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Greetings!
I'm starting up a Champion of Irori character soon and finally gave a hard look at the blade of the sword-saint from Ultimate Equipment.
This exquisitely forged katana is the result of painstaking attention and craftsmanship by one who is dedicated to mastering swordplay in its highest form.
A blade of the sword-saint is a +3 ki intensifying katana. In the hands of a monk, it becomes an instrument of deadly utility. In addition to its more common properties, this weapon can be employed as though the wielder were unarmed: the wielder benefits from feats such as Deflect Arrows or Snatch Arrows (although he can redirect attacks but not catch them if he has no hands free), and a monk treats the blade as a monk weapon for use in his flurry of blows.
So my questions are aimed at the "employed as though wielder were unarmed" part as I'm not sure if my hopes are merely brought up unrealistically or it's as awesome as I think it is.
Does that mean I can use the sword as an unarmed attack?
Can I benefit from Crane Style just like I can benefit from Deflect Arrows (both feats speak about having a hand free) when holding the sword two-handed?
For the Champion of Irori's class abilities that involve unarmed attacks, or other Combat Style feats that entail making unarmed strikes, could I use it with the sword instead?
I apologize if these are real obvious questions, and thus there hasn't been any discussion on it on the search function, but my group and I can't figure out a consensus on Rules as Intended. Rules as Written it seems like blade of the sword-saint qualify for unarmed in almost every way that might be physically possible (such as the sword not snatching an arrow but can deflect it) but we're not sure if that was the intent for the sword to also be used for physical attacks as if unarmed.
I'll FAQ this, since the flavor of using the sword for deflecting melee attacks is pretty sweet (one that all Fighter tanks should try to employ, since they don't get anything like DR, and AC doesn't become relevant unless you specialize in it), I don't think that is the intent of the weapon. For all we know, it could just be able to be used to deflect projectile weapons, not deflect melee attacks.
And besides the point, being able to use it in two hands while considering having both hands free would be a pretty broken combination, since I could, in essence, hold the weapon, and then cast a spell, while at the same time be open for Deflect Arrows and Crane Style simultaneously.
RAW, I'd say you would be correct, since you can use it as if it were Unarmed. Another question is would the damage dice scale as if being used as an Unarmed Strike?
Anyways...FAQ'd, and I hope the Devs can clear this up, because this can either be the most broken weapon in the game, or it can be a pretty good must-have Monk tool. Either way, it's still solid.
I'm pretty sure it means you can use the sword to deflect arrows or cut them out of the air as if unarmed.
can you flurry with it?
can you flurry with it?
The quote in the OP states you can.
and a monk treats the blade as a monk weapon for use in his flurry of blows.
To OP: The wording feats such as screems for table variation. It implies that the list of feats you can use it with is not complete but which it might work with is another thing. How about belier's bite? Or the additional str damage from dragon style?
What about using this sword with domain strike or revelation strike? Would that work?
Could you deliver a laughing touch fey bloodline power with it if you have the sorcerous strike feat?
The wording of the sword is vague enough to allow it.
Nothing states that an attack with the sword counts as an unarmed strike.
It could be used with things like the Duelist class features, I suppose.
Everything about the description of the weapon states that it can be "employed as if the wielder were unarmed". There's no ambiguity about that. It's just a shame that a monk needs a very expensive magical sword to be able to flurry or use with "monk" type feats. It's as if the game designers never watched a Saturday afternoon Kung Fu flick.
You could Flurry with it with the Crusader's Flurry feat.
Which god has a Katana as a favored weapon?
You could Flurry with it with the Crusader's Flurry feat.Which god has a Katana as a favored weapon?
An awesome one.
Another question is would the damage dice scale as if being used as an Unarmed Strike?
I would guess not as the weapon is already ki intensifying to benefit off ki strike, and it lacks the wording of zen archer to benefit off the damage, otherwise monk damage added with katana crit-threat range would be TOO scary good! lol
Ah, but would a creature with Catch off Guard get his bonus against someone employing such a weapon?
Does Catch Off Guard work against monks or people with Improved Unarmed Strike since they're unarmed but considered "armed"? I always assumed that feat was making those who are unarmed without IUS flat-footed, but looking at it, I guess there's not wording for that.
