Use disintegrate at higher levels. Even if they beat your save, they take 5d6 + twice your int mod.
Also, I don't have time to work this out now, but it's possible a one level dip into monk of many styles or unarmed fighter would help this build.
If you take the Monk level in Master of Many Styles, you could use your bonus feat to take Kirin Style sans prereqs. One level for two feats. If you dare take a 2nd level and delay spellcasting further, you get Kirin Strike also without prereq.
I had thought about doing a build using kirin style, and the biggest problem is that it takes three rounds to set up.
1st round: swift action activate style
2nd round: swift action to identify
3rd round: can finally start using your swifts to deal damage,It's a swift action to activate the style, and you can't do that until a combat has started. But -- once you activate the style. it persists forever. So you only have to spend that swift action once. In fact, if you're really going by RAW, it's once in your entire career, ever -- the RAW says it persists until you switch to another style.
So, Round 1, yes, a swift action to identify. But since it's a swift, you can do other stuff -- throw a buff, toss a fireball, whatever. You're not burning one of your precious standards.
There is a 3.5 race LA 0 that gets an extra swift action/rd (as long as it is purely mental action like identifying with Kirin Style)
Ain't worth it. Dip sorc for double bloodline.
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just a quick note you can still downgrade other actions for lesser ones, IE move for a swift
so round 1 swift action to kirin stance
move action sacked for swift action identify
standard action fireball (because why would I close into combat as a wizard)
make spell attack since it is a swift action spent after the attack already hit
scorching ray: hits 4d6 damage swift action to apply +14 damage
second ray: hits 4d6 damage (sacrifice move action) +14 damage
congrats you can get 2 buffs on these per turn as long as you don't move
not as bad as it looks
although yes feat taxes and level prerequisites can be costly
still I would consider this as a Magus, as well as I would say that this is something really nice for someone going duelist
This style works pretty well with the magus, as well. Especially a kensai, as the more things you can pile onto their int stat, the more you can deemphasize their other stats.
I thought this at first too, but that Swift Action cost is big for a magus. To get that 2xint damage to one attack, you're giving up the chance to fire off a Quickened Intensified Shocking Grasp or use Spell Recall to bring back said spell for another shot next round.
The Swift Action is one of the magus' most precious resources, and I'm not sure they would have enough of them available at mid- to high-levels to justify the three feat expenditure, even if the knowledge requirements are likely to be practically free.
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This style works pretty well with the magus, as well. Especially a kensai, as the more things you can pile onto their int stat, the more you can deemphasize their other stats.I thought this at first too, but that Swift Action cost is big for a magus. To get that 2xint damage to one attack, you're giving up the chance to fire off a Quickened Intensified Shocking Grasp or use Spell Recall to bring back said spell for another shot next round.
Not all magus archetypes have spell recall.
The kensai might consider Kirin a pretty good deal for longer fights 12+
The problem, even for a kensai, is the time required to set everything up.
Round 1, arcane pool to buff weapon.
Round 2, enter Kirin Style
Round 3, make knowledge check
Round 4, start using Kirin Strike
Even then, you can only add the damage to a single successful attack per turn.
Now, I might consider Kirin Strike on a wizard set up for ray spells. Even when conserving spells and using ray of frost you could be getting some worthwhile damage bonuses.
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You can't downgrade actions. 15 years of 3 edition and still there are this basic misconceptions. Only action type exchange allowed is standard to move. Full stop.
BTW if magus have extra swift action Arcane strike is way better than kirin style.
Hm. I would probably go Fighter (Lore Warden) up to 6th level, grab Kirin Style then, and for 7th level onward pick up the Duelist prestige class while maximizing my Intelligence. The Lore Warden has a good number of skill points and you would be able to use your Intelligence on damage rolls and your AC between Kirin Style and Canny Dodge.
Since you need Weapon Finesse to get into Duelist, you could maximize your Dexterity and Intelligence to make a fairly nimble character who used his Intelligence to get the upper hand in combat. Focusing on a Rapier would let you go Critical Hit focused as your level got high enough for Critical Feats and you would still have enough flexibility to grab two Improved maneuver feats or one Greater maneuver feat even after meeting the prerequisites for Duelist and Kirin Style; you would even have an additional +2 bonus to your CMB from being a Lore Warden.
You can't downgrade actions by RAW. Downgrading a standard to a swift is a common houserule and relatively fair. Downgrading a move to a swift is laughably broken; a swift is FAR more valuable than a move.
Quick! Name as many spells as you can with a casting time of one move action. I'll name two spells that cast as a swift or immediate for each one you do, and I won't count the Quicken Spell feat, which potentially makes nearly any spell in the game a swift action.
There ARE spells and other abilities to gain a move action (or just movement) with a swift. Such as the psionic power Hustle. It does not work in the reverse. For very good reason.
I still like Kirin Style, Kirin Strike.
Kirin Style is decent for a Magus or an Inquisitor (since they both have good Fort and Will saves)
I makes a nice way to get uber saves.
Eg a Dwarven Inquisitor of Irori
Could get +7 to saves vs Magic and SlA's
+2 Hardy
+1 Glory of Old Trait
+2 Steel Soul (feat)
+2 Kirin Style (feat, IUS is for free for worshipping Irori)
So 2 feats and 1 trait for +7 to saves on a stronng fort/will.
