Jiang Shi (Hopping Vampire)

[oslecamo]

Jiang Shi (Hopping Vampire)

Jiang Shi				HD: d12
Level 1 2 3 4 5	Base Attack Bonus +0 +1 +1 +2 +2	Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1	Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1	Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4	Special Jiang Shi body, Martial Jufu, Maneuvers, Hop, Jiang Shi weaknesses, +2 Str Rigid Skin, +1 Str Breath Sense, +1 Str Curse of Vampirism, +1 Str Deadly Hop, +1 Str	Maneuvers Known 4 5 6 7 8	Maneuvers Readied 3 3 4 4 5	Stances Known 1 1 1 1 2

Skills: 2+Int mod, quadruple at first level, no class skills.

Proficiencies: its claws only.

Jiang Shi body: The Jiang Shi loses all other racial modifiers and gains the following undead traits

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    *  No Constitution score.
    * Darkvision out to 60 feet.
    * Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
    * Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
    * Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
    * Heals naturaly.
    * Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
    * Uses its Charisma modifier for Concentration checks.
    * Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
    * Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
   
    * Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.

It is a medium sized undead with two claw attacks dealins 1d4+Str mod damage each. The Jiang Shi may attack with both claws as a standard action with no penalty.

In addition it gains a natural armor bonus equal to its Str score.

Martial Jufu: A Jiang Shi often has a mystic slip of paper attached to its forehead, that not only allows it to keep its rabid urges under check, but also to channel ancient combat arts in its dead body.

The Jiang Shi starts play with a Martial Jufu inscribed with all maneuvers and stances it knows. Whenever it learns a new maneuver or stance, they're mystically inscribed on its Martial Jufu right away for free. Retrained maneuvers are ripped off or written over.

In addition the Jiang Shi (or another martial artist) may write new Martial Jufus at the same time and gold cost as a wizard scribing spells of the same level, as long as the're maneuvers they've witnessed first hand. If the Jiang Shi is made to don a new one, his maneuvers and stances known change accordingly, picking a new set of prepared maneuvers among them, but they all start as expended except  two picked at random,  and it exits any stance it was in. If the Jiang Shi dons a Martial Jufu with more maneuvers and/or stances than it would normally know, it's too complex and it can't use any of the maneuvers or stances at all. If the Jiang Shi dons a Martial Jufu with less maneuvers and/or stances that it would know, it simply knows less while using that Martial Jufu. The Jiang Shi cannot benefit from more than one Martial Jufu at a time, placing a new one seals the effects of the previous.

The Jiang Shi can always use Str instead of the usual ability score of the schools written on its jufu, and its claws always count as martial weapons that can be used with the school, even ones like Ancient Temple and Riverside View. 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. The Jiang Shi always counts as having ranks equal to HD+3 of the main skills of the schools scribbed on its Martial Jufus, thanks to channeling its essence.

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.

An enemy may remove the Martial Jufu with melee attack specifically targeting it with a -10 penalty on the attack roll that provokes attacks of opportunity and doesn't deal damage if it hits. A natural 1 on a reflex save against an effect that deals area damage also makes the slip fall off. A Martial Jufu that has been donned by a Jiang Shi is indestructible until that Jiang Shi is destroyed.

If the Jiang Shi finds itself with no Martial Jufu, it degenerates into a feral state of mind, gaining +2 Str plus full Bab, but must attack living creatures to the best of its ability every turn (or go search for them if none are in view).



Maneuvers: The Jiang Shi learns and readies maneuvers and stances from the Border of Life School plus another martial school of its choice, that must be of a level no higher than half (IL+1). At each time the Jiang Shi can only know martial maneuvers from Border of life and another martial school of its choice. This second choice can be changed whenever it changes Martial Jufus. If it would gain acess 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.

At 4th level the Jiang Shi can re-train one of its maneuvers known for a new one of a level it can learn.

When the Jiang Shi makes at least one successful melee attack with each of its claws against different targets in a single turn, it recovers one expended maneuver.

If the Jiang Shi multiclasses in a martial class, it stacks both classes for purposes of IL, but the recovery method for each set of maneuvers remains separate.

Hop: The Jiang Shi moves in an hopping way, that may seem silly but is actually quite deadly. The Jiang Shi ignores difficult terrain and gains a bonus equal to 2+Jiang Shi level on any attack roll made right after moving at least 10 feet.

