Shaman Spells

to use the skill untrained by making a Charisma check (and you shouldn't be in an iaijutsu duel) .

Strike : After both duelists attempt Iaijutsu Focus checks, they draw their katanas and strike . The result of the skill check replaces each character's normal initiative roll unless the character's normal initiative modifier (Dexterity modifier plus feat bonuses) is better than his Iaijutsu Focus check modifier (ranks in Iaijutsu Focus plus Charisma modifier), in which case he makes a normal initiative check .

The first round of an iaijutsu duel's strike phase is essentially a surprise round : Each combatant can take only a partial action (usually a single attack) in addition to drawing the weapon (a free action, assuming each duelist has the Quick Draw feat). With a successful hit, a duelist deals the bonus damage achieved through his Iaijutsu Focus check in addition to normal (or critical) weapon damage . The initiative winner strikes first, naturally . The initiative loser, if he survives, must attack on his action as well-he cannot hold back the ki he has focused . Note that since the loser is not attacking a flat-footed foe, he does not get the opportunity to strike with his bonus damage dice from Iaijutsu Focus.

If the initiative check is a tie, the attacks actually occur simultaneously, with both samurai considered to be flat-footed . On rare occasions, two samurai have been known to strike each other down in the same instant in what is called a karmic strike .

After the initial round of the duel, the two samurai can continue fighting in normal combat, if both survive . They no longer receive any bonus damage dice to their attack rolls unless the circumstances under which Iaijutsu Focus checks maybe attempted somehow arise again in the course of the fight (the combat ends and one or the other returns his weapon to its sheath) .

Example : Hida Tamoro faces the iaijutsu master Kakita Kudako in an iaijutsu duel . Both samurai assume their stance and size each other up. Tamoro rolls an 18 on his Sense Motive check-enough to discern only that the Crane is 12th level, the same as he is . Without more information, the proud Crab is not about to yield . Kudako rolls a 33, and notes that she is the same level as he is, that he has 15 ranks in Iaijutsu Focus, and that his total attack and damage is +19/+14/+9 melee (1d10+8, katana) . Weighing what she has learned, Kudako feels confident that she will get the first strike .

The duel begins, and the samurai begin focusing their ki. Kudako gets a check result of 28 and gets +4d6 to her damage . Tamords result was only a 24, gaining him +3d6 to his damage . Kudako's initiative becomes 28 and she goes first . Kudako strikes, her blade springing from its scabbard like lightning toward the Crab .

Kudako's damage, assuming she hits, is increased by +4d6, with an additional +8 because she is an iaijutsu master and adds her Charisma modifier to each bonus die . She rolls a miserable 6, adds her attack bonus of +20, and hits Tamoro with a 26 . Her damage is 1d10+5 (her normal damage with a katana) plus 4d6+8 . She rolls 30, bringing Tamoro down to 71 hit points .

Tamoro strikes when it's his turn with his initiative of 24. Since Kudako is not flat-footed, Tamoro gets no bonus damage dice . He rolls even more pathetically than Kudako : a 5, plus his attack bonus of +19 for a 24 . His damage is 1d10+8 . He rolls a 13, bringing Kudako to 69 hit points .

If the combatants agreed on a duel to first blood, the duel is over and Kudako has won . If this is a duel to the death, combat continues as normal, with Kudako holding her lead in initiative . After the critical first round, Kudako loses much of her advantage against the stronger Crab . Hida Tamoro : Male human (Crab) Sam5/Hida defender 7 ; hp 101 ; AC 22 (touch 12, flat-footed 20) ; Ark +19/+14/+9 melee (1d10+8/19-20, +4 katana).

Skills: Iaijutsu Focus +16, Sense Motive +8 .

Kakita Kudako : Female human (Crane) Sam5/Iaijutsu master 7 ; hp 82 ; AC 20 (touch 18, flat-footed 16) ; Ark +20/+15/+10 melee (1d10+5/19-20, +4 katana) .

Skills : Iaijutsu Focus +19, Sense Motive +14 .

Far less lethal than an iaijutsu duel, a psychic duel involves two samurai staring each other down-focusing their energy until one decides to yield to a superior opponent . Such a duel usually occurs under much less formal circumstances than an iaijutsu duel-for example, when a noble samurai forces a teahouse bully to recognize his superiority and skulk away. Like an iaijutsu duel, a psychic duel is strictly a one-on-one confrontation . Only intelligent humanoids, monstrous humanoids, and giants can participate in a psychic duel . The participants cannot have crossed swords already during the encounter, and they cannot duel in the middle of a raging battle . If either character is attacked during the psychic duel, the duel ends with no victor .

To resolve a psychic duel, the characters spend a full round facing each other, within 10 feet of each other. Each character then rolls a Will save against DC 10 . If one character succeeds and the other does not, the successful character has won the duel. If both characters fail the saving throw, the duel is inconclusive and neither wins . If both characters succeed, they are locked in the mental battle and the duel continues for another round, with the DC rising to 15 . The DC rises by 5 each round the duel continues . Should one character break off the duel and attack before it is resolved, he is the loser.

The loser of a psychic duel has two options . He may either retreat or attack, but if he attacks he acts as if under the effect of a bane spell for the duration of the encounter : He suffers a -1 morale penalty on attack rolls and saving throws against fear effects . If he retreats, he must avoid the winner of the duel for at least one day or suffer the bane effect .

IAITUTSU STRIKES IN NORMAL COMBAT You can use your Iaijutsu Focus bonus damage in normal combat too, but only when you are attacking a flat-footed opponent and you draw your weapon in the same round you strike .

This means that a character with Quick Draw can use Iaijutsu Focus in a surprise round, either to strike someone standing within sword reach, or to strike an opponent at the end of a partial charge (using Quick Draw to draw her weapon first) . A character without Quick Draw cannot strike an opponent in a surprise round if he begins the round with his weapon sheathed .

In a normal first round of combat, a character whose initiative is higher than his opponent's can draw a weapon, move to the opponent, and attack using Iaijutsu Focus, as long as he has either Quick Draw or a base attack bonus of +1 or higher (so that he can draw his weapon while he moves) .