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The analytical martial arts technique employed by Sherlock Holmes in the new Robert Downey movie gave me an idea for a really nifty new combat feat: Perceptive Dueling. It would allow a character to add his Intelligence bonus to his attacks, damage rolls, and armor class (in the form of a dodge bonus) against a single enemy once he's had a chance to observe that enemy's fighting style.
On the third round of melee combat against an opponent (defined as the opponent making at least one melee attack against the character on each of the previous two rounds, while the character either attacked that opponent or fought defensively, wasn't flanked, and neither attacked nor was attacked by any other creature), the character could add one point to each of the three affected stats; on the fourth round, he could add two points, and so on until he was applying his full Intelligence bonus. Note that these bonuses would be applied in addition to, not instead of, the normal bonuses from Strength and/or Dexterity. They would only apply only against the one opponent on which the character focuses his powers of observation, and should he attack or be attacked by another opponent, or be flanked, all the bonuses would be lost until he had a chance to concentrate for two rounds on a single opponent again.
Since it's a fairly powerful feat, I'd also give it some fairly strict prerequisites. To take it, your character would need a Base Attack Bonus +6, Intelligence 15, Combat Expertise, and at least one of the following feats or class features: Weapon Focus, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Training, and Improved Unarmed Strike. The Perceptive Dueling ability could only be used in conjunction with the weapon(s) associated with the prerequisite(s). I might also use it as a class feature, without prerequisites, for a Pathfinder upgrade of the Swashbuckler core class from The Complete Warrior, in place of the original Swashbuckler's Insightful Strike feature.
We could even make it a feat tree: Improved Perceptive Dueling would require Perceptive Dueling, BAB +11, and Int 17, and allow the character to maintain the feat's bonuses while flanked by one creature in addition to the opponent on which he focuses, ignore any attacks from other creatures that don't hit him, and begin adding the bonus points on the second round of melee instead of the third. Greater Perceptive Dueling would require Improved Perceptive Dueling, BAB +16, and Int 19, and allow him to ignore flanking and all attacks by any number of creatures, and begin adding bonus points on the first round. Finally, Epic Perceptive Dueling would require Greater Perceptive Dueling, BAB +21, and Int 21, and allow the master duelist to apply his full perceptive dueling bonuses (of at least +5, given the prerequisite) to all creatures engaged in melee with him from the first round of combat.
I might restrict it further by having the bonuses for the original feat apply only to the first attack made by the character and his opponent (for the AC bonus) each round. The Improved version would apply them to the first two attacks each round, Greater to the first three, and Epic to all attacks.
Given the requirements, I think this feat sequence might be most valuable to an Eldritch Knight whose core arcane class was Wizard or another Intelligence-based class, to the aforementioned Swashbuckler update (which could have these feats as its core class features), or perhaps to a Pathfinder version of the Factotum class from Dungeonscape -- the latter's combat-related class features are already based on the same essential concept. (I hope I don't start a flame war by mentioning the Factotum; it always struck me as one of the most broken of the 3.5 splatbook classes, and if that makes it taboo on these boards, please accept my humble apologies and forget that I brought it up.)
What are your thoughts? Too powerful? Too esoteric? Too many prereqs? Do your one-on-one duels at level 6 often last long enough for a bonus that starts to kick in on the third round of combat to be worthwhile? Does this sound like something you might use in building a character you'd actually want to play, or is it too impractical? I'd love to hear any input the readers here may have.
Thanks,
Alex
It seems very situational, but then it gives out several different bonuses. It might work as a tactical feat.
I like the feat, but combats don't normally last a long time. I would let the bonuses begin on the second round of combat. Even then this feat really doesn't start to become powerful until the 3rd or 4th round of combat, and with the prerequisites you've put on it I think it would be balanced.
Eric, Kane, good thoughts! SmiloDan, I don't think it really fits the concept of a tactical feat; aren't they the ones from the APG playtest that only function when two characters who have the same tactical feat cooperate? That's not how I conceive this feat. It's meant to be most useful in the context of single combat. A perceptive duelist should try, whenever possible, to isolate one opponent, either by having his party keep the rest of the attackers off his back, or by calling one enemy out if his party is fighting a group that has some concept of honor (or at least that one gains more glory by fighting one-on-one) -- hobgoblins, for example, or Hellknights, or one of the human cultures that tend to produce barbarians.