Not bad for a magus either.
Kirin Strike is ok but it's value is rated by int.
For example
Arcane Strike scales from +1 to +5 but can be used straight away.
Kiring strike by level 20, a magus could have 30 int for a +10 mod
But still takes 3 rds to setup.
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just a quick note you can still downgrade other actions for lesser ones, IE move for a swift
so round 1 swift action to kirin stance
move action sacked for swift action identify
standard action fireball (because why would I close into combat as a wizard)make spell attack since it is a swift action spent after the attack already hit
scorching ray: hits 4d6 damage swift action to apply +14 damage
second ray: hits 4d6 damage (sacrifice move action) +14 damagecongrats you can get 2 buffs on these per turn as long as you don't move
not as bad as it looks
although yes feat taxes and level prerequisites can be costly
still I would consider this as a Magus, as well as I would say that this is something really nice for someone going duelist
this is incorrect
Kirin Strike is ok but it's value is rated by int.
For example
Arcane Strike scales from +1 to +5 but can be used straight away.
Kiring strike by level 20, a magus could have 30 int for a +10 mod
But still takes 3 rds to setup.
And it's still only one attack per round, while by level 20, a Magus is easily making at least 4 attacks per round (5 if your DM allows haste to work).
My favorite use of Kirin Style is actually a somewhat unconventional one. Ranged combat. Specifically, an Grenadier alchemist.
At level 9, an alchemist using a composite longbow, Kirin Strike, alchemical weapon, an admixture funnel, and the Explosive Missile discovery would deal 1d8 (bow) +2d6 (acid flask, alch fire) +5d6 (bomb) + str (comp bow) + enhancement + 5x Int mod (bomb, 2x splash weapon, Kirin Strike).
You can also utilize the Focused Shot feat to have Intx5 damage every round. Alchemist also has access to Cognatogens, which can jack up Int at the expensive of Str (making a firearm or crossbow a potentially better option), as well as bomb admixture spells to increase damage flexibility.
My favorite use of Kirin Style is actually a somewhat unconventional one. Ranged combat. Specifically, an Grenadier alchemist.
At level 9, an alchemist using a composite longbow, Kirin Strike, alchemical weapon, an admixture funnel, and the Explosive Missile discovery would deal 1d8 (bow) +2d6 (acid flask, alch fire) +5d6 (bomb) + str (comp bow) + enhancement + 5x Int mod (bomb, 2x splash weapon, Kirin Strike).
You can also utilize the Focused Shot feat to have Intx5 damage every round. Alchemist also has access to Cognatogens, which can jack up Int at the expensive of Str (making a firearm or crossbow a potentially better option), as well as bomb admixture spells to increase damage flexibility.
Edit: Answered myself a bit by rereading more carefully.
What is an admixture funnel and where is it from? I didn't see it on pfsrd though I could have missed it.
My favorite use of Kirin Style is actually a somewhat unconventional one. Ranged combat. Specifically, an Grenadier alchemist.
At level 9, an alchemist using a composite longbow, Kirin Strike, alchemical weapon, an admixture funnel, and the Explosive Missile discovery would deal 1d8 (bow) +2d6 (acid flask, alch fire) +5d6 (bomb) + str (comp bow) + enhancement + 5x Int mod (bomb, 2x splash weapon, Kirin Strike).
You can also utilize the Focused Shot feat to have Intx5 damage every round. Alchemist also has access to Cognatogens, which can jack up Int at the expensive of Str (making a firearm or crossbow a potentially better option), as well as bomb admixture spells to increase damage flexibility.
Edit: Answered myself a bit by rereading more carefully.
What is an admixture funnel and where is it from? I didn't see it on pfsrd though I could have missed it.
Apologies, I was thinking of the wrong item name. The item in question is a Hybridization Funnel , which allows you to mix two alchemical items (fire, acid, etc) into a single vial, applying the effects of both in a single attack. So you'll get to add Int for bomb damage, once for each half of the hybridized flasks, and twice for Kirin Strike, for 5x Int in a single shot.
Thanks for the information. I always considered Explosive Missile a bit of a trap option, perhaps from seeing friends with poorly optimized character looking at it and going "holy s!~~ an extra 1d8 damage!" without considering they were now hitting normal AC... It's certainly an intriguing possibility now.
Also note that both Explosive Missile and Alchemical Weapon can also be used with one handed firearms. It could open up some interesting multiclass options. A Gunslinger (Pistolero) 5/Alchemist (Grenadier) 4 would have Weapon Training, adding Dex to his firearm damage, targeting touch AC, and still have Explosive Missile. You'd lose some bomb progression, but the main goal is the Throw Anything Int bonus and Alchemical Weapon.
Alchemist/Gunslinger multiclass is also useful for things like Two-Weapon Fighting with pistols, because the Vestigial Arm discovery lets you reload your guns, so you can have a pistol in both hands.
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You could take a monk with the archetypes Master of Many Styles and Sohei. This would allow you to start Eldritch Knight. And now there are ways of getting Prestige Classes sooner.
Kodger
I was thinking of doing this with a prehensile-hair-fighting witch. Dip sohei/MoMS at 7, then go into EK. Sort of limits you to 6 combats a day, but I don't think that is generally a problem. Won't work if you want to keep Slumbering people your whole career, but a fun option.