The Joy of Martial Arts - or why the Aldori should love Asians

[Helaman]

First of all the martial arts stances vary in usefulness but overall they bring a lot more to the table and definitely add flavour.

That said, the Aldori swordlords should be heading on pilgrimages to TienXia or importing little old masters of the crane style.

Human Aldori Fighter (archetype)

1 Weapon Expertise
1 Exotic Weapon Prof - Aldori Dueling Sword
1 Weapon Focus Aldori Dueling sword
2 Quickdraw
3 Aldori Dueling Mastery (+2 Shield AC)
4 Weapon Spec Aldori Dueling Sword
5 Improved Unarmed Strike
6 Dodge
7 Crane Style (gives +1 AC when fighting defensively and +2 to negate penalties when fighting defensively)

This is the SAME level that the Aldori also pick up their +2 to AC and +2 to negate penalties for fighting as a class feature.

So an Aldori defensively fighting at level 7 gets +5 AC (Dodge) with NO impact to their to hit. Assuming that by level 7 they have 3 ranks in Acrobatics, that actually becomes +6 Dodge AC.

Wow.

And crane style deflect and riposte just add to the awesomeness.

Edit: I also found that this doesnt trash any extra attacks you may have...

Fighting Defensively as a Full-Round Action

Quote:

You can choose to fight defensively when taking a full-attack action. If you do so, you take a –4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for the same round.

Of course Order of the Cockatrice Cavaliers using Dazzling Display can ruin an Aldori's day.

[Klebert L. Hall]

Well, the Swordlords were the original Golarion Samurai, so synergy with other Asian-flavored stuff does not surprise.
-Kle.

[Abraham spalding]

The funny part to me is the thought that somehow if it's a 'combat style martial art thing' it must come from the Tian.

[Aelryinth]

YOu missed the synergy with the Panther Style.

The Aldori get the ability to riposte when someone attack them as a swift action. THe Panther get the ability to make unlimited numbers of these attacks, instead of just one.

It's a back door and expensive way to get Robilar's Gambit, but it doesn't even use AoO chances, IIRC?

And yes, Crane + Aldori is a potent combo. Note that most of the Aldori bonuses only apply with a full attack action, which is somewhat limiting.

==Aelryinth

[Mr. Green]

Ya know I've often thought that the Aldori dueling sword sounding an awful lot like a katana.

[zagnabbit]

When we first ran Kingmaker, one of my players ran a Weapon Master Monk and traded all his monk weapons for an Aldori Sword prof he could flurry with. He argued, successfully, that the Swordlords sounded more like sword monks, it was a fun character. Ever since first reading the Brevoy section of the Campaign Guide Aldori intrigued me and flipped my Monk switch.

I personally like the freehand fighter archetype for the Aldori. The Style feats work with this one as well.

We've since settled on the Restov school being Freehand Fighters; the Mivon school uses the Swordlord archetype; a small subset practices the "old style" of the Weapon Master Monks.

[Helaman]

With the right feats and either standard or archetype choices you can get lots of different aldori schools.

Panther style?

Great but you'd need an aldori who was mobile and really working to trigger AoOs but its a good one!

[Talonhawke]

Aelryinth wrote:

YOu missed the synergy with the Panther Style.

The Aldori get the ability to riposte when someone attack them as a swift action. THe Panther get the ability to make unlimited numbers of these attacks, instead of just one.

It's a back door and expensive way to get Robilar's Gambit, but it doesn't even use AoO chances, IIRC?

And yes, Crane + Aldori is a potent combo. Note that most of the Aldori bonuses only apply with a full attack action, which is somewhat limiting.

==Aelryinth

Panther is limited by wisdom modifer but they aren't AoO's so its good on that front.