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Hey all. Some of you may know of the ancient art of Panther Style, which allows one to retaliate against any fool foolish enough to strike you for moving around the battlefield. It's a powerful art, to be sure, but I've been scratching my head for days about a good way to utilize it, and I could use some more brainpower.
To use Panther Style to its fullest effectiveness, one must:
1) Be OK with getting attacked A LOT
2) Have something good to do with a standard action
3) Have a Wisdom of at least 15 to qualify for Panther Claw and Panther Parry
4) Have a decent move speed
So far the best thing I've come up with is a Titan Mauler Barbarian using Vital Strike, and a reach cleric with the Plant domain, but both of these builds have their problems.
So what are your best exemplars of the Panther style?
PS: Remember that one can start the turn with two hands on a weapon, take one hand off to move around with it, and then reaffirm their grip to attack.
PPS: Note that many builds, including the ones I said above, benefit from taking a level of Unarmed Fighter to get Improved Unarmed Strike and Panther Style for free.
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Personally I would stick with Snake Style. It's a little different in how it lets you retaliate, in a good way, and it gives you other nice perks.
They aren't too far from eachother, and Snake Style would be used more often. They both rely on needing high AC to stay alive to "soak" those attacks and return attacks. Keep in mind, your enemies will catch on quickly and stop using their AoO's on you when you're running around all panther-like or snake-like. Also keep in mind, that snake style would always be available even on single targets as long as you're getting attacked, where-as panther style would only operate off of their AoOs. Not all creatures will have Combat Reflexes and/or a high dex to go with it either!
I would recommend a class... but I'm way to addicted to Monks. :P
Snake Style (Combat, Style)
You watch your foe’s every movement and then punch through its defense.
Prerequisite: Improved Unarmed Strike, Acrobatics 1 rank, Sense Motive 3 ranks.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Sense Motive checks, and you can deal piercing damage with your unarmed strikes. While using the Snake Style feat, when an opponent targets you with a melee or ranged attack, you can spend an immediate action to make a Sense Motive check. You can use the result as your AC or touch AC against that attack. You must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed.
Normal: An unarmed strike deals bludgeoning damage.
Snake Sidewind (Combat)
Your sensitive twisting movements make you difficult to anticipate combat.
Prerequisite: Improved Unarmed Strike, Snake Style, Acrobatics 3 ranks, Sense Motive 6 ranks.
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus to CMD against trip combat maneuvers and on Acrobatics checks and saving throws to avoid being knocked prone. While using the Snake Style feat, whenever you score a critical threat with your unarmed strike, you can make a Sense Motive check in place of the attack roll to confirm the critical hit. Whenever you score a critical hit with your unarmed strike, you can spend an immediate action to take a 5-foot step even if you have otherwise moved this round.
Normal: You can take a 5-foot step only if you have not otherwise moved this round.
Snake Fang (Combat)
You can unleash attacks against an opponent that has dropped its guard.
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes, Improved Unarmed Strike, Snake Sidewind, Snake Style, Acrobatics 6 ranks, Sense Motive 9 ranks.
Benefit: While using the Snake Style feat, when an opponent’s attack misses you, you can make an unarmed strike against that opponent as an attack of opportunity. If this attack of opportunity hits, you can spend an immediate action to make another unarmed strike against the same opponent.
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Panther is a really bad style.
Not only do you have to give up full attacking.
Not only do you have to hope enemies actually take the bait and choose to attack you.
Not only does it have onerous requirements and isn't really worth using until you have all 3 of its feats.
The rules also restrict a creature to one AoO for movement of yours that provokes. So even if enemies had combat reflexes, and would willingly keep attacking you... You can only use it once per enemy per turn...ever, basically. And if you want to make a mook killer, there are far FAR better ways to go.
Friends don't let friends invest in Panther Style.
works decent on natural attack (invulnerable rager) barbarians. when paired with CaGM. while charge-pouncing the guy at the back, you get to take two swings at anyone dumb enough to attack you along the way, followed by usually murdering the guy you were pouncing.
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1. moving through a threatened space only provokes once, even if you literally run in circles around the target.
2. panther style is a very good feat chain for a high AOO or AOO/trip build, when mixed with MOMS monk.
3. i would mix panther style with thunder and fang, combat reflexes, vital strike, and crane (or snake style) to give you a super high number of attacks per round at full bab.
something like:
MoMS 8/fighter 4 (weapon master)to gain a bunch of free feats, panther style, crane style, and snake style if you can get it. it would give you something like 4 attacks on the same target at 2d6 + strength + magic and weapon modifiers, much better then a monks unarmed damage at that level. making sure to pick up the trait that reduces your fighting defensively penalty and you lose nothing by level 3
how does vital strike increase your number of attacks, exactly?
also, for those who cant grab MoMS, unarmed fighter is a decent start.
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1. moving through a threatened space only provokes once, even if you literally run in circles around the target.
2. panther style is a very good feat chain for a high AOO or AOO/trip build, when mixed with MOMS monk.
3. i would mix panther style with thunder and fang, combat reflexes, vital strike, and crane (or snake style) to give you a super high number of attacks per round at full bab.
something like:
MoMS 4/fighter 4 (weapon master)to gain a bunch of free feats, panther style, crane style, and snake style if you can get it. it would give you something like 4 attacks on the same target at 2d6 + strength + magic and weapon modifiers, much better then a monks unarmed damage at that level. making sure to pick up the trait that reduces your fighting defensively penalty and you lose nothing by level 3
1. Unless you have enough movement, and you can enter and leave their threatened area repeatedly(which is very, Very cheesy)
2. It's OK.
3. If you can combine that many, YEAHYUH!
how does vital strike increase your number of attacks, exactly?
It doesn't - it makes your standard attack more worthwhile.