Beautiful Strike confuses me a bit.


Rules Questions


order of the Songbird

At 15th level, once per day when the order of the songbird samurai confirms a critical hit against the target of her challenge, she can declare it a beautiful strike without spending an action. The damage dealt by the attack becomes nonlethal damage, and the target must succeed at a Will save (DC = 10 + half the samurai’s class level + her Charisma modifier) or be charmed as per charm monster (caster level equals the samurai’s class level)

So how will the person act after being charmed by my attack?

Lantern Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4

Charm Person wrote:


This charm makes a humanoid creature regard you as its trusted friend and ally (treat the target’s attitude as friendly)

You're hanging out with a friend, you do something so unthinkable that they wind up and slap you across the face (nonlethal damage).

Likely Initial Reaction: Indignation/confusion "What the heck!?"

Likely Response: Person who did the slapping explaining themselves and their position. Probably resulting in a Diplomacy check (made easier vis-a-vis charm person).

Likely Followup Reaction: 1) "Oh, yeah, you're right I was kind of being an ass." 2) "Why are you LIKE THIS? Ugh."

Boiled down outside of the joke above, context is going to be king here. This seems like an ability that works best when you swoop in and slap a villain as they're about to commit villainy, and try and talk them down out of it.

Probably not great for walking up and sword-slapping the vizier across the face, unless you've got a great cover with Diplomacy behind it.

Lantern Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4

This is also a good time to revisit the "make a request" table and look at how reasonable (in perspective) it seems to the charmed NPC, etc.


They'll act like you're their trusted friend and ally.


If my trusted friend and ally just stabbed me 3 times then stabbed me with nonlethal damage.

I would think that person was crazy or possessed or something like that.
So I would run away or subdue the person none lately if I think I can do that.

It doesn't remove any memories so the enemy will remember that its friend tried to kill it.


I would suggest using movie logic more than common sense. You know the scene, the good guy and villian are fighting and have been slugging it out when there's a pause in the action. At which point one character says

"We used to be friends! can't we just put aside our differences?"

Now, imagine that after hitting someone with beautiful strike they are the ones saying the line above. Sure, they still remember everything that's happened, but they also now "remember" that they used to be friends with you and have a strong desire to resume that friendship even if they can't exactly recall any details of that friendship at the moment.

It might seem strange, but keep in mind that

Charm Monster wrote:
This spell functions like charm person, except that the effect is not restricted by creature type or size.
Charm Person wrote:
If the creature is currently being threatened or attacked by you or your allies, however, it receives a +5 bonus on its saving throw.

Given the triggering condition for the ability the creature is nearly always going to get the +5 bonus to it's save unless after hitting them you aren't threatening them any more.


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I would consider it something along the lines of "You are obviously so awesome being able to hit me with the flat of your blade (counting coup sort of thing) that I'm not going to fight you anymore." Basically overawing them and making them want to join your side for a moment.

As far as how they act, they should act as if you are their friend (regardless of what happened before, they remember, but while under the effect that doesn't matter to them.)

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