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"When the Jiang Shi hits two opponents with both claws in a single turn, it recovers one expended maneuver."It might be hard considering the way natural weapons work to hit two opponents with both claws. You'd need at least two attacks per claw to pull it off.
When a maneuver calls for a single attack, the Jiang Shi may attack with both claws, and each claw benefiting from any extra effects from that maneuver.This by itself may be its strongest ability. It is a little like the Ancient Temple's Half-Spirit with Desire for Death feat's Four Births Sword "Resounding of the Restless Beings" effect, but without the need for a trigger to get it next round and it works with every martial discipline.
It looks nice! A lot stronger than the one I had made too.Just like a crusader heals the party after battle by declaring that random rock his mortal enemy and hitting it a lot, the Jiang Shi stabs stuff to fully recharge maneuvers.
For the maneuvers, it does not currently have a Maneuvers Readied section that details how it can recover maneuvers between encounters.
Otherwise, there is this line that feels a bit weird:Ups, fixed!Quote"When the Jiang Shi hits two opponents with both claws in a single turn, it recovers one expended maneuver."It might be hard considering the way natural weapons work to hit two opponents with both claws. You'd need at least two attacks per claw to pull it off.
I'm quite certain though that it is meant to require that it attacks two opponents with at least one claw attack each.
Not exactly, since it only triggers off maneuvers that ask you to make a single attack. So for example Ancient Temple itself wouldn't get the extra benefit because they tell you to at least make two attacks.QuoteWhen a maneuver calls for a single attack, the Jiang Shi may attack with both claws, and each claw benefiting from any extra effects from that maneuver.This by itself may be its strongest ability. It is a little like the Ancient Temple's Half-Spirit with Desire for Death feat's Four Births Sword "Resounding of the Restless Beings" effect, but without the need for a trigger to get it next round and it works with every martial discipline.
That it can use the ability score that is the easier to pump up for all its maneuvers is pretty sweet too.Honestly, it's all stuff that the Monstrous Crab already had with CRAB BATTLE! and I never saw anyone complain about it or even pick up that option to be honest.
For the vulnerabilities, I wonder what happens when the Jianshi Shi is forced to shared its space with the stuff it *cannot* share its space with, such as when someone that has one such object grapples with it or if it gets bullrushed into one or any other similar mechanics that sends it into an illegal square against its will.Good point, added a clause for that.
Also, can Jiang Shi attack creatures that bear a weakness object with a reach weapon, since it doesn't have to get its body into the illegal square? As is I assume that it is meant to include any attack, including ranged ones. Just making sure that it wasn't meant to be melee attacks only for getting too close, or even only with its natural weapons the same way summoned monsters go against people with a Protection Against Evil effect.Correct, all attacks stopped.
I really like your take on these vulnerabilities, by the way.Thanks!
Also, Hop + Deadly Hop looks fun. Since Hop caps at +7, though, it should still be pretty useful later on. Not as great as it'll be early game with a charge but that's quite all right!Fire is fire. Just because the Jiang Shi doesn't have a specfic vulnerability against it doesn't mean he can't be burned.
It'll be a real bully in the first few levels but not being able to share its space or reliably attack anyone that has an axe could lead to interesting situations.
It is missing a vulnerability to fire, however. Maybe not sharing its space with fire or stuff on fire as well? (which maybe be problematic when it is set on fire)
Those aside, the loss of the paper charm (that doesn't seem to take any equipment space) seems to be both a debuff and a buff at the same time considering its enemies are likely to be living creatures anyway and there is no built-in arbitrary target selection system suchYes, it's supposed to not be that crippling when you lose the Martial Jufu. But also means you need to watch out for the Jiang Shi when you're gonna go to, say, that undead dungeon.
as attacking the closest one, meaning living allies, if any, should be all right most of the time.
