4th Edition Iaijutsu - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

4th Edition Iaijutsu

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
ambiguousakira
Jul 09, 2009 23:15:06 Iaijutsu [Multiclass Iaijutsu]
Prerequisite: Quick Draw
Benefit: Once per encounter you can make an iaijutsu strike. You must make a melee weapon attack with a one-handed heavy blade against a target granting you combat advantage, and you must draw your weapon as part of the attack. If you hit, you deal additional damage. The additional damage starts at 2d6. At 11th level, the additional damage increases to 4d6, and at 21st level it increases to 6d6.

Iaijutsu Novice
Prerequisite: 4th level, Iaijutsu
Benefit: You can swap one 3rd-level or higher encounter attack power you know for the Strike First, Strike Last attack power.

Iaijutsu Expert
Prerequisite: 8th level, Iaijutsu
Benefit: You can swap one 6th-level or higher utility power you know for the Swordmaster’s Feint utility power.

Iaijutsu Specialist
Prerequisite: 10th level, Iaijutsu
Benefit: You can swap one 9th-level or higher daily attack power you know for the Tate attack power.

Strike First, Strike Last Feat Power
Encounter – Weapon
Standard Action
Effect: Use a melee weapon at-will attack power. You must use a one-handed heavy blade. If you make the attack before your target acts in combat, and if you hit and deal your iaijutsu strike damage, you can deal your iaijutsu strike damage once more during this encounter.
11th level: You add your Charisma modifier to the bonus damage from your iaijutsu strike for this attack.
21st level: You add your Charisma modifier to the bonus damage from your iaijutsu strike for this attack and for the rest of the encounter.

Swordmaster’s Feint Feat Power
Encounter
Immediate Interrupt
Trigger: An enemy attacks you in melee
Effect: The attack misses, and you shift up to your speed into another unoccupied space adjacent to the triggering enemy, through the enemy’s space if need be. You gain combat advantage against the triggering enemy until the end of your next turn.

Tate Feat Power
Daily – Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Special: You shift up to double your speed before making the attack, but you must end your shift back in your original space. During this shift you can pass through enemies’ spaces.
Target: Up to three creatures whose spaces you passed through during your shift.
Requirement: You must be wielding a one-handed heavy blade.
Attack: Strength or Dexterity vs. AC, one attack per target
Hit: 1[W] + Strength or Dexterity modifier damage, plus your iaijutsu strike damage.
15th level: Target up to 4 creatures.
25th level: Target up to 5 creatures. Increase to 2[W] + Strength or Dexterity modifier damage, plus your iaijutsu strike damage.
Special: When you gain this power, you choose Strength or Dexterity to determine the power’s attack and damage bonus.

Master of the First Strike
Prerequisite: Iaijutsu
Benefit: The damage die of your iaijutsu strike increased to a d8.

Swordmaster
Prerequisite: Rogue, sneak attack
Benefit: You can use the katana (bastard sword) to make sneak attacks and use rogue powers and rogue paragon path powers that require a light blade. When making a sneak attack with the katana, reduce the number of sneak attack damage dice you deal by one.

Swordmaster’s Strike
Prerequisite: 11th level, rogue, sneak attack, Iaijutsu, Swordmaster
Benefit: When making a sneak attack with a katana, you do not reduce the sneak attack damage you deal.
#2
ambiguousakira
Jul 09, 2009 23:32:46 And here's the paragon path...

-----

Paragon Path – Iaijutsu Master

Prerequisites: Iaijutsu

Path Features
Strike From the Void (11th level): You add your Charisma modifier to damage when making an iaijutsu strike.
Lightning Blade (11th level): You gain a +5 bonus to initiative.
Strike With No Thought (16th level): You can spend an action point to use an at-will melee weapon attack power against an adjacent enemy that attacks you as an immediate interrupt, instead of taking an extra action. You cannot move or move your opponent as part of this attack, even if the attack normally allows it. You have combat advantage against the target for this attack, and can deal your iaijutsu strike damage if you have it available.
You can use this ability even when surprised.