One additional thought I had is to replace the Base Attack Bonus prerequisite with the same number of ranks in Perception -- this would allow characters of any class to take the feats at the same levels that those with the good progression could, as long as they maxed out their perception score and took one of the relevant feats, instead of effectively restricting it to martial classes with the best BAB progression. Fighters would still have an edge, as they could use their fifth-level Weapon Training as their prerequisite, but I could see a lot of melee-oriented rogues going for it, too, using Weapon Finesse (or Finesse Rogue) to qualify.
I think the defensive fighting requirement makes sense, and starting the bonuses on round two instead of three would balance that additional restriction. Having done that, I would keep those requirements for all levels of the feat tree, and instead of making the bonuses start progressively earlier, I would have them add up faster. So without further ado, here are the formal descriptions for the new feat tree:
By studying an opponent's actions in combat, you can anticipate his next move, increasing your ability to hit him, your impact when you do, and your chance to evade his attacks.
Prerequisites: Int 15, Perception 6 ranks, Combat Expertise, and at least one of the following feats or class features: Weapon Focus, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Training, or Improved Unarmed Strike.
Benefit: Progressively add your Intelligence bonus to your attack rolls, damage rolls, and Armor Class (as an increase to your dodge bonus) against one opponent, at one point per round starting on the second round of melee. For example, if your Intelligence bonus is +3, you would add +1 to attack, damage, and AC on the second round, +2 on the third round, and +3 on the fourth and subsequent rounds. These bonuses stack with all other bonuses you may have, including Strength and Dexterity, except for the duelist prestige class's Canny Defense class feature or any similar feat or feature that already relies on your Intelligence bonus. They apply both to standard attacks and attacks of opportunity from or against your chosen opponent.
To apply the effects of this feat, you must use a weapon or weapons affected by whichever feat or class feature you used as your prerequisite (Weapon Focus, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Training, or Improved Unarmed Strike). You must also spend the first round of melee combat in total defense mode in order to observe your opponent's attacks, and your opponent must make at least one melee attack against you. Moreover, you cannot be distracted by other opponents: if at any time during the melee you are flanked, bull rushed, disarmed, grappled, overrun, knocked prone, or attack or are attacked by an opponent other than the focus of your Perceptive Dueling (including attacks of opportunity, and applying whether the attacks hit or not), you lose all bonuses from the feat and must start again with one round of defensive fighting against the same or another opponent in order to begin applying them again.
You are exceptionally skilled at anticipating an opponent's moves and using that knowledge against him, and you can concentrate on the opponent you target to the exclusion of most distractions.
Prerequisites: Int 17, Perception 11 ranks, Perceptive Dueling.
Benefit: As Perceptive Dueling, except that after spending the first round of melee on total defense, you can now add two point of your Intelligence bonus to your attacks, damage rolls, AC and Combat Maneuver Defense against your chosen opponent on the second round, three points on the third round, and so on up to your full bonus. Also, you may ignore flanking by one creature other than your targeted opponent, and ignore any attacks from other opponents (including combat maneuvers) that miss.
You have mastered the art of anticipating an opponent's moves, and can maintain concentration on that opponent as long as you are standing and free to move.
Prerequisites: Int 19, Perception 16 ranks, Improved Perceptive Dueling.
Benefit: As Improved Perceptive Dueling, except that after after spending the first round of melee on total defense you can now add three point of your Intelligence bonus to your attacks, damage rolls, AC, CMD and Combat Maneuver Bonus against your chosen opponent on the second round, four points on the third round, and so on up to your full bonus. Also, you can no longer be distracted from your chosen target by flanking or attacks by other opponents, unless they make a successful combat maneuver against you. You still cannot attack other opponents on your turn without losing the bonuses, but you may now make attacks of opportunity against any other opponents that provoke one without losing your focus on your target.
