Iaijutsu Focus (Flat-Footedness)

[Foryn Gilnith]

How can you get an enemy to be flat-footed for the purposes of Iaijutsu Focus?

1) Beat them in Initiative
2) Balancing (Marbles, etc.)
3) Two skill tricks
4) Feats? I'm not aware of them

I can't think of much else that causes flat-footedness specifically (most just deny Dex bonus, which is sort of iffy). Those are things like Blindness, some ToB strikes (what are they?), stealth (invisibility), fear, stun, grappling,

[Demons_eye]

Hide from them?

[Person_Man]

Skill Tricks and Confound the Big Folk (Races of Stone) while playing some really small race, like Hengeyokai. This build and this link should help.

[AmberVael]

Flick of the Wrist feat from Complete Warrior.

Also from Complete Warrior, there is the Palm Dagger use for Sleight of Hand, which allows you to catch someone flat-footed once per combat, after a round or so. See page 122.

Both of these are things I've used for rogues, but they work perfectly for other flat-footed needs.

Edit: From Tome of Battle, the only maneuver that I can think of off-hand is Sapphire Nightmare Blade.

[Starbuck_II]

There is a spell I think.
Distract Assailant (1 rd) swift action cast. Will negate. Good option to be extended.

[Dimers]

The tactical feat Raptor School has an ability that lets you spend a standard action to flatfoot one foe, any number of times per combat. It requires a roll of (basically) BAB versus Sense Motive. Tactical feats are described in Complete Warrior.

I'm unhappy that the opposed roll is so easy to unbalance in favor of the target, after requiring an extra action every time you use the feat. Still, at least you don't need to worry about uncanny dodge -- Iaijutsu Focus doesn't care if the target loses its Dex bonus, just whether it's flatfooted.

[Zaq]

I could swear that there's a few spells that explicitly say "flat-footed" instead of "denied DEX," but I don't know what they are offhand. Well, besides Grease, but that's not actually in the spell description. (Still works, but it's not what I'm talking about.)

I think the Surprising Riposte feat from DotU is a common element. If you feint (successfully) against an enemy, then damage it, they become flat-footed for the entire round. Hard to use properly, really, but it's still actual flat-footedness and not just a denial of DEX.

[Draz74]

The ToB maneuvers that synergize with this are:

• Sapphire Nightmare Blade (Diamond Mind 1)
• Strike of the Broken Shield (Setting Sun 4)
• Shadow Garrotte (Shadow Hand 3)
• Ghost Blade (Shadow Hand 6)
• Death from Above (Tiger Claw 4)
• White Raven Strike (White Raven 4)

Some of them make the target flat-footed for a certain duration. Others just treat the target as being flat-footed for the purposes of resolving that Strike.

[9mm]

Blurstrike weapons, races of destiny

[2xMachina]

Surprising Riposte

Feinted target that takes damage becomes flat-footed

[Kaiyanwang]

Mercurial Strike from Dragon Compendium allow to draw a melee weapon and strike an enemy, counting him as flat footed, each time that enemy causes an AOO.

With a combat reflexes buld and enough weapons could be useful.

And.. definitively second blurstrike. It helped our Iaijutsu Master a lot.

Should be pointed out that the biggest problem in Iaijutsu build is not "flat footedness" or so, but to sheathe the weapon, IMO

[Grumman]

Should be pointed out that the biggest problem in Iaijutsu build is not "flat footedness" or so, but to sheathe the weapon, IMO

That's why you use a brace of Fleshgrinding bastard swords. Or a Gnome Quickrazor, but the Fleshgrinding bastard swords are funnier.

[Foryn Gilnith]

GM has already approved Gnome Switchblades, so no problem there.

Thank y'all for the help. I might need to go into a feint build...

[Person_Man]

GM has already approved Gnome Switchblades, so no problem there.

Thank y'all for the help. I might need to go into a feint build...

Improved Feint + Surprising Riposte + Invisible Blade is a horrible waste of resources. Trust me, read Confound the Big Folk.

That's why you use a brace of Fleshgrinding bastard swords. Or a Gnome Quickrazor, but the Fleshgrinding bastard swords are funnier.

I'm not familiar with Fleshgrinding. What's the source?

[Telonius]

Should be pointed out that the biggest problem in Iaijutsu build is not "flat footedness" or so, but to sheathe the weapon, IMO

"The previous enemy's dead body" does not count as a sheathe, or so my DM told me.

[9mm]

Should be pointed out that the biggest problem in Iaijutsu build is not "flat footedness" or so, but to sheathe the weapon, IMO

quick sheathe, carry enough swords to equip an army, or gnome quickrazor

[Choco]

quick sheathe, carry enough swords to equip an army, or gnome quickrazor

Or use daggers, and carry a lot of them. If you can afford it (which is no problem at high levels) make them mithral.

Or hire an NPC to carry your weapons and hand them to you as you reach for the draw.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134276

Modify that as you will, you can workin blurstrike and raptor tactics and whatever you want into that.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Or use daggers, and carry a lot of them. If you can afford it (which is no problem at high levels) make them mithral.

Or hire an NPC to carry your weapons and hand them to you as you reach for the draw.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134276

Modify that as you will, you can workin blurstrike and raptor tactics and whatever you want into that.

Think about that NPC's job for a minute. You pay him large amounts of cash to follow you into dangerous areas carrying dozens of daggers. During combat, his job is to hand you the daggers, which you use to make a single blow each before dropping because they're no longer sheathed. You're like a noble/knight/comic book collector.

[Grumman]

I'm not familiar with Fleshgrinding. What's the source?

It's in both the Book of Vile Darkness and the Magic Item Compendium.

[Choco]

Think about that NPC's job for a minute. You pay him large amounts of cash to follow you into dangerous areas carrying dozens of daggers. During combat, his job is to hand you the daggers, which you use to make a single blow each before dropping because they're no longer sheathed. You're like a noble/knight/comic book collector.

Yeah I know, it's great aint it It's like having a squire whos only job is to carry and hand you your weapons.

Part of the reason the original build used Katanas (even though daggers are more powerful for the build) was to add to the comedy of it all.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Confound the Big Folk is great. Unfortunately, I chose human as my race (a decision I knew I would regret); and it's a bit late to switch. I could get a Reincarnation or a Savage Species ritual, but the IC justification would be iffy.

A Wand of Distract Assailant might be a worthwhile investment.

[lsfreak]

A Wand of Distract Assailant might be a worthwhile investment.

With a save DC of 11, though... that's not going to get you a whole lot of use. Not worthless, but 750 for one when it's still fairly useful is a bit on the pricey side, and by the time it won't really dent your stash, it'll only be working once every 4-5 rounds at most.

[Grumman]

A Wand of Distract Assailant might be a worthwhile investment.

"Look! Stick, boy! Get the stick! Get the stick!" *throws Wand of Distract Assailant*

[Kaiyanwang]

quick sheathe, carry enough swords to equip an army, or gnome quickrazor

Where is it? Interesting..

[Signmaker]

Where is it? Interesting..

One of the dragonlance books. Free action to draw/sheathe, magic item

[Heliomance]

Pretty sure there is no Quick Sheathe feat. You could always ask your DM to homebrew it though.