Jiang Shi Vulnerabilities: The Jiang Shi cannot enter any square that contains either of mirrors (although it has a normal reflection), a singing rooster, items made of wood from a peach tree, hoofs of a black donkey, vinegar, the eight trigrams, the book of I Ching, the book of Tong Shu, Glutinous rice, rice chaff, Adzuki beans, Handbell, thread stained with black ink, blood of a black dog, stonemason's awl, axe or broom. If the Jiang Shi is forced to move against its will into such a square, it must spend its next move action getting as far away from it as possible. If the items are in the possession of a creature, the Jiang Shi is allowed a Will save with DC 20 to attack them, otherwise must take other actions. Multiple items on the same person don't stack. A Jiang Shi may wear a Septette Hoodie to supress all but one of those vulnerabilities.

Ability Score Increase: The Jiang Shi gains +2 Str at first level plus +1 Str at every other level for a total of +6 Str at 5th level.

Rigid Skin: At 2nd level The Jiang Shi gains DR/Darkwood equal to half HD and SR equal to 11+HD, which it may drop or raise at any time as a free action even if it isn't its turn. In addition it gains cold and electricity resistance equal to 5+HD.

Breath Sense: At 3rd level the Jiang Shi gains Blindsight 120 feet, but it only works to detect creatures that are breathing.

Curse of Vampirism: At 4th level any humanoid hit by the Jiang Shi's claws must succeed at a Fortitude save with DC 10+1/2 HD+Str mod or contract a curse that turns her into a Jiang Shi herself. Over  the course of 1d4+1 days, the victim slowly transforms into a Jiang Shi, growing fangs and long fingernails and becoming more bestial. To stop the transformation, the victim must receive a remove curse spell before the process is complete. Any amount of time spent hopping or dancing on pure sticky rice delays the curse's onset by an equal amount of time. Once the transformation has run its course, only a Miracle or Wish can revert it. The victim loses all previous levels and turns into a level 1 Jiang Shi under its curser's control, elite array of stats. By feeding on a sentient creature the servant gains another level of Jiang Shi, up to its mistress's level-2. At any given time a Jiang Shi may control the spawns, but if the equivalent Encounter Level of all those minions becomes higher than your CR-2, any spawns she creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed Jiang Shi.

Deadly Hop: At 5th level each time the Jiang Shi uses a maneuver, it can move 5 feet per maneuver level before or after the maneuver is resolved. This movement doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity and ignores difficult terrain. In addition if the Jiang Shi is directly under a flying creature, it can count as if it was adjacent to the for the purpose of melee attacks, as it can hop high enough to reach them!

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A Qi Devourer Jiang Shi can choose to have Septette for the Dead be its main school instead of Border of Life.

Qi Drain: A 4th level Jiang Shi can suck Qi from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains Qi, dealing 1d4 points of Cha drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the Jiang Shi gains a Qi charge that is saved for later use. A Jiang Shi can save a number of Qi Charges equal to its HD multiplied by its Strength bonus.

The Jiang Shi can spend its Qi points to boost any 1d20 roll it makes on a 1 per 1 basis whitout need of an action, but must choose to spend the points before rolling and cannot spend more than its Str mod in a single roll. It can also recover spent maneuvers as a free action by spending an amount of Qi points equal to four times the maneuver's level.

Qi charges count as if they were Blood Charges to fuel Septette for the Dead maneuvers and its Feat abilities. If you have Light Eater you can ignore the Jiang Shi weaknesses while dressed in official garments from the Quing Dinasty and gain proficiency in simple weapons.

If a Jiang Shi drains Qi from a creature with 3 or more points of Intelligence, it gains 2 Qi Charges on a successful attack instead.
If a Jiang Shi drains Qi from a member of its previous race, it gains 4 Qi charges on a successful attack instead.

The Jiang Shi can only obtain a Qi Charges from living beings. 

The Jiang Shi can drain Qi from summoned creatures, but the charges obtained this way disappear when the summoned monster disappears.

Each day, the Jiang Shi loses a number of Qi Charges equal to its HD. If it rested 8 hours in a cavern or coffin, it only loses half. If the Jiang Shi doesn't have enough Qi charges to satisfy its needs by morning, it takes a penalty to all d20 rolls equal to the number of missing Qi charges, up to a penalty equal to twice its own HD. The penalty lasts until the Jiang Shi gets a number of Qi Charges equal to his HD or more and spends 8 hours on a coffin or cavern.

