[3.5] Striking Pressure Points/Acupuncture

[Callos_DeTerran]

I'm sure that most people have heard the trope/cliche of the acupuncturist that can do amazing things by striking your pressure points (with needles or otherwise) and, to a degree, this can be simulated in D&D as well. Stunning fist can represent a strike to a concussion spot fairly well. Sneak attack is described as attacking vital points. Reflavored, they could do exactly what I'm looking for, but then that leaves out some of the style and panache I'm aiming for in my IRL game (where role-playing is somewhat minimal, so saying I reflavor Sneak Attack or Stunning Fist is all well and good, but I'd describe how I'm doing it once and then they'd just call it Stunning Fist or Sneak Attack).

Then I found a feat in Dragon magazine that was much much closer. By expending uses of Stunning Fist, a character could afflict, or even remove, certain conditions from enemies and friends. (One could neutralize poison on an ally, but release deadly bodily toxins when used on an enemy as an example of a lower power one). But it only had so many uses. Most where only 'so-so'.

So what I'm wondering is, has anybody seen feats/classes/homebrew to simulate attacking pressure points and/or using acupuncture in the fantastic way shown in kung-fu material? Like I said, even homebrew is fine, I really want to use this concept in my next IRL D&D game.

[RagnaroksChosen]

sounds liek your trying to do something flavorfull and your friends just don't care.


Asthetic rogue is a feat you want to look at. 2 monk/8 rogue allows a 10th level unarmed dmg and gives you sneak attack as an 8th level rogue. which is nice...

Plus i meen realy any PRC that gives a death attack or unarmeddmg/sneak attack is gonna be good for this build... other then reflavoring stuff i don't think there is any

[Sstoopidtallkid]

The key is not telling the group what you're doing, exactly. As a Monk(or a Monk/Rogue multiclass, I'm sure there's a Sunning SA feat somewhere, or go with the variant that gives Skirmish instead of FoB), just tell the group you're a skillmonkey with a couple good combat maneuvers, able to paralyze and deal a bit of precision damage. Then describe your attacks as punching the enemy in the kidneys. If the group(other than the DM) doesn't know it's SA, how will they call it that?

[Callos_DeTerran]

The key is not telling the group what you're doing, exactly. As a Monk(or a Monk/Rogue multiclass, I'm sure there's a Sunning SA feat somewhere, or go with the variant that gives Skirmish instead of FoB), just tell the group you're a skillmonkey with a couple good combat maneuvers, able to paralyze and deal a bit of precision damage. Then describe your attacks as punching the enemy in the kidneys. If the group(other than the DM) doesn't know it's SA, how will they call it that?

Because after the first time I punch someone in the kidneys for 40+ damage they'll want to know the name of the ability I just used.

More importantly, damage is just damage, no matter how you do it. I'm looking for homebrew/feats/PrCs to do other things aside from pure damage because that doesn't reflect the concept well.

[Heliomance]

If you have access to the AEG book Feats, there might be some useful stuff in there. There's also some retardedly broken stuff, such as Assassin's Strike: Any enemy damaged by your sneak attack dies. Available at 15th level, or 12th if you can find a way to get sneak attack dice without dropping any BAB.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Because after the first time I punch someone in the kidneys for 40+ damage they'll want to know the name of the ability I just used.

More importantly, damage is just damage, no matter how you do it. I'm looking for homebrew/feats/PrCs to do other things aside from pure damage because that doesn't reflect the concept well.

That's why I mentioned Monk. There are a lot of options for Stunning Fist. Swordsage, from ToB, works well, too, if you pick the save-maneuvers from Shadow Hand and reflavor the trips and throws from Setting Sun as hitting a pressure point to knock them off their feet.

And when they ask, just grin evily and say 'I have my ways'. Great for preventing party conflict, too.

[Animefunkmaster]

Might I also recommend some ambush feats to help bring the flavor of the acupuncturist and that are mechanically useful.

Weaken the Heart (Dragon Mag): DC is 10 + 1/2 class level + int, lasts 10 minutes, any time they do a str/dex/con based skill check they become fatigued... if already fatigued, they become exhausted. Really nasty but for the low low price of two sneak attack dice. Add in a quick bullrush and you can fatigue/exhaust someone yourself.

Staggering strike (CA): Anytime you hit someone with a melee sneak attack they must make a fort DC damage or become staggered. Limits enemies actions on there round.

[RagnaroksChosen]

Might I also recommend some ambush feats to help bring the flavor of the acupuncturist and that are mechanically useful.

Weaken the Heart (Dragon Mag): DC is 10 + 1/2 class level + int, lasts 10 minutes, any time they do a str/dex/con based skill check they become fatigued... if already fatigued, they become exhausted. Really nasty but for the low low price of two sneak attack dice. Add in a quick bullrush and you can fatigue/exhaust someone yourself.

Staggering strike (CA): Anytime you hit someone with a melee sneak attack they must make a fort DC damage or become staggered. Limits enemies actions on there round.

OMG thats a great idea
monk 2/rogue x
taken as rogue 1 monk2
take a few of the ambush feats out of Complete Scoundrel

Deafening strike
impeding attack


staggering strike out of complete arcane makes it so an opponit can take only single actions


you could aslo refluf arterial strike(cwar) to be some sort of pain over time
you'll also want freazeing the life blood... paralysis instead of stunn on a stunnign fist or pain touch, sickens instead of stuns, weakening touch lowers opponites str by 6 ( both cwar)


Theres alot of things you can do.

[Human Paragon 3]

There's also freezing the lifeblood feat which expends stunning fist to paralize opponents and another feat in the same book that lets you spend stunning fist to give a -6 penalty to STR.