Ok so we've all seen them. Going place to place being badass with only pure skill and guts to protect them. Unarmoured swordsman. Now.. The type i want to achieve is the type that can go in and finish an enemy in a single strike and able to dodge out the way when they feel something coming.
What i have in mind in literally combinig the monk class with the samurai class and if everyone would like to help me balance this monstrosity that would be awesome.
iaijutsu Monk
Challenge (Ex): Once per day, a samurai can challenge a foe to combat. As a swift action, the samurai chooses one target within sight to challenge. The samurai's melee attacks deal extra damage when made against the target of his challenge. This extra damage is equal to the samurai's level. The samurai can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every three levels beyond 1st, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.
Challenging a foe requires much of the samurai's concentration. The samurai takes a –2 penalty to his Armor Class, except against attacks made by the target of his challenge.
The challenge remains in effect until the target is dead or unconscious, or until the combat ends. This replaces the monk's unarmed damage increase.
Iaijutsu Strike (Ex): A sword saint can perform a lightning quick iaijutsu strike against the target of his challenge to inflict devastating wounds while drawing his sword. After the sword saint has challenged a foe but before he has attacked the target of his challenge, he may choose to use his iaijutsu strike as a full-round action, making an attack roll with his weapon as normal. In order to use this ability, the sword saint’s weapon must be sheathed at the start of his turn. If he successfully hits his opponent with an iaijutsu strike, his attack deals an additional +1d6 points of damage. This bonus damage increases by an additional +1d6 at 3rd level and every two levels thereafter to a maximum of +10d6 damage at 19th level. Any extra damage as a result of a successful iaijutsu strike is not multiplied by a critical hit.
After making an iaijutsu strike, a sword saint takes a –4 penalty to his AC until his next turn, but his weapon is now drawn and he may continually to fight normally. Regardless of whether he hits his opponent with the iaijutsu strike, a sword saint cannot use this ability on the same foe more than once per day.
At 10th level, a sword saint learns to focus faster and is able to make an iaijutsu strike as a standard action, and the penalty to his AC is reduced to –2. This ability replaces a monk's flurry of blows.
These are really the only changes i want but if you guys think something else would be better let me know.
As it is, this archetype is a huge power down to the Monk. I'd allow it simply because it's so much weaker.
Weapon Adept from the Advanced Player's guide with a Temple Sword (Or 9 ring Broadsword) will be serviceable for this purpose.
Sword Saint Samurai already exists.
I know but i don't want armour and the weapon adept is just for monk weapons. This way you would be allowed the katana as a legitimate weapon choice without feats. Plus the speed boost from the monk makes this sword weilder terrifying just for the fact he can be in your face alot fast than anyone else. And how would it be weaker? The challange ability gives your 1 point of extra damage per lvl while the strike then gives you up to 10d6 of precision damage. If you use the unchained monk you get max 6 attacks all at 2d10. Thats minimum 12 damage plus str. This archetype would give you minimum dmg of 31 plus str, thats almost double than before?
Because you can't full-attack with Iaijitsu, and the math you're using is terribly flawed. Iaijitsu isn't even good for the normal Sword Saint and it's worse here, which is particularly impressive because vanilla Monk is already such a low bar.
Monks aren't proficient with Katanas so I don't know where you are getting the "legitimate weapon" idea.
Fast movement is almost meaningless for the first half of the Sword Saints career because you still need a full-round to Iaijitsu.
Challenge is fine, but it's no where near enough to carry everything else.
Iaijitsu is a junk ability at face value. It doesn't multiply with critical hits, nor does it function with Vital Strike. Maybe if it did either of those things it'd be worth something but by itself it's just a full-round Vital Strike that only works on an enemy 1/day. Hell, even Vital Strike has Devastating Strike. Good luck killing anyone with it.
You'd be better off building from the ground-up. The only decent thing Samurai's have is Resolve.
How about this? The ability to charge with the stike and an instant counter attack?
How about this? The ability to charge with the stike and an instant counter attack?
So the AC penalty for the strike would be -6/-8 in total?
What is an instant counter attack?
If you're allowed to homebrew, can you also use third-party material? DSP has released content that is exactly what you are looking for.
An instant counter strike would be: As an immediate action after being attacked you have the option to retaliate against your attacker. Dealing weapon damage and maybe 1/2 iaijutsu strike dmg?
My vision for a samurai class is more like a monk swashbuckler.
Points i really want is:
No armour
Iaijutsu strike
Decent reflex and fort saves
Best attack bonus
Evasion
Other class features i have no idea... Really dont care
Ehh, I don't know. I'd personally do something more like this:
As a full-round action the sword saint can draw his weapon with blinding speed to deliver an especially deadly attack. When he does this he makes a single melee attack against a target, but makes as many attack rolls as he can, based on his base attack bonus. He makes the attack rolls in order from highest bonus to lowest, as if he were making a full attack. If any of the attack rolls hit the target, the sword saints single attack is considered to have hit. For each additional successful attack roll beyond the first, the sword saint increases the damage of the attack by the base damage dice of his weapon, plus an additional 1d6 for every four sword saint levels he possess. Precision damage and extra damage from weapon special abilities (such as flaming) are added with damage modifiers and are not increases by this attack. If one or more rolls are critical threats, he confirms the critical once using his highest base attack bonus -5. If he successfully confirms the critical then the entire attack is considered to have been a critical hit and the damage for the attack is multiplied as normal. In order to use this ability, the sword saint's weapon must be sheathed at the start of his turn. After making an iaijutsu strike, a sword saint takes a -4 penalt to his AC until his next turn, but his weapon is now drawn and he may to continue to fight normally.