You have a nearly supernatural ability to anticipate opponents' moves, and can use it against all opponents you face.
Prerequisites: Int 21, Perception 21 ranks, Greater Perceptive Dueling.
Benefit: As Greater Perceptive Dueling, except that after after spending the first round of melee on total defense you can add your entire Intelligence bonus to your attacks, damage rolls, AC, CMD, and CMB on the second round, and apply those bonuses against any and all opponents in melee range.
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Adding your intelligence to hit, to evade, and to increase your damage all at once is a bit much, I think - even with the limits imposed, it seems to have more scope than similar feats.
I would separate out the three additions - and to keep it from being too useful to wizards, I would order the feats in a feat chain from least to most useful for wizards.
I would make the first feat add up to your intelligence modifier to melee damage. This would keep it from being a "gimme" feat for wizards. I would also try to stick with current convention in both combat expertise and power attack, and key the increasing bonuses not off taking additional feats, but off the character's BaB.
I would make the second feat add up to your intelligence modifier as a dodge bonus to AC. This is useful for wizards, but they have so many other means of increasing their defenses that this, while useful, is hardly going to an obvious best choice. Again, I'd have the intelligence bonus added key off of the character's BaB.
Lastly, I would add the bonus to hit. I would probably keep it, like the damage, limited to melee attacks.
I like the weapon feat prerequisites. Otherwise my biggest concern is that it's not too overpowering for Eldritch KNights.
Adding your intelligence to hit, to evade, and to increase your damage all at once is a bit much, I think - even with the limits imposed, it seems to have more scope than similar feats.
I would separate out the three additions - and to keep it from being too useful to wizards, I would order the feats in a feat chain from least to most useful for wizards.
I would make the first feat add up to your intelligence modifier to melee damage. This would keep it from being a "gimme" feat for wizards. I would also try to stick with current convention in both combat expertise and power attack, and key the increasing bonuses not off taking additional feats, but off the character's BaB.
I would make the second feat add up to your intelligence modifier as a dodge bonus to AC. This is useful for wizards, but they have so many other means of increasing their defenses that this, while useful, is hardly going to an obvious best choice. Again, I'd have the intelligence bonus added key off of the character's BaB.
Lastly, I would add the bonus to hit. I would probably keep it, like the damage, limited to melee attacks.
I like the weapon feat prerequisites. Otherwise my biggest concern is that it's not too overpowering for Eldritch KNights.
Hmmm. I get your point, but I don't want to depart too far from the way it worked in the movie. How about this: instead of automatically scaling up after one round, you have to take the total defense actions for X rounds in order to get a +X bonus on the following round, applied to everything -- attack roll (including crit. confirmation rolls), damage, AC, CMB, and CMD -- for one round, during which you must make a full-round melee attack or a combat maneuver against your target. After that round, you have to go back on total defense again to get the bonus again.
The subsequent feats would allow you to add X+1, X+2, and your full Int. bonus after one round, and keep the bonus for two, three, and four rounds, respectively. (Yes, the top of the tree is extremely powerful. That's why you have to be 21st-level to get it.) I don't think it would be that big an advantage for Eldritch Knights, and not many mages would bother with it, because generally casting a spell would still be a better use of a combat round for such characters than the total defense/study your opponent phase of Perceptive Dueling. It would be most useful to characters with sufficient AC and hit points to survive several rounds of melee during which they don't damage their opponent.
Another way to go, of course, would be not to make it a feat tree at all, and instead make the four feats into the 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th-level class features of a revised Swashbuckler or Ninja (or other Asian-flavored martial artist) class.
By studying an opponent's actions in combat, you can anticipate his next move, increasing your ability to hit him, your impact when you do, and your chance to evade his attacks.
Prerequisites: Int 15, Perception 6 ranks, Combat Expertise, and at least one of the following feats or class features: Weapon Focus, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Training, or Improved Unarmed Strike.
