I have a sword master in my game and I am unsure if the Iaijutsu Strike is applied to a full BAB attack. The PC has 14 BAB, so three attacks so does the +14 apply to each of those hits or does he only get the one attack.
Iaijutsu Strike (Ex)
A sword saint can perform a lightning quick iaijutsu strike against the target of his challenge to inflict devastating wounds while drawing his sword. After the sword saint has challenged a foe but before he has attacked the target of his challenge, he may choose to use his iaijutsu strike as a full-round action, making an attack roll with his weapon as normal. In order to use this ability, the sword saint’s weapon must be sheathed at the start of his turn. If he successfully hits his opponent with an iaijutsu strike, his attack deals an additional +1d6 points of damage. This bonus damage increases by an additional +1d6 at 3rd level and every two levels thereafter to a maximum of +10d6 damage at 19th level. Any extra damage as a result of a successful iaijutsu strike is not multiplied by a critical hit.
After making an iaijutsu strike, a sword saint takes a –4 penalty to his AC until his next turn, but his weapon is now drawn and he may continually to fight normally. Regardless of whether he hits his opponent with the iaijutsu strike, a sword saint cannot use this ability on the same foe more than once per day.
At 10th level, a sword saint learns to focus faster and is able to make an iaijutsu strike as a standard action, and the penalty to his AC is reduced to –2. This ability replaces a samurai’s mount.
That is what I thought, but I wanted to make sure as my players will probably argue the "making an attack roll with his weapon as normal" part means they make a full BAB attack with that weapon.
Ok thank you very much Kalindlara.
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It's a full-round action, not a standard. So you don't get a move action in the same turn. Unlike vital strike which is a standard.
At 10th level, a sword saint learns to focus faster and is able to make an iaijutsu strike as a standard action, and the penalty to his AC is reduced to –2. This ability replaces a samurai’s mount.
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It's still over all a pretty crappy ability considering it's a once per day per opponent ability that requires you to have not already hit them in combat. Oh, and you're weapon must be sheathed to use it.
And sheathing your weapon is a move action.
It's still over all a pretty crappy ability considering it's a once per day per opponent ability that requires you to have not already hit them in combat. Oh, and you're weapon must be sheathed to use it.
And sheathing your weapon is a move action.
Somebody hasn't watched enough samurai movies…
On a related note, do you have your characters walk around in social encounters with weapons drawn at all times? If you don't, Iaijutsu Strike is a great opener and possibly finisher at the same time.
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Except that it doesn't do nearly enough damage.
I get that it's homage to Samurai movies, but it does a pretty terrible job mechanically. It's also incredibly unlikely that you will outright kill an enemy with that single attack.
And while characters don't walk around with their weapons out in social situations, it does become a free action while moving to draw your weapon when you have a BAB of 1. When expecting combat characters do tend to walk around with weapons ready.
Same damage as a Sneak Attack, but can't be used nearly as often...
Unless you are low level a martial is not likely finishing anyone with just one attack.
I made a Sword Saint a while back and I liked using the Called Shots mechanic with him. It took a while to get it to work though, needed to wait until +6 BAB to get Greater Called Shots to actually use the Iaijutsu Strike AS a called shot.
Hell, I would have been happy if it was a 1 per opponent ability that required your sword to be sheathed, then as a swift action allowed you to add that same damage progression to one attack and to pool all attacks that you make in the round as though they were one for the purposes of damage reduction or hardness (basically like Clustered Shots).
With the upgraded version you get at level 10 allowing you to basically use Pummeling Strike (i.e. you can charge and make a full attack that is treated as a single attack).
But since it's once per opponent it's not overly powerful.
But at least it hits the theme well and is actually decently useful without needing to sheath your weapon in between attacks.