So, I create a character from kakita school and doji family. By the gm rule all my rings is 3 except from the air. Gm only allow to maximize to 4 a single ring. My status is 2 and my glory is 2. Gm left to use 30 points and more 10 from disadvantages. It is mandatory that i have true love disadvantages because my background.So i have more 7 points to earn in disadvantages. I have level 1 to level 3 technique from kakita scholl.

My plan is to be the best duelist in the game and if remain points be a little courteous.

So, fell free to suggest maximized builds. Thanks a lot for your time. My Regards from Brazil.

I have to say, I don't really know the 4th edition mechanics (ironically in 5th edition the Kakita isn't that amazing at duels - outside duels to the Death, anyway).

Obviously Iaijutsu skill is key, and I'm pretty sure I recall being told Luck is a critical advantage to have for a duellist.

Some advice I found you may be able to use (or at least build towards):

Quote

This was an antagonist build, not a player build, so I unfortunately don't have exp breakdowns for you (I gave the antagonist exp as the players gained it).

I made a Kakita bushi who took the rank 3 name very seriously. Family doesn't super matter, but stack void, get Iaijutsu 5 as soon as possible, and take Air 3 for the Assessment help and probably Etiquette and Courtier for the easy insight. Kenjutsu 3 is also a big deal, and Water 3 is probably easy insight along with some important traits. Finish up with a Kakita blade.

From there, you're looking at a Focus roll of:

5k0 from Iaijutsu ranks

4k4 from Void ring

1k1+3 from rank 1 technique (this can be a bit lower at lower insight)

+5 from Iaijutsu 5

+1k1 from spending a void point (if you can -- you'll often, but not always, have spare)

Potentially +1k1 if you win the Assessment roll by 10

Depending on how your table/GM interprets the wording of Center Stance and the timing of Iaijutsu rules, potentially another +1k1+4.

This comes out to anywhere from 10k5+7 to 10k9+12.

This is massive overkill against most opponents. A decent Kakita at insight 3 is going to have, what, around 9k5+6 at the same insight with the Center Stance bonus? More if they invest heavily into it, but most of the time there's absolutely no need to. Against your average non-Crane duelist, you're looking at probably 6k3, maybe with a small bonus.

Oh yeah, and the guy was Tainted as well. Give him a Taint rank of 2 and the Monstrous Strength power. Embrace the Taint on your Assessment roll so you get that +1k1 to Focus.

Anyway, 10k9+12 averages about a 71. Your opponent's 9k5+6 averages about a 49. You win by 22; at insight 3, that's seven free raises.

Your sword damage is:

4k2 base for a Kakita blade

1k0 from Kenjutsu 3

3k0 from Strength

2k0 from Monstrous Strength

1k1 from a void point

7k0 from free raises

Potentially another 4k0 from regular raises (you can embrace the Taint again on your attack roll if you need to)

That all totals to 10k9 damage, which averages 59 damage.

Don't like what you rolled? Reroll it with your Kakita blade's ability.

First and last strike, indeed.

If '4 edition' was 'for (this) edition', then we can provide a bit more advice.

Kakita are good at duels at high ranks in 5e.
That Crossing Cut does so much damage, that usually people will use Void Point to take the crit instead, but oh wait! Can't really take a crit from a Kakita.
The fact that you cannot use void points to take small crit instead of damage against a Kakita rank 3+ makes them a force to be reckoned with. The best in the game? nah, but definitely not push over with a big Fire and Void ring.

Focus Roll :

1k1+3 from rank 1 technique (this can be a bit lower at lower insight)

This is because center stance 1k1?Where i could find about? And that +3 where it is from?

This +5 from Iaijutsu 5 i didnt find too.

4k4 from Void ring its spending 4 void points right? Is that possible with 3 void ring but 3k3?

Depending on how your table/GM interprets the wording of Center Stance and the timing of Iaijutsu rules, potentially another +1k1+4. Where this + 4 come from?

I will not be a tainted warrior because my background. Any suggestion of replacement?

Your swrod damage is:

4k2 base for a kakita blade ok

1k0 from kenjutsu 3 ok

3k0 from strenght ok

2k0 from monstrous strenght i didnt have

1k1 from a void point ok

7k0 from free raises ???