My own take: Yes, you can use it as though you are unarmed for practically any feat.
-A Katana is a 1 handed weapon. Thus at any point you could change grips(debateably a non-action) and wield it 1 handed and unarmed strike with the other. As such, I don't see why one wouldn't just skip the non-action malarchy of changing grips and just allow it. The only difference is the Sword will only do STR instead of 1& 1/2 STR that turn, which isn't huge since...
-A Monk has to blow a feat just to use a Katana. A Monk is NOT proficient in a monk weapon nor is one proficient in a martial weapon. Thus, they're blowing a feat to use it so they're giving a lot imo. Why not let them use it to it's most favorable extent?
Also with regards to Crane Style and Crane Wing:
Once per round while using Crane Style, when you have at least one hand free and are either fighting defensively or using the total defense action...
Since it has to have a free hand open, as many of the Style feats specifically say, you'd have to change grips for that round of attacks if you wanted to use it with those abilities.
My own take: Yes, you can use it as though you are unarmed for practically any feat.
-A Katana is a 1 handed weapon. Thus at any point you could change grips(debateably a non-action) and wield it 1 handed and unarmed strike with the other. As such, I don't see why one wouldn't just skip the non-action malarchy of changing grips and just allow it. The only difference is the Sword will only do STR instead of 1& 1/2 STR that turn, which isn't huge since...
-A Monk has to blow a feat just to use a Katana. A Monk is NOT proficient in a monk weapon nor is one proficient in a martial weapon. Thus, they're blowing a feat to use it so they're giving a lot imo. Why not let them use it to it's most favorable extent?Also with regards to Crane Style and Crane Wing:
Once per round while using Crane Style, when you have at least one hand free and are either fighting defensively or using the total defense action...Since it has to have a free hand open, as many of the Style feats specifically say, you'd have to change grips for that round of attacks if you wanted to use it with those abilities.
I don't think a monk needs to be proficient with a blade of the sword saint. He utilizes the blade as if he were unarmed. Since a monk is proficient in unarmed combat, he has proficiency with the blade. I don't think the intent was to allow the monk to use his unarmed damage with the blade, but I do think it works by RAW, because he would be employing the bade as if he were unarmed, which would mean that his unarmed strike damage should apply when using the blade. Now, they really need to consider making a blade of the sword saint for the kensai and sword saint archetypes.
Shizuru (Dex is an inquisitor of her, that's how I know)You could Flurry with it with the Crusader's Flurry feat.Which god has a Katana as a favored weapon?
Starts thinking of a 1 Cleric/2 Monk/X Inquisitor build
As an aside...
How can they create a sword which YELLS Magus (Kensai) or Samurai (Sword-Saint)and make it WORTHLESS for either one...
Shhehhh
I don't think a monk needs to be proficient with a blade of the sword saint. He utilizes the blade as if he were unarmed. Since a monk is proficient in unarmed combat, he has proficiency with the blade. I don't think the intent was to allow the monk to use his unarmed damage with the blade, but I do think it works by RAW, because he would be employing the bade as if he were unarmed, which would mean that his unarmed strike damage should apply when using the blade. Now, they really need to consider making a blade of the sword saint for the kensai and sword saint archetypes.
But the problem is it's a whole RAW snarl then. Cause if it is "unarmed", then do you not use the weapons crit mod if you are using the damage? In which case, do you even use the weapon at all?
I'd prefer to take the text literally.
this weapon can be employed as though the wielder were unarmed: the wielder benefits from feats such as Deflect Arrows or Snatch Arrows (although he can redirect attacks but not catch them if he has no hands free), and a monk treats the blade as a monk weapon for use in his flurry of blows.
This has 2 listed benefits:
-While wielding the weapon, the user benefits from feats that typically require the user to be unarmed, like Deflect Arrows. This same logic carries to other feats, like the style feats, via the line "from feats such as".-This weapon is treated as a monk weapon than can be flurried(?) with.
It makes no mention of benefiting from other monk class abilities, such as the monk's scaling weapon damage, nor using unarmed damage in place of the katana's damage at all.
But yes, I whole heartedly find it funny they made a "Sword Saint" blade for a monk rather than either 2 of the Sword Saint archetypes.