Benefit: Progressively add your Intelligence bonus to your attack rolls, damage rolls, and Armor Class (as an increase to your dodge bonus) against one opponent, at one point per round starting on the second round of melee. For example, if your Intelligence bonus is +3, you would add +1 to attack, damage, and AC on the second round, +2 on the third round, and +3 on the fourth and subsequent rounds. These bonuses stack with all other bonuses you may have, including Strength and Dexterity, except for the duelist prestige class's Canny Defense class feature or any similar feat or feature that already relies on your Intelligence bonus. They apply both to standard attacks and attacks of opportunity from or against your chosen opponent.
To apply the effects of this feat, you must use a weapon or weapons affected by whichever feat or class feature you used as your prerequisite (Weapon Focus, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Training, or Improved Unarmed Strike). You must also spend the first round of melee combat in total defense mode in order to observe your opponent's attacks, and your opponent must make at least one melee attack against you. Moreover, you cannot be distracted by other opponents: if at any time during the melee you are flanked, bull rushed, disarmed, grappled, overrun, knocked prone, or attack or are attacked by an opponent other than the focus of your Perceptive Dueling (including attacks of opportunity, and applying whether the attacks hit or not), you lose all bonuses from the feat and must start again with one round of defensive fighting against the same or another opponent in order to begin applying them again.
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This is a pretty good feat as far as balance. It's powerful, but has quite a few prerequisites and the feat bonuses can be taken away very easily with the listed distractions. Also, you must give up your offensive actions for one round to get the bonuses started.
However, I don't like uncapped bonuses on a feat, and I'd probably limit the bonus from this feat to a maximum of +4 or +5. Also, I would forget the other feats in the chain and just stick with this one otherwise the balance aspect is starting to get on shaky ground.
Sherlock Holmes is a great D&D movie. High adventure, constant action and cool gimmicks. I was thinking of crafting a Mentalist base class using Holmes and Jane (from the show Mentalist) as inspirations. The idea being that your intelligence modifier replaces all your other modifiers over time and your knowledge skills can be used to duplicate spell like effects (like divinations and so forth).
It seems like you're all forgetting how Holmes did his "precision dueling" in the movie. He always took a standard action (at least) to set up his attacks and then executed them exactly as he envisioned them. Usually to end a combat.
Precision Dueling
Prerequisite: Int 15+
Benefit: Spend a standard action to evaluate an opponent you are aware of. If you engage that opponent before three rounds have elapsed then you may use your Intelligence modifier in place of any other ability score when determining to hit, damage, CMB, AC or save bonus' to spells or abilities (such as stunning fist). This also modifies your own saving throws, all modifiers apply to the evaluated opponent. You may only evaluate one opponent at a time. Evaluating a new opponent shifts the modifiers to them.
The next step would be to add the Intelligence modifier to all bonus' as opposed to replacing them. Finally a feat that gives a massive damage bonus against an evaluated opponent (1d6 per point of Intelligence mod?) cold be the opus of this feat tree.
Just a thought.
How is this ability not just represented by Kirin Style and being a Duelist, Lore Warden, or Kensai?
It already exists... after a fashion. Pathfinder society field guide has a fighter archetype. Your feat is more powerful than the class feature
Know Thy Enemy (Ex): At 7th level, a lore warden can take a standard action to study a specific target in sight. He must make a Knowledge check to determine the target’s abilities and weaknesses as part of this standard action. If successful, the lore warden not only notes the appropriate abilities and weaknesses, as detailed under the Knowledge
skill on page 100 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, but also gains a +2 competence bonus on all attack rolls and weapon damage rolls made against that enemy. Note that this bonus on attack and damage rolls applies only to that specific creature. This bonus lasts for the duration
of an encounter, or until the lore warden attempts a new Knowledge check to use this ability on a different target. This ability replaces armor training 2.
Not to mention it lasts longer than Snake Style, which lets you use Sense Motive as AC vs one attack. Which arguably fits what Holmes fought like.
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I recently got a chance to look over the new classes introduced in the Advanced Class Guide, and what do you know, Paizo went ahead and built a class around this mechanic: the Investigator, a rogue-alchemist hybrid class whose unique combat abilities, Studied Combat and Studied Strike, are pretty clearly what Sherlock Holmes was doing in those scenes.
Yes. Welcome to 2014. ;)