This replaces Curse of Vampirism.

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A Patient Jiang Shi doesn't gain full Bab nor +2 Str when it has no Martial Jufu, but in return it isn't forced to attack living creatures when that happens.

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Instead of Border of Life and another school of its choice, the Jiang Shi may learn its base maneuvers/stances from any three of the basic Tome of Battle schools.

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Sudden urge and inspiration to write this one out. Maybe the voices in my head will let me sleep now.

Original monster royally sucks, maneuvers filled the holes pretty well.

Need sleep...



So if you want to play the classic oriental vitality sucker, the Jiang Shi's for you!

[ketaro]

Oh my god I love it!

[Anomander]

It looks nice! A lot stronger than the one I had made too.

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:

"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.

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.

That it can use the ability score that is the easier to pump up for all its maneuvers is pretty sweet too.

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.
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.
I really like your take on these vulnerabilities, by the way.

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!
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 such 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?
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!

[oslecamo]

It looks nice! A lot stronger than the one I had made too.

For the maneuvers, it does not currently have a Maneuvers Readied section that details how it can recover maneuvers between encounters.

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.

Otherwise, there is this line that feels a bit weird:

"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.

Ups, fixed!

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.

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.

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.

The Jiang Shi gets them earlier, but also gets the vulnerabilities along with it and is limited to its puny 1d4 claws while the crab gets super pincers and no vulnerabilities.

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!
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)

Fire is fire. Just because the Jiang Shi doesn't have a specfic vulnerability against it doesn't mean he can't be burned.

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 such
as attacking the closest one, meaning living allies, if any, should be all right most of the time.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Great job! Its pretty awesome, as it should be!

I'm pleasantly surprised it turned out so well since I wrote this one in a whim over a couple of hours while half-asleep.

[Anomander]

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.
Though I didn't it in the sense that this ability is strong or potentially uber because it stacks with that feat. I'm saying that this ability by itself is pretty strong since it compares to that effect in that it multiplies by two the number of times a maneuver effect can be applied against a target. Given the wide range of potential effects to double the potential is great.

Also, although the ability states that the claws qualify as weapons that can be used to initiate maneuvers of any discipline (even ranged weapon maneuvers!) that doesn't mean it can use disciplines that require a feat without having the feat, so that's cool.

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.
This then interacts with the rule that:

"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:

If the Jiang Shi dons a new one (martial jufu), his maneuvers and stances known change accordingly

Which 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.

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.

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.

Agreed!
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.
...which is weird. They are flexible enough to put a Martial Jufu on be not enough to remove them?


I think that covers about everything!

[Threadnaught]

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.

Target must have at least one step away from Crusader in their Alignment, Rocks are Objects and do not have Alignment, this trick fails.

Target must also be a threat to the character or their party. It's a Rock, the only way it's going to be a threat, is if another Target is using it as a weapon. I suppose the Crusader's player could count as Chaotic Stupid, but attack and damage rolls are to be substituted with the Crusaders' players punching themselves in the face. Otherwise this trick does not work, if you want risk free healing between combat, go annoy a 1HD animal for a while until it starts attacking.
The alternate method for the regular strategy of attacking an inanimate object could cause concussion. I strongly suggest any DM enforce this.

[oslecamo]

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.

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.

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.
This then interacts with the rule that:

"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.

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.

Especially considering that:

If the Jiang Shi dons a new one (martial jufu), his maneuvers and stances known change accordingly

Which 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.

You're right on that, since the second school is supposed to be swappable every time you switch Martial Jufus. Clarified.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Agreed!
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.

Luckily only allies can put Martial Jufus on the Jiang Shi.

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.
...which is weird. They are flexible enough to put a Martial Jufu on be not enough to remove them?

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.

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.

Target must have at least one step away from Crusader in their Alignment, Rocks are Objects and do not have Alignment, this trick fails.

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.

[Skyrock]

Is there ever an intended/legal way for Jiang Shi to mitigate their weaknesses? The Vampire Lord PrC is tied to the Vampire class, as is the Septette Hoodie from the Touhou homebrew set. Opening up either of them to Jiang Shi could help to make them more playable.

[oslecamo]

Don't see how exactly Vampire Lord could work since it's all about boosting blood powers which Jiang Shi has none (besides the spawns I guess) so it would be easier to just make a new prc which may be something for the future but would take some work and time. So for now added extra clauses to Septette Hoodie for the Jiang Shi as well as links in both.