Points i really want is:
No armour
Iaijutsu strike
Decent reflex and fort saves
Best attack bonus
Evasion
Other class features i have no idea... Really dont care
Again, can we use third-party?
I'm thinking of a monk archetype centered around the use of a single weapon that replaces style strike with some kind of iajitsu attack, but I'm not sure if you're keen on waiting until 5th level. The upside is that giving it at that level adds power budget towards making it stronger.
I'm not sure how flexible you are with regards to iajitsu strike: whether you want it exactly as the sword saint or whether you just want an ability inspired by iajitsu. Real iajitsu wasn't just about attacking fast from a sheath. It was also about parrying and disarming quickly and unexpectedly. It's a combat style centered around counterattacking.
I'd be down with third party. I'm the DM. As long as it comes out playable i'm down. Waiting till 5th lvl could be doable and could give it flavor to work towards it.
I'd be down with third party. I'm the DM. As long as it comes out playable i'm down. Waiting till 5th lvl could be doable and could give it flavor to work towards it.
1) Play an Unchained Monk.
2) Take the Weapon Adept Archetype.
3) Either use a temple sword or the weapon creation rules to create a "monk" katana.
4) Take Martial Training I-VI
5) Either purchase Path of War: Expanded from Dreamscarred Press, or use their playtest document. Mithral Current is the Discipline you want
If you're willing to give up Full BAB you can also use the Stalker and be a lot stronger for it while still using Mithral Current.
So they brought back the swordsage from 3.5 and renamed it the deciple. Cool but not quite what i was looking for. More simplicity is what i was looking for still very cool. I'm starting to think that what i amlooking for does not exist and maybe i gotta look into my own class. I tried to make one a while back but no one gave me feed back on balancing it so maybe this is the place. I'll show what i had.
Ok here is what I have for the semi-completed product.
Sublime Blade
BAB:Fighter
Saves: reflex and will
Needed stats: dex and wisdom
HD: D8
Skills: 4+int
Proficiency: no armour, katana, wakazashi, scimitar, bastard sword, long sword, short sword, cutlass, nodachi.
1) Quick Draw, ki pool, Flash strike
Flash strike: once per round, as an attack action, the Sublime Blade can draw his weapon as a part of a devastating lightning quick attack. If successful the attack an additional +1d6 points of damage. This damage is precision based and is not multiplied on a critical hit. At 3rd level, and every 2 levels thereafter, this damage increases by +1d6 (to a maximum of +10d6 at 19th level).
Ki pool: You gain a ki pool equal to 1/2 your class level + your wisdom modifier. As long as you have 1 ki point remaining you may perform your Flash Strike, and are always considered to have a running start for any Acrobatics check.
If you spend a ki point not in conjunction with a Blade Talent, you may add an additional attack at your highest attack bonus, add 20ft to you movement, or add +4 dodge bonus to your AC for 1 round.
At 10th level he also reduces the DC of any acrobatics checks made to jump by 1/2.
2) Evasion, Blade Talent.
Blade Talents: Will be added at a later date.
3) Finese Training: The Sublime Blade now adds his Dexterity to attacks and damage.
4) Weapon Training, Blade Talent
Weapon Training: Starting at 4th level, a Sublime Blade gains a +1 bonus on attack damage. This only can applied to a single weapon of his choosing which can never be changed.
5) Brutal Slash (Ex): At 3rd level, a Sublime Blade’s flash strike becomes even more deadly. If a Sublime Blade threatens a critical hit with his iaijutsu strike, he adds a bonus equal to 1/2 his class level to the attack roll to confirm a critical hit.
6) Vital Strike, Blade Talent
Vital Strike: At 6th level gains Vital Strike as a bonus feat, even he does not have the prerequisites for the feat.
7) Iaijutsu (Ex): At 7th level, a Sublime Blade applies his Wisdom modifier as well as his Dexterity modifier on initiative rolls (minimum 0). A Sublime Blade may also make attacks of opportunity when flat-footed.
8) Weapon Training +2, Blade Talent
9) Guided Blade: After so much practice of slashing with lightning speed, the Sublime Blade now adds his Wisdom to attack and damage with his chosen weapon.
10) Sublime Talents, Talent, Cleave
Sublime Talents: More power talents to choose from. Will be added at a later date.
Improved Evasion (Ex).
11) Superior Reflexes (Ex): At 11th level, the Sublime Blade can make a number of attacks of opportunity in a round equal to his Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). This effect stacks with the Combat Reflexes feat.
12) Weapon Training +3, Improved Vital Strike, Talent
Improved Vital Strike: At 12th level the Sublime Blade gains the Improved Vital Strike as a bonus feat, even if he does not have the prerequisites.
13) Great Cleave
14) Talent
15) AC bonus: At 15th level a Sublime Blade now adds his Wisdom modifier to his AC for every category.
16) Weapon Training +4, Talent
17) Greater Vital Strike: At 17th level a Sublime Blade gains Greater Vital Strike as a bonus feat, even he does not have the prerequisites.
18) Talent
19) Insightful reflexes: As a show of dedicated training, a Sublime Blade now adds his Wisdom modifier as well as his Dexterity modifier to his reflex saves.
20) Weapon Mastery, Weapon Training +5, Talent.
Weapon Mastery: At 20th level a Sublime Blade has surpassed most other mortals in the way of the sword. Any attacks made with his chosen weapon automatically confirm all critical threats and their damage multiplier is increased by +1 (x2 becomes x3, for example). In addition, he cannot be disarmed while wielding his chosen weapon.