Potentially another 4k0 from regular raises ???

I see here only 8k2 in damage where 10k9 from damage?

Thanks for all explanation. Best regards ...

1 hour ago, Avatar111 said:

Kakita are good at duels at high ranks in 5e.
That Crossing Cut does so much damage, that usually people will use Void Point to take the crit instead, but oh wait! Can't really take a crit from a Kakita.
The fact that you cannot use void points to take small crit instead of damage against a Kakita rank 3+ makes them a force to be reckoned with. The best in the game? nah, but definitely not push over with a big Fire and Void ring.

Technically, the Kakita school ability would not apply to Crossing Cut, as it only works on Critical Hits, it does not directly affect Deadliness.
I would allow it, though.

25 minutes ago, Harzerkatze said:

Technically, the Kakita school ability would not apply to Crossing Cut, as it only works on Critical Hits, it does not directly affect Deadliness.
I would allow it, though.

Exactly, it applies on the Deadliness if the opponent spend a Void Point to take a Critical Hit instead of the obscene amount of fatigue damage a character with a high Fire ring can do with Crossing Cut.

Most of the time, you'd much rather take a small 5 severity crit than like 10+ fatigue from the crossing cut.

What I said was all right. You misunderstood.

56 minutes ago, Avatar111 said:

Exactly, it applies on the Deadliness if the opponent spend a Void Point to take a Critical Hit instead of the obscene amount of fatigue damage a character with a high Fire ring can do with Crossing Cut.

Most of the time, you'd much rather take a small 5 severity crit than like 10+ fatigue from the crossing cut.

What I said was all right. You misunderstood.

Ah, OK. I guess I still do not understand what you see in the Crossing Cut Iaijutzu kata. Use it with a katana, and you deal 5+Bonus Successes as damage. Make a regular Strike with a katana, and you deal 4+Bonus Successes as damage, and you can do that more than once. Why is Crossing Cut so good in your opinion? (Sure, when you are riding, you get the horse bonus of +3, but that is a special case, how many skirmishes or duels are done from horse-back?)

2 minutes ago, Harzerkatze said:

Ah, OK. I guess I still do not understand what you see in the Crossing Cut Iaijutzu kata. Use it with a katana, and you deal 5+Bonus Successes as damage. Make a regular Strike with a katana, and you deal 4+Bonus Successes as damage, and you can do that more than once. Why is Crossing Cut so good in your opinion? (Sure, when you are riding, you get the horse bonus of +3, but that is a special case, how many skirmishes or duels are done from horse-back?)

Bonus opportunities also count as extra damage (razor-edge), and you get the +1 damage in the case of a katana.
It is more damaging than a regular strike. Actually, it is the most damaging attack with a katana in the game in term of raw number, I think.

15 hours ago, Avatar111 said:

Bonus opportunities also count as extra damage (razor-edge), and you get the +1 damage in the case of a katana.
It is more damaging than a regular strike. Actually, it is the most damaging attack with a katana in the game in term of raw number, I think.

This. Assuming you've got enough to hit in the first place, with a Katana in Fire stance, every other result on the dice will increase damage with an iai strike. Bonus (or )increases damage, counts as bonus successes for fire stance, increases deadliness which increases the damage value.

The main weakness of the technique - because it's one-handed only - is that unlike a 'proper' sword strike it's not usually deadly enough to win a first blood duel; Kakita can sneak round this problem with their ability to increase the severity of a critical.

I do not understand your discussion.

30 minutes ago, Bertidu said:

I do not understand your discussion.

Avatar111 says that the Crossing Blade Iaijutzu Cut kata is a very powerful technique for skirmishes and duels. I am less impressed by it and would rather swear by e.g. Flowing Water Strike. That's why Avatar and Magnus told my why the kata is good. But since that is 5th edition talk, we pretty much derailed the thread and should probably stop.

1 hour ago, Magnus Grendel said:

This. Assuming you've got enough to hit in the first place, with a Katana in Fire stance, every other result on the dice will increase damage with an iai strike. Bonus (or )increases damage, counts as bonus successes for fire stance