One Strike, Two Cuts Iaijutsu Master Attack 11
Attacking with blinding speed, what appears to others to be a single attack is actually two.
Encounter – Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Requirement: You must be wielding a one-handed heavy blade.
Attack: Strength or Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength or Dexterity modifier damage.
Effect: Make a secondary attack against the same target.
Secondary Attack: Strength or Dexterity vs. AC; if you hit with the primary attack, you have combat advantage for this attack.
Hit: The target takes your iaijutsu strike damage.
Special: When you gain this power you choose Strength or Dexterity to determine the power’s attack and damage bonuses.

Iaijutsu Focus Iaijutsu Master Utility 12
Using your mastery of swordsmanship as a ground, you focus to overcome your ailments and return to a purer state.
Daily – Martial
Minor Action Personal
Effect: Make a saving throw against a single effect that a save can end. You gain a +5 bonus to this saving throw.

Perfect Cut Iaijutsu Master Attack 20
Seeing through the chaos of battle with absolute clarity, you rush your target with unfettered focus. You feint many times, your movements so swift that you appear to be on all sides of your opponent before you finally strike.
Daily – Martial, Reliable, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature.
Requirement: You must be wielding a one-handed heavy blade.
Special: You can shift up to your speed toward the target before the attack.
Attack: Strength or Dexterity vs. AC; you have combat advantage for this attack.
Hit: 5[W] + Strength or Dexterity modifier damage, and you can deal your iaijutsu strike damage if you have it available.
Special: When you gain this power you choose Strength or Dexterity to determine the power’s attack and damage bonuses.
#3
doneisi
Jul 10, 2009 1:28:09 Sneak attack is too powerful for a feat. I suggest something more flavorful than just extra damage. Since iaijutsu consists exclusively of the portion of combat where the sword is drawn, I suggest giving quick draw and an added something to the first attack made in combat.
#4
shinkirou
Jul 10, 2009 3:13:37 Personally, I'd just make the entire thing a fighter paragon path.
#5
ambiguousakira
Jul 10, 2009 3:25:09 I originally started trying to adapt the 3rd edition version of Iaijutsu into 4th as its own class: Swordmaster. But iaijutsu translated into something too similar to sneak attack to warrant a new class. After that it was a rogue option, building on sneak attack, but a friend brought up the fact that his first image of an iaijutsu user was not a rogue. Thus came the option for the multiclass feat line and paragon path.

Yes, giving full sneak attack, albeit with a specific weapon, is very powerful. That's why I made it a multiclassing option similar to the Bravo or weapon feat lines, as a measure of limitation. It's still a lot from one feat, and I acknowledge that. Getting back the feel of the 3rd edition iaijutsu rules while making it balanced in the new system will require more tinkering. Thank you for your input so far, keep it coming!

I don't want to limit the option to a single class, though, as there are several archetypes for the quick-draw style character.
#6
Hebitsuikaza
Jul 10, 2009 4:58:44 It might not be so bad once you consider the requirements you have for this.

Then they must purchase the Superior Weapon (Bastard Sword) feat.
Then they must purchase the Iajutsu path as a Multiclass feat.
Then they have to purchase feats at each of the appropriate levels to unlock these powers.

I believe there are a number of Rogue powers that wouldn't even work utilizing a Bastard Sword, I might be wrong though.

So given the sheer volume of committment that this requires-- basically you have to dedicate all your feats to it to the exclusion of anything else, it may not be too bad.

Although the Swordsmaster special ability is overpowered. With this feat you are allowing the Rogue to suddenly near double the damage of all their attacks. For 2 feats worth of investment, that's far too much.
#7
ambiguousakira
Jul 10, 2009 17:24:35 Actually, a rogue doesn't double their damage with the Swordmaster feat. It's probably not terribly clear in the description, but when the sneak attack and iaijutsu strike become one and the same, I mean that they are exactly the same feature, and thus in total can only be used once per round (unless you've got Slaying Action). This is covered in the Iaijutsu and Sneak Attack little section, and the Swordmaster feat does not negate this limitation. It does allow them to move up from dealing their sneak attacks on a d6 weapon at most to doing it with a d10 weapon, but that falls in line with other feats that allow the use of unconventional weapons for sneak attacking and rogue powers.

