can be squeezed out of IF (you could pull a last +1d6 out of OA where there’s a specific ancestor feat that adds another +1d6, but I’m not sure if that interacts with Iaijutsu Master 5 to give you another iteration of CHA bonus.)
Anyone got suggestions for improvements, and in particular, other feats and equipment? (Bear in mind this is about basing a build around the specific weapons, ideally themed with Iaijutsu Focus in mind ... rather than just a comment like "Be a caster and just be better all round".