Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Andarious-Rosethorn Jun 28, 2013 23:41:25	So, for those that don't know the class feature Decisive Strike comes from PHB2, it's available at level 1 and replaces Flurry for Monks. You need to use a Full Round Action to use it, and when doing so may make an attack that deals double normal damage, taking a penalty equivalent to a flurry attack of a monk of your level. At level 11 you can hit two targets this way, but not the same target twice. The neat thing about this though (the exploitable thing, if you would) is that you the double damage effect persists until the start of your next turn. So recently I've been looking it over and I've come up with some neat tricks with it. Use a Quarterstaff (or a feat to make another two handable or two handed weapon a Monk Weapon, if your DM allows that to work). Use Power Attack Now, that's about the best damage you can squeeze out of the feature per attack. The rest of the trick comes out of stuff like Combat Reflexes, Dancing/Raging Mongoose (Maneuver), and Robilar's Gambit (PHB2 Also). Extra AOO's per opportunity don't hurt either, stuff like the Rapid Counter Maneuver or the Dragon Mag sourced Improved/Greater Combat Reflexes. Finally we noticed an interesting interaction with a Belt of Battle, if you use it after you attack with a Decisive Strike you can then make a Full Attack with double damage. Or use it with the Ruby or Diamond Nightmare Blade Maneuvers to deal 4 or 8 times normal damage, respectively. Any other neat way to milk this fairly interesting but oddly designed ability?
#2 frost.fire Jun 29, 2013 11:42:43	I had a thought about this but have not yet researched it, what about avalance of blades and stormguard, the large stacking bonuses then doubled would hit like a truck.
#3 Andarious-Rosethorn Jun 29, 2013 11:52:49	That's not so different from Ruby Nightmare Blade though, although you could do that with the whole Belt of Battle trick to get a Diamond Nightmare Blade up to *8, and that's rediculous.
#4 Andarious-Rosethorn Jun 29, 2013 11:54:44	Actually I'm not sure it would be times 8, might just be times 5. The general multiplication rules for one thing make me think that, and for another the wording on Maneuvers saying they don't multiply on a critical hit, only the base weapon damage does. So conservatively it's times 5, for a total of 7 times normal weapon damage for the round. That may make Time Stands Still the better trick as it would allow two full attacks each with doubled up damage.
#5 Caker Jun 29, 2013 14:37:09	Use factotum's cunning surge to gain lots of attacks and get +int to damage also. Use carmendine monk to get int as your main stat. Shadow Blade to get +dex to damage. Maybe craven for some more flat increase? So now you can nova all of your IP on extra attacks while under the effects of decisive strike. Not sure where to go after Monk1/Factotum8, more flat damage increases from somewhere? Is spending a feat to pick up a shadow hand maneuver worth it, or is it better just to dip swordsage? In the same vein, is the dex to damage worth it?
#6 Andarious-Rosethorn Jun 29, 2013 14:43:47	See a big part of me just wants to go Monk 2 (for the BAB, Evasion and Combat Reflxes), then a pile of Warblade for the crazy aforementioned Boosts and Strikes. Also Full BAB to power the ol' Power Attack. Factotum does the job an interesting way though.
#7 Caker Jun 29, 2013 14:50:52	Martial Monk makes this much easier, but honestly it is incredibly cheesy. Let's you pick any fighter bonus feats as your monk feats and you still ignore prereqs. I really want dual strike, giving me two attacks for each standard action. Swashbuckler 3 Gets us another source of int to damage.
#8 Tempest_Stormwind Jun 29, 2013 15:37:57	Another possibility: Monk 2 / Tashalatora psionic class 9 (say, psychic warrior for lots of natural attacks), then round it out with high-level martial adept maneuvers. Tash + Psi class advances "flurry"; it should also advance Decisive Strike up to the no-penalty two-smack area. Also, oddly enough, if the attack deals "double damage" and part of the attack is that it deals ability score damage, is the ability score damage also doubled? Slight variation: Monk 2 / Warblade 3 / War Mind (+Tashalatora) 9 / Warblade +6. (If you're only capping out at 9 MLs before blending in the Sublime Way, War Mind is a surprisingly good class for this.) Intersperse the warblade levels in with the Tash-War Mind to get upgraded stances (Warblade stance timing lends itself to this, as it gets its third stance at level 4 (IL 5 gives third-level stances)). Meanwhile, Sweeping Strike (+Expansion or +Reach if you want melee reach) gives you more opportunities to share the love decisively. May need the lower level chassis juggled a little bit but should work just peachy.
#9 draco1119 Jun 29, 2013 15:44:50	Isn't there a feat in the ECS that makes a spear a monk weapon, too?
#10 Tempest_Stormwind Jun 29, 2013 15:57:31	Isn't there a feat in the ECS that makes a spear a monk weapon, too? Serpent Strike, and on the build we're toying around with, it's there. There's just... sometimes the best way to trigger a provoke is Robilar's, and the longspear can't hit back if that's the case. Mind you, it is a two-handed reach monk weapon, so it's still probably a good choice (particularly if you observe the spear is on the Desert Wind list of weapons.) EDIT: Andarious, check the repository for one of those suggestions above tossed in quick and dirty. Look at its base stats too.
#11 Caker Jun 29, 2013 16:29:26	Shou Disciple let's you flurry with light weapons at 3, and any weapon at 5.
#12 VorpalBunny Jun 30, 2013 9:32:47	There's also a feat from DR331 (Pole Fighting) that lets you flury with the chosen pole-arm...is Pole-arm defined in 3.5, I can't remember... VB
#13 Andarious-Rosethorn Jul 16, 2014 19:47:44	New realization on this topic, you can use an Elvencraft Bow to Decisive Strike a Target as a Quarterstaff, and then Belt of Battle to Full Attack. If the first target is still up, use melee, if they went down, full attack a secondary target with the Bow aspect for double damage.
#14 Tempest_Stormwind Jul 16, 2014 20:55:31	Andarious-Rosethorn wrote:
#15 Andarious-Rosethorn Jul 16, 2014 21:08:25	That's irellevant, unless the GM wants to specifically count this as an RAI vs RAW situation.  Relevant clause I noticed is "If the attack hits, it deals double damage (as does any other attack you make before the start of your next turn)."   This does not prohibit future attacks from being made with weapons that do not meet the criteria to trigger Decisive Strike.
#16 daedhaed Jul 25, 2014 9:51:56	If you use an elvencraft great bow you and have levels in exotic weapon master you can use it with AoOs and not provoke them yourself. Also, if you have the feat EWP Rope Dart (Dragon Magazine #319 page 73)you can use it as a monk weapon giving you 15' reach, ability to attack all within reach without provoking, and threaten all those within reach. Enlarging size is still only 20' reach (which I disagree with but oh well).