Thank you for pointing out what you did there, Hebitsuikaza. The idea was that balance was based on the fact that it is a major investment for a character concept. Basically, if you are an iaijutsu character, you probably don't have much room for much else.

Awesome feedback guys, don't stop now!
#8
bone_naga
Jul 10, 2009 17:38:03 Even with the number of feats invested, its too much. You're granting an at-will Sneak Attack for 2 feats. Even someone that takes all the rogue multiclass feats only gets it 1/encounter. This seriously threatens to disrupt balance, especially for rangers, who will benefit from bastard sword proficiency anyway, since they can dual wield them, and then they can combine the Iajutsu damage with Hunter's Quarry.

Also, rogues who take the initial multiclass feat don't really gain anything other than being able to sneak attack with a bastard sword, not much gain for the two feats they put into it, especially since that weapon won't work with many of their powers. On the other hand, its a huge damage boost for any other character that uses a bastard sword. So compared to other multiclass feats, its useless to one class, and completely overpowered for other classes.

Tone it down to 1/encounter (which IMO fits better with the theme anyway), remove the restriction on using it with sneak attack, and maybe open it up to other weapons besides the katana. This doesn't have to be a strict historical representation.

EDIT: I also want to point out that balancing it through the fact that it requires 2 feats isn't much of a balancing factor, since the character using this concept would probably be taking the first feat anyway, and the character still gains a bonus from that first feat, so its not like this single feat cost 2 slots.

The feat also allows other classes to seriously encroach on striker territory, while also being nearly useless to the rogue--a striker.
#9
anthonyj
Jul 10, 2009 18:35:35 Why is iaijutsu an at-will power? I certainly don't see evidence in-genre for it being used in a significant offensive role more than once per encounter.
#10
ambiguousakira
Jul 11, 2009 2:32:45 The reason it appears as a 1/round thing is because it was originally based on the rules coming out of 3rd edition, which had no limiting factor other than the target being flat-footed.

From the feedback I've started thinking about the 1/encounter thing, and separating it from sneak attack. Hadn't occurred to me before, but it seems like a great idea now. I'll tweak with it some more, and post a 1/encounter version up here once it's fleshed out.

Thanks once again for the input.
#11
ambiguousakira
Jul 13, 2009 12:23:51 Okay! Updated so that the base rule is once per encounter. The later abilities build on making the damage better and applying the damage more often. What do we think now?
#12
bone_naga
Jul 13, 2009 15:45:01 Much better. I would still tweak it just a touch more. Increase damage to +3d6 at 11th and +5d6 at 21st. This keeps it in line with the rogue's sneak attack. It will already be dealing slightly more damage than SA because of it using heavy blades, so there's no need to give it even more damage.

On the other hand, I would not consider the heavy blade advantage so good that (assuming the damage is brought in line with SA) it makes SA obsolete. The iaijutsu is only available through multiclass feats, and does not grant a trained skill, so overall I would say it balances out.

I'm not as good at rating powers, especially multiclass only powers, so I'll let someone else touch on those.
#13
ambiguousakira
Jul 14, 2009 2:36:46 Thanks much. I'm really appreciating the feedback, folks. Don't stop now! Even a simple "Yay, looks good" or a "you fail, do it this way" is better than a resounding silence which threatens to consume all hope of a better tomorrow.
#14
theone
Jul 14, 2009 4:22:58 I think it looks pretty good, but I think the level 9 daily power is a little strong. Compared to the daily power of the wild runner(barbarian)(level 20):

2W vs 3W--Nods goes to WR
3 or more targets vs 2 targets--Goes to Iaijutsu
All attacks are 2W vs decease in W for secondary target--Goes to Iaijustsu
Shifts speed vs Shifts Str mod--even
Does extra Iaijustsu damage vs immobilization--even
Rage effect vs ?--WR

Maybe a closer comparison would be against the warlord PP from MP...the one of Kord.

Their daily lets them shift(their speed I think), and gain a number of basic attacks equal their Chr. I think they can also hit the same target multiple times though. I think this is more powerful, but not by much.

