IaiJutsu Mastery
Advanced
Iaijutsu is the martial art of drawing a weapon (typically a katana) and attacking with it in the same fluid motion. It is the foundation of some forms of dueling, and its masters are feared and respected throughout lands where iaijutsu is practiced. More ceremony and exhibition than fighting style, it can nonetheless prove deadly to an unprepared foe.- Points Required Per Rank: 2
- Restrictions: No armor or shields.
Abilities
The following are special abilities granted to practitioners of the IaiJutsu Mastery Form.
Type: Defence (Parry)
Damage: -
Use: 1 defense
Successive Penalty: -5
Description: Attempt to thwart an enemy's attack by intercepting the strike before it can land. This can be done with a weapon or by hand.
Special: When you are hit by a Melee Attack, make an Unarmed Attack roll. If it meets or exceeds the attack roll against you, the attack is negated. You must have a free hand to parry. A parry must be declared before the damage of the attack is resolved.
Type: Defence (Dodge)
Damage: -
Use: 1 defense
Successive Penalty: -5
Description: By making a quick movement away from an incoming attack, you leave the blow to strike at nothing but air.
Special: When you are hit by a Melee Attack or successful Grapple/hold attempt, make an Acrobatics check. The DC is equal to 10 + how much their attack exceeded your touch AC. On success, the attack misses and you move to a random adjacent open square. If no such square is available, or at your choice, you instead go Prone in your current square. Against area melee attacks, movement is restricted to squares not included in the attack, and the dodge fails if none are available. Against Grapple/hold attempts, the DC is 15 + the amount their check succeeded by. You must release any grapples/holds you control in order to dodge, and you cannot dodge if you are currently Grappled/held, Entangled, or otherwise restricted in your ability to move. Against an attacker with multiple attacks, the movement is not resolved until the last attack is made by that target. A dodge must be declared before the damage of the attack is resolved.
Type: Defence (Parry)
Damage: -
Use: -
Successive Penalty: -5
Description: More reflex than planned counter, an automatic parry can be made without effort.
Special: As parry, but the check is made at a -2 penalty. You can only use one automatic move per round.
Type: Move
Damage: -
Use: 1 attack
Successive Penalty: -
Description: Shifting footwork that allows you to reposition yourself without breaking combat rhythm.
Special: Make an additional 5 ft step.
Type: Combo (Parry/Strike)
Damage: As weapon
Use: 1 defense
Successive Penalty: -
Description: An armed parry into a counter strike against your attacker.
Special: As parry, but if successful you can make an armed attack against your opponent. Can only be used once per round, and you must be armed to use it.
Type: Special
Damage: -
Use: Can only use as dicated by form.
Successive Penalty: -
Description: A special modifier to another attack to attempt to kill an opponent outright rather than inflict damage to them.
Special: Instead of dealing damage with an attack, target must make a Fortitude Save (DC equal to the damage that would have been dealt) or die. On a successful save, the attack deals 1d6 damage plus half your Strength modifier. If used against a target immune to critical hits, the attack instead deals its normal damage.
While this Kata is active, you can wield any allowed weapon while in a Martial Arts form that allows for this Kata. Attacks with a weapon follow normal rules for Base Attack Bonus progression and penalties, and extra attacks granted by Martial Arts forms cannot be used to make armed attacks. You cannot use any holds while wielding a weapon, and you cannot use punches while wielding a two-handed weapon. You can use your weapon to make parries in this Kata, using your highest Base Attack Bonus for each roll (successive penalties for parries still apply). If the form allows for dual wielding or double weapons, normal rules apply for using two weapons.
You can make two attacks with your weapon as a Standard Action. If you use an Iaido Strike, you may strike twice with each use of it (roll each hit separately, but use the same check roll).
This technique can only be used with the following weapons: aikuchi, Katana, ninjato, tanto, or wakizashi.
If you begin combat within melee range of an opponent and beat their Initiative, you gain a surprise round against them. The only action you can take on this surprise round is an Iaido Strike.
Bonuses
At rank 1, gain a +1 Competence Bonus to Initiative. This bonus increases by 1 at every even rank (+2 at 2, +3 at 4, etc) to a maximum of +6 at rank 10. At rank 12, gain a +2 Competence Bonus to Iaido checks. This bonus increases to +4 at rank 14, then +6 at rank 15.Weapon Katas
Practitioners of Iaijutsu Mastery train primarily with the katana, and are granted a weapon kata for it at rank 1. A practitioner with a weapon kata from another form may use that weapon with IaiJutsu, provided it is one of the following weapons: aikuchi, ninjato, tanto, or wakizashi.Katana Proficiency
At rank 1, practitioners of Iaijutsu Mastery gain proficiency with the katana.Quick Draw
At rank 1, practitioners of IaiJutsu Mastery gain the use of the quick draw feat. This ability only functions when using the Iaijutsu Mastery form.Iaido Strike
Starting at rank 3, practitioners of IaiJutsu Mastery can perform what's known as an Iaido Strike. An Iaido Strike is a maneuver developed for Iaido duels, where opponents attempt to draw their weapon, strike their opponent, flick blood from the blade, and resheathe it with one fluidly controlled movement before their opponent can react. To perform an Iaido Strike, you must either be participating in an Iaido Duel, or be in melee range of a flat-footed opponent your weapon sheathed. If using outside of an Iaido duel, you must succeed on an attack roll before rolling for the Iaido Strike. If you hit, you make a DC 10 IaiJutsu Mastery check roll, using your rank in IaiJutsu Mastery and adding your Intelligence modifier. If you succeed, add 1d6 Precision Damage to the hit, plus another 1d6 for every 5 points you beat the check by, to a maximum of 9d6 additional precision damage with a check result of 50. If you are in a Iaido Duel, use your IaiJutsu Mastery check roll in place of your initiative, again using your rank in IaiJutsu Mastery and adding your Intelligence modifier. The dualist with the highest roll can then make an attack roll against their opponent's flat-footed AC, dealing the additional precision damage on a hit. If they miss, their opponent can then attempt an attack against them (against their normal AC this time), still dealing the additional precision damage on a hit. The winner of the round (and potentially the duel) is the first to land a hit on their opponent. If neither lands a hit, the round is restarted. Making an Iaido Strike is a full attack action, and can only be performed when using the IaiJutsu Mastery Form.Cunning Haste
Beginning at rank 5, an IaiJutsu Mastery practitioner can add their Intelligence modifier to their Initiative rolls in addition to their Dexterity modifier. If they apply the bonus, they must use the IaiJutsu Mastery Form in their first round of combat.Deadly Draw
At rank 11, an IaiJutsu Master adds their Intelligence modifier to every die of precision damage dealt by an Iaido Strike.Death Blow
At rank 13, an IaiJutsu Master can add the Death Blow modifier to any critical hit made with an Iaido Strike.Moves
Punches: None Kicks: None Other: None Defenses: Parry, Dodge, Automatic Parry Holds: None Movements: Rapid Shift Combos: Riposte Special: Death BlowParry
Damage: -
Use: 1 defense
Successive Penalty: -5
Description: Attempt to thwart an enemy's attack by intercepting the strike before it can land. This can be done with a weapon or by hand.
Special: When you are hit by a Melee Attack, make an Unarmed Attack roll. If it meets or exceeds the attack roll against you, the attack is negated. You must have a free hand to parry. A parry must be declared before the damage of the attack is resolved.
Dodge
Damage: -
Use: 1 defense
Successive Penalty: -5
Description: By making a quick movement away from an incoming attack, you leave the blow to strike at nothing but air.
Special: When you are hit by a Melee Attack or successful Grapple/hold attempt, make an Acrobatics check. The DC is equal to 10 + how much their attack exceeded your touch AC. On success, the attack misses and you move to a random adjacent open square. If no such square is available, or at your choice, you instead go Prone in your current square. Against area melee attacks, movement is restricted to squares not included in the attack, and the dodge fails if none are available. Against Grapple/hold attempts, the DC is 15 + the amount their check succeeded by. You must release any grapples/holds you control in order to dodge, and you cannot dodge if you are currently Grappled/held, Entangled, or otherwise restricted in your ability to move. Against an attacker with multiple attacks, the movement is not resolved until the last attack is made by that target. A dodge must be declared before the damage of the attack is resolved.
Automatic Parry
Damage: -
Use: -
Successive Penalty: -5
Description: More reflex than planned counter, an automatic parry can be made without effort.
Special: As parry, but the check is made at a -2 penalty. You can only use one automatic move per round.
Rapid Shift
Damage: -
Use: 1 attack
Successive Penalty: -
Description: Shifting footwork that allows you to reposition yourself without breaking combat rhythm.
Special: Make an additional 5 ft step.
Riposte
Damage: As weapon
Use: 1 defense
Successive Penalty: -
Description: An armed parry into a counter strike against your attacker.
Special: As parry, but if successful you can make an armed attack against your opponent. Can only be used once per round, and you must be armed to use it.
Death Blow
Damage: -
Use: Can only use as dicated by form.
Successive Penalty: -
Description: A special modifier to another attack to attempt to kill an opponent outright rather than inflict damage to them.
Special: Instead of dealing damage with an attack, target must make a Fortitude Save (DC equal to the damage that would have been dealt) or die. On a successful save, the attack deals 1d6 damage plus half your Strength modifier. If used against a target immune to critical hits, the attack instead deals its normal damage.
Powers
Kobu-Justu, Weapon Kata(Ex)
Kobu-Jutsu is the practice of incorporating a weapon into a Martial Arts form. Only forms that explicitly allow a Weapon Kata can use this, and only with the weapons allowed by that form. Even in such cases, the weapon can only be used while in that form by using the Kobu-Jutsu Kata each round.While this Kata is active, you can wield any allowed weapon while in a Martial Arts form that allows for this Kata. Attacks with a weapon follow normal rules for Base Attack Bonus progression and penalties, and extra attacks granted by Martial Arts forms cannot be used to make armed attacks. You cannot use any holds while wielding a weapon, and you cannot use punches while wielding a two-handed weapon. You can use your weapon to make parries in this Kata, using your highest Base Attack Bonus for each roll (successive penalties for parries still apply). If the form allows for dual wielding or double weapons, normal rules apply for using two weapons.
Example: Sato is a 7th level Martial Artist wielding a single scimitar with the Sandswept Serpent form. He can make two attacks per round with his scimitar, using a Base Attack Bonus of +7 and +2 respectively. His remaining 2 attacks granted by the form must be used to make unarmed strikes.
One Strike, Two cuts(Ex)
Considered the pinnacle of achievement for IaiJutsu practitioners, This technique involves making two separate attacks with a blade in one single, swift motion.You can make two attacks with your weapon as a Standard Action. If you use an Iaido Strike, you may strike twice with each use of it (roll each hit separately, but use the same check roll).
This technique can only be used with the following weapons: aikuchi, Katana, ninjato, tanto, or wakizashi.
Hayauchi, First Strike(Ex)
Practiced by masters of IaiJutsu, Hayauchi brings the principles of an Iaido Duel into actual combat, using the almost supernatural speed that mastery of IaiJutsu brings to strike a foe before they are even aware a fight has started.If you begin combat within melee range of an opponent and beat their Initiative, you gain a surprise round against them. The only action you can take on this surprise round is an Iaido Strike.
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