As for flavor, it seems that not bearing any paper charm is supposed allow it to act normally since the paper charm is a sorcerer's means to control it by giving it orders as written on the charm. It can be adapted as "orders" that give it means to do martial Jufu it wouldn't normally be able to pull of if their directives weren't magicked into its mind but wouldn't be more true to the creature if it remained perfectly free-willed without any paper charm?Well, the fluff I saw pointed out that they're particularly vicious even by undead standards. "Perfectly free-willed Jiang Shi"="KILL RIP TEAR MAIM!". But added an ACF that removes the auto-attack in return for losing the bonus when with no Martial Jufu.
Considering it comes with a built-in buff it wouldn't make it mechanically any stronger.
It could be an optional trait, though, in that the creature hates the living so much more than undead creatures (since other undead creatures do not have that built-in compulsion) usually do that it cannot even control itself in their presence and needs a charm to keep its cool around them. Most players would still select it for the buff.
Great job! Its pretty awesome, as it should be!
Just like a crusader heals the party after battle by declaring that random rock his mortal enemy and hitting it a lot, the Jiang Shi stabs stuff to fully recharge maneuvers.That would be valid in games with very lenient DMs. I prefer it when rules do rely on the assumption that a DM would allow inanimate objects to qualify as an "opponent" when the term "target" could be used instead. Maybe I'm nitpicking, though.
Not exactly, since it only triggers off maneuvers that ask you to make a single attack. So for example Ancient Temple itself wouldn't get the extra benefit because they tell you to at least make two attacks.Granted, although some could interpret that using the Silent Nirvana effect (that allows you to get a special effect if you make only one attack instead of one with each blade) would allow a maneuver to qualify for this ability, it doesn't change what the maneuver itself isn't asking for a single attack.
"If it would gain access to a third or more schools, it simply cannot use those other maneuvers, but it still counts as having ranks on the respective skills. The Jiang Shi chooses what the second school is from the ones available."Here's hoping it is not meant to deny it access to the maneuvers of other disciplines through sources other than this monster class, such as those it would gain from multiclassing.
If the Jiang Shi dons a new one (martial jufu), his maneuvers and stances known change accordinglyWhich means that the maneuvers it knows (from all sources?) depend on what is on its martial jufu... but it many not know maneuvers other than Border of Life and whichever other discipline it has chosen. So if the martial jufu has maneuvers from a discipline other than those two, they cannot be used either.
Fire is fire. Just because the Jiang Shi doesn't have a specfic vulnerability against it doesn't mean he can't be burned.Oh, I don't mean that it is vulnerable to fire in the same that it gets damage from fire. I meant that it is listed as a weakness in the same sense that it is vulnerable to brooms and axes (and they don't suffer more damage from being hit with those so it wouldn't be damaged further by fire either). It could translate to the Jiang Shi not being able to enter squares occupied by a bonfire, a lit candle/torch or other lasting flames.
Yes, it's supposed to not be that crippling when you lose the Martial Jufu. But also means you need to watch out for the Jiang Shi when you're gonna go to, say, that undead dungeon.Agreed!
Still I would argue that the Jiang Shi gets overall weaker when he loses full acess to its maneuvers and stances, even if he gets some raw Str and BAB while it lasts.
QuoteJust like a crusader heals the party after battle by declaring that random rock his mortal enemy and hitting it a lot, the Jiang Shi stabs stuff to fully recharge maneuvers.That would be valid in games with very lenient DMs. I prefer it when rules do rely on the assumption that a DM would allow inanimate objects to qualify as an "opponent" when the term "target" could be used instead. Maybe I'm nitpicking, though.
If you insist, changed the wording to be closer to Martial Spirit, who only cares if you make a successful melee attack. The crusader doesn't care who or what gets hurt as long as he's hitting something.QuoteJust like a crusader heals the party after battle by declaring that random rock his mortal enemy and hitting it a lot, the Jiang Shi stabs stuff to fully recharge maneuvers.That would be valid in games with very lenient DMs. I prefer it when rules do rely on the assumption that a DM would allow inanimate objects to qualify as an "opponent" when the term "target" could be used instead. Maybe I'm nitpicking, though.
Something peculiar I notice: Martial Jufu applies to *every* maneuvers the Jiang Shi knows, not just its Jiang Shi monster class maneuvers known. So any maneuver learned from other classes would apply as well.Yes, it is. The class is only 5 levels long, but I wanted to have its own unique martial progression where you're rewarded for sticking to pairs of schools.
This then interacts with the rule that:Quote"If it would gain access to a third or more schools, it simply cannot use those other maneuvers, but it still counts as having ranks on the respective skills. The Jiang Shi chooses what the second school is from the ones available."Here's hoping it is not meant to deny it access to the maneuvers of other disciplines through sources other than this monster class, such as those it would gain from multiclassing.
Especially considering that:You're right on that, since the second school is supposed to be swappable every time you switch Martial Jufus. Clarified.QuoteIf the Jiang Shi dons a new one (martial jufu), his maneuvers and stances known change accordinglyWhich means that the maneuvers it knows (from all sources?) depend on what is on its martial jufu... but it many not know maneuvers other than Border of Life and whichever other discipline it has chosen. So if the martial jufu has maneuvers from a discipline other than those two, they cannot be used either.
I've a feeling that isn't really how Martial Jufu is supposed to work.
Alas, there's no "shield of axes" spell or "brooming weapon" enhancement. Fire is just too damn common and appears in too many items and abilities.QuoteFire is fire. Just because the Jiang Shi doesn't have a specfic vulnerability against it doesn't mean he can't be burned.Oh, I don't mean that it is vulnerable to fire in the same that it gets damage from fire. I meant that it is listed as a weakness in the same sense that it is vulnerable to brooms and axes (and they don't suffer more damage from being hit with those so it wouldn't be damaged further by fire either). It could translate to the Jiang Shi not being able to enter squares occupied by a bonfire, a lit candle/torch or other lasting flames.
Luckily only allies can put Martial Jufus on the Jiang Shi. :pQuoteYes, it's supposed to not be that crippling when you lose the Martial Jufu. But also means you need to watch out for the Jiang Shi when you're gonna go to, say, that undead dungeon.Agreed!
Still I would argue that the Jiang Shi gets overall weaker when he loses full acess to its maneuvers and stances, even if he gets some raw Str and BAB while it lasts.
In most cases except a few exceptions depending on how Martial Jufu is meant to work it would indeed be weaker.
Speaking of which, I should point that that right now, beyond having to attack living creatures, the Jiang Shi does not actually lose access to its maneuvers known. You didn't write anywhere that losing it leads to it not having access to the maneuvers it learns by putting one on. All it does is change the maneuvers known when a new one is put on. So the best way to screw them is simply to put a blank Martial Jufu on them so that it simply has no maneuvers known at all.
Another thought... they wouldn't be able to remove the blank martial jufu but they would be able to negate it by putting a new one on.Eeerrr, the text says "Due to the stiffnes of its arms, the Jiang Shi cannot touch a Martial Jufu already on its head. An adjacent ally may place or remove one on it as a standard action". It could never put a new one by itself.
...which is weird. They are flexible enough to put a Martial Jufu on be not enough to remove them?
Some Devoted Spirit effects care about alignment. Martial Spirit stance isn't one of them. Rocks, enemies bleeding out, fluffy animals you keep in a backpack to beat up after battle with subdual damage, all is fair game for the crusader. You don't even need to deal damage actually, just to hit them in melee. "Hey guys don't you feel inspired for seeing me kicking down this kitty again and again?". Crusader is the perfect class to play a sociopath, as you power up the whole party with your ability to hate everything and anything. (http://i.somethingawful.com/forumsystem/emoticons/emot-smug.gif)QuoteJust like a crusader heals the party after battle by declaring that random rock his mortal enemy and hitting it a lot, the Jiang Shi stabs stuff to fully recharge maneuvers.That would be valid in games with very lenient DMs. I prefer it when rules do rely on the assumption that a DM would allow inanimate objects to qualify as an "opponent" when the term "target" could be used instead. Maybe I'm nitpicking, though.
Target must have at least one step away from Crusader in their Alignment, Rocks are Objects and do not have Alignment, this trick fails.