Maybe clarify that extra damage from Iaijutsu can be used only the initial attack and you have to attack a different target each time.
#15
ambiguousakira
Jul 14, 2009 22:40:47 Hrm... I clarified that Tate is one attack per target. Iaijutsu attacks fall closer in line with strikers than other classes, so the barbarian comparison is probably a better case. I think you might be right about it being a bit much on the damage side, particularly at 10th level when you can first gain the attack. I'm going to change it to 1[W] damage, and have that upgrade later, though the primary benefit of its upgrading will still lie with the greater number of targets and the natural increase in the damage of an iaijutsu strike.
#16
RedHeadSamurai23
Jul 16, 2009 9:48:01 you might want to take a look at the Samurai Class that Magus Stragus and I are working on. the Iaijutsu thing is one of the builds we have worked for it.
#17
wancow
Aug 17, 2009 20:43:15
Personally, I'd just make the entire thing a fighter paragon path.

I wouldn't.

I'd make it a Warlord Build, from level 1.
#18
pierson
Mar 14, 2010 11:28:47 I don't know. Thinking about iaijutsu as anything more than taking the initiative on an attacker and striking them first seems to fantastical (considering I grew up with anime, 3.0 OA, and the like before getting into iaido).

I mean, almost any sword of similar length could theoretically be used in an iaijutsu-type fashion. It doesn't even have to be curved, you just have to pull it out in the right movement.

But to be honest, I wouldn't base anything in-game off of a real sword maneuver with multiple uses. Even for someone who is committed to an attack and running at you is susceptible to you changing the distance and putting the tip of the blade in his face, so, in essence, you could do the technique multiple times (after resheathing your sword of course).

I'd liken iaijutsu to simply being flavor text. If you've ever play Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, Akane Yagyu begins most move-sets with a draw, cut, and resheathing. A simple basic melee attack or perhaps an at-will power.

Using the draw-cut to take the center-line between you and an opponent could be the effect of using a power that gives you a bonus to attack or defense (or even issuing Combat Challenge) on a target.

