Iaido Class?

[Barebarian]

So, Iaido focuses on awareness. All the sword skills are just the frosting on the cake. It's about being able to respond to a sudden attack. With that in mind, I think you might want to focus on making it a reaction-based subclass. Something catered towards the reluctant warrior archetype. Maybe rework the Battlemaster or even the Bard to fit. Whatever you do, I think it's a really cool idea. Please post it once you work it up!


(Edit: maybe find a way to work perception into it and have wisdom stack onto the to-hit modifier)

I didn't think of it like that! I think I'll make the first archetype feature expertise on Perception rolls, or maybe on initiative rolls?

Thanks! I'll make sure to post it!

Because Stealth is used to hide yourself, while Sleight of Hand is used to hide your actions and the objects that you are carrying, I think Sleight of Hand is more appropriate skill for an Iado practitioner. Besides, encouraging the Iado practitioner to gain proficiency in Stealth leads to oddly dishonorable samurai leaping out from behind bushes instead of dueling their enemies face to face.

Otherwise yeah, that's a start!

Maybe I'll add the ability to roll stealth with Sleight of Hand? That's a good idea, thanks! Yeah I agree on stealth being inappropriate for an honorable samurai

/Snip!/

Maybe those mechanics might work in some form if they work every time you draw your sword? It's a bonus action to sheathe or draw right?

You could make it go the other way too, rather than being the first shot, Iaido grants the fighter a reaction attack the first time they are attacked in combat. If they hit its an auto-crit.

That's a good idea, and maybe as the fighter levels up the number of times they can do that increases? That really reminds me of Ghost of Tsushima!

Yeah, this is what I was thinking. Iaido is less about being a really powerful warrior and more about being a really alert warrior. I think maybe adding wisdom or perception to the "to-hit" modifier and auto-crit would be a perfect way to represent it.

I have a feeling this archetype will make the enemy of sneak attackers