But that's just my take on it. It's your game, your idea, your rules, and your players, so you can play accordingly. My players hate anything Japanese or martial arts related being over the top.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 ambiguousakira Jul 09, 2009 23:15:06	Iaijutsu [Multiclass Iaijutsu] Prerequisite: Quick Draw Benefit: Once per encounter you can make an iaijutsu strike. You must make a melee weapon attack with a one-handed heavy blade against a target granting you combat advantage, and you must draw your weapon as part of the attack. If you hit, you deal additional damage. The additional damage starts at 2d6. At 11th level, the additional damage increases to 4d6, and at 21st level it increases to 6d6. Iaijutsu Novice Prerequisite: 4th level, Iaijutsu Benefit: You can swap one 3rd-level or higher encounter attack power you know for the Strike First, Strike Last attack power. Iaijutsu Expert Prerequisite: 8th level, Iaijutsu Benefit: You can swap one 6th-level or higher utility power you know for the Swordmaster’s Feint utility power. Iaijutsu Specialist Prerequisite: 10th level, Iaijutsu Benefit: You can swap one 9th-level or higher daily attack power you know for the Tate attack power. Strike First, Strike Last Feat Power Encounter – Weapon Standard Action Effect: Use a melee weapon at-will attack power. You must use a one-handed heavy blade. If you make the attack before your target acts in combat, and if you hit and deal your iaijutsu strike damage, you can deal your iaijutsu strike damage once more during this encounter. 11th level: You add your Charisma modifier to the bonus damage from your iaijutsu strike for this attack. 21st level: You add your Charisma modifier to the bonus damage from your iaijutsu strike for this attack and for the rest of the encounter. Swordmaster’s Feint Feat Power Encounter Immediate Interrupt Trigger: An enemy attacks you in melee Effect: The attack misses, and you shift up to your speed into another unoccupied space adjacent to the triggering enemy, through the enemy’s space if need be. You gain combat advantage against the triggering enemy until the end of your next turn. Tate Feat Power Daily – Weapon Standard Action Melee weapon Special: You shift up to double your speed before making the attack, but you must end your shift back in your original space. During this shift you can pass through enemies’ spaces. Target: Up to three creatures whose spaces you passed through during your shift. Requirement: You must be wielding a one-handed heavy blade. Attack: Strength or Dexterity vs. AC, one attack per target Hit: 1[W] + Strength or Dexterity modifier damage, plus your iaijutsu strike damage. 15th level: Target up to 4 creatures. 25th level: Target up to 5 creatures. Increase to 2[W] + Strength or Dexterity modifier damage, plus your iaijutsu strike damage. Special: When you gain this power, you choose Strength or Dexterity to determine the power’s attack and damage bonus. Master of the First Strike Prerequisite: Iaijutsu Benefit: The damage die of your iaijutsu strike increased to a d8. Swordmaster Prerequisite: Rogue, sneak attack Benefit: You can use the katana (bastard sword) to make sneak attacks and use rogue powers and rogue paragon path powers that require a light blade. When making a sneak attack with the katana, reduce the number of sneak attack damage dice you deal by one. Swordmaster’s Strike Prerequisite: 11th level, rogue, sneak attack, Iaijutsu, Swordmaster Benefit: When making a sneak attack with a katana, you do not reduce the sneak attack damage you deal.
#2 ambiguousakira Jul 09, 2009 23:32:46	And here's the paragon path... ----- Paragon Path – Iaijutsu Master Prerequisites: Iaijutsu Path Features Strike From the Void (11th level): You add your Charisma modifier to damage when making an iaijutsu strike. Lightning Blade (11th level): You gain a +5 bonus to initiative. Strike With No Thought (16th level): You can spend an action point to use an at-will melee weapon attack power against an adjacent enemy that attacks you as an immediate interrupt, instead of taking an extra action. You cannot move or move your opponent as part of this attack, even if the attack normally allows it. You have combat advantage against the target for this attack, and can deal your iaijutsu strike damage if you have it available. You can use this ability even when surprised. One Strike, Two Cuts Iaijutsu Master Attack 11 Attacking with blinding speed, what appears to others to be a single attack is actually two. Encounter – Martial, Weapon Standard Action Melee weapon Target: One creature Requirement: You must be wielding a one-handed heavy blade. Attack: Strength or Dexterity vs. AC Hit: 1[W] + Strength or Dexterity modifier damage. Effect: Make a secondary attack against the same target. Secondary Attack: Strength or Dexterity vs. AC; if you hit with the primary attack, you have combat advantage for this attack. Hit: The target takes your iaijutsu strike damage. Special: When you gain this power you choose Strength or Dexterity to determine the power’s attack and damage bonuses. Iaijutsu Focus Iaijutsu Master Utility 12 Using your mastery of swordsmanship as a ground, you focus to overcome your ailments and return to a purer state. Daily – Martial Minor Action Personal Effect: Make a saving throw against a single effect that a save can end. You gain a +5 bonus to this saving throw. Perfect Cut Iaijutsu Master Attack 20 Seeing through the chaos of battle with absolute clarity, you rush your target with unfettered focus. You feint many times, your movements so swift that you appear to be on all sides of your opponent before you finally strike. Daily – Martial, Reliable, Weapon Standard Action Melee weapon Target: One creature. Requirement: You must be wielding a one-handed heavy blade. Special: You can shift up to your speed toward the target before the attack. Attack: Strength or Dexterity vs. AC; you have combat advantage for this attack. Hit: 5[W] + Strength or Dexterity modifier damage, and you can deal your iaijutsu strike damage if you have it available. Special: When you gain this power you choose Strength or Dexterity to determine the power’s attack and damage bonuses.
#3 doneisi Jul 10, 2009 1:28:09	Sneak attack is too powerful for a feat. I suggest something more flavorful than just extra damage. Since iaijutsu consists exclusively of the portion of combat where the sword is drawn, I suggest giving quick draw and an added something to the first attack made in combat.
#4 shinkirou Jul 10, 2009 3:13:37	Personally, I'd just make the entire thing a fighter paragon path.
#5 ambiguousakira Jul 10, 2009 3:25:09	I originally started trying to adapt the 3rd edition version of Iaijutsu into 4th as its own class: Swordmaster. But iaijutsu translated into something too similar to sneak attack to warrant a new class. After that it was a rogue option, building on sneak attack, but a friend brought up the fact that his first image of an iaijutsu user was not a rogue. Thus came the option for the multiclass feat line and paragon path. Yes, giving full sneak attack, albeit with a specific weapon, is very powerful. That's why I made it a multiclassing option similar to the Bravo or weapon feat lines, as a measure of limitation. It's still a lot from one feat, and I acknowledge that. Getting back the feel of the 3rd edition iaijutsu rules while making it balanced in the new system will require more tinkering. Thank you for your input so far, keep it coming! I don't want to limit the option to a single class, though, as there are several archetypes for the quick-draw style character.
#6 Hebitsuikaza Jul 10, 2009 4:58:44	It might not be so bad once you consider the requirements you have for this. Then they must purchase the Superior Weapon (Bastard Sword) feat. Then they must purchase the Iajutsu path as a Multiclass feat. Then they have to purchase feats at each of the appropriate levels to unlock these powers. I believe there are a number of Rogue powers that wouldn't even work utilizing a Bastard Sword, I might be wrong though. So given the sheer volume of committment that this requires-- basically you have to dedicate all your feats to it to the exclusion of anything else, it may not be too bad. Although the Swordsmaster special ability is overpowered. With this feat you are allowing the Rogue to suddenly near double the damage of all their attacks. For 2 feats worth of investment, that's far too much.
#7 ambiguousakira Jul 10, 2009 17:24:35	Actually, a rogue doesn't double their damage with the Swordmaster feat. It's probably not terribly clear in the description, but when the sneak attack and iaijutsu strike become one and the same, I mean that they are exactly the same feature, and thus in total can only be used once per round (unless you've got Slaying Action). This is covered in the Iaijutsu and Sneak Attack little section, and the Swordmaster feat does not negate this limitation. It does allow them to move up from dealing their sneak attacks on a d6 weapon at most to doing it with a d10 weapon, but that falls in line with other feats that allow the use of unconventional weapons for sneak attacking and rogue powers. Thank you for pointing out what you did there, Hebitsuikaza. The idea was that balance was based on the fact that it is a major investment for a character concept. Basically, if you are an iaijutsu character, you probably don't have much room for much else. Awesome feedback guys, don't stop now!
#8 bone_naga Jul 10, 2009 17:38:03	Even with the number of feats invested, its too much. You're granting an at-will Sneak Attack for 2 feats. Even someone that takes all the rogue multiclass feats only gets it 1/encounter. This seriously threatens to disrupt balance, especially for rangers, who will benefit from bastard sword proficiency anyway, since they can dual wield them, and then they can combine the Iajutsu damage with Hunter's Quarry. Also, rogues who take the initial multiclass feat don't really gain anything other than being able to sneak attack with a bastard sword, not much gain for the two feats they put into it, especially since that weapon won't work with many of their powers. On the other hand, its a huge damage boost for any other character that uses a bastard sword. So compared to other multiclass feats, its useless to one class, and completely overpowered for other classes. Tone it down to 1/encounter (which IMO fits better with the theme anyway), remove the restriction on using it with sneak attack, and maybe open it up to other weapons besides the katana. This doesn't have to be a strict historical representation. EDIT: I also want to point out that balancing it through the fact that it requires 2 feats isn't much of a balancing factor, since the character using this concept would probably be taking the first feat anyway, and the character still gains a bonus from that first feat, so its not like this single feat cost 2 slots. The feat also allows other classes to seriously encroach on striker territory, while also being nearly useless to the rogue--a striker.
#9 anthonyj Jul 10, 2009 18:35:35	Why is iaijutsu an at-will power? I certainly don't see evidence in-genre for it being used in a significant offensive role more than once per encounter.
#10 ambiguousakira Jul 11, 2009 2:32:45	The reason it appears as a 1/round thing is because it was originally based on the rules coming out of 3rd edition, which had no limiting factor other than the target being flat-footed. From the feedback I've started thinking about the 1/encounter thing, and separating it from sneak attack. Hadn't occurred to me before, but it seems like a great idea now. I'll tweak with it some more, and post a 1/encounter version up here once it's fleshed out. Thanks once again for the input.
#11 ambiguousakira Jul 13, 2009 12:23:51	Okay! Updated so that the base rule is once per encounter. The later abilities build on making the damage better and applying the damage more often. What do we think now?
#12 bone_naga Jul 13, 2009 15:45:01	Much better. I would still tweak it just a touch more. Increase damage to +3d6 at 11th and +5d6 at 21st. This keeps it in line with the rogue's sneak attack. It will already be dealing slightly more damage than SA because of it using heavy blades, so there's no need to give it even more damage. On the other hand, I would not consider the heavy blade advantage so good that (assuming the damage is brought in line with SA) it makes SA obsolete. The iaijutsu is only available through multiclass feats, and does not grant a trained skill, so overall I would say it balances out. I'm not as good at rating powers, especially multiclass only powers, so I'll let someone else touch on those.
#13 ambiguousakira Jul 14, 2009 2:36:46	Thanks much. I'm really appreciating the feedback, folks. Don't stop now! Even a simple "Yay, looks good" or a "you fail, do it this way" is better than a resounding silence which threatens to consume all hope of a better tomorrow.
#14 theone Jul 14, 2009 4:22:58	I think it looks pretty good, but I think the level 9 daily power is a little strong. Compared to the daily power of the wild runner(barbarian)(level 20): 2W vs 3W--Nods goes to WR 3 or more targets vs 2 targets--Goes to Iaijutsu All attacks are 2W vs decease in W for secondary target--Goes to Iaijustsu Shifts speed vs Shifts Str mod--even Does extra Iaijustsu damage vs immobilization--even Rage effect vs ?--WR Maybe a closer comparison would be against the warlord PP from MP...the one of Kord. Their daily lets them shift(their speed I think), and gain a number of basic attacks equal their Chr. I think they can also hit the same target multiple times though. I think this is more powerful, but not by much. Maybe clarify that extra damage from Iaijutsu can be used only the initial attack and you have to attack a different target each time.
#15 ambiguousakira Jul 14, 2009 22:40:47	Hrm... I clarified that Tate is one attack per target. Iaijutsu attacks fall closer in line with strikers than other classes, so the barbarian comparison is probably a better case. I think you might be right about it being a bit much on the damage side, particularly at 10th level when you can first gain the attack. I'm going to change it to 1[W] damage, and have that upgrade later, though the primary benefit of its upgrading will still lie with the greater number of targets and the natural increase in the damage of an iaijutsu strike.
#16 RedHeadSamurai23 Jul 16, 2009 9:48:01	you might want to take a look at the Samurai Class that Magus Stragus and I are working on. the Iaijutsu thing is one of the builds we have worked for it.
#17 wancow Aug 17, 2009 20:43:15	Personally, I'd just make the entire thing a fighter paragon path. I wouldn't. I'd make it a Warlord Build, from level 1.
#18 pierson Mar 14, 2010 11:28:47	I don't know. Thinking about iaijutsu as anything more than taking the initiative on an attacker and striking them first seems to fantastical (considering I grew up with anime, 3.0 OA, and the like before getting into iaido). I mean, almost any sword of similar length could theoretically be used in an iaijutsu-type fashion. It doesn't even have to be curved, you just have to pull it out in the right movement. But to be honest, I wouldn't base anything in-game off of a real sword maneuver with multiple uses. Even for someone who is committed to an attack and running at you is susceptible to you changing the distance and putting the tip of the blade in his face, so, in essence, you could do the technique multiple times (after resheathing your sword of course). I'd liken iaijutsu to simply being flavor text. If you've ever play Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, Akane Yagyu begins most move-sets with a draw, cut, and resheathing. A simple basic melee attack or perhaps an at-will power. Using the draw-cut to take the center-line between you and an opponent could be the effect of using a power that gives you a bonus to attack or defense (or even issuing Combat Challenge) on a target. But that's just my take on it. It's your game, your idea, your rules, and your players, so you can play accordingly. My players hate anything Japanese or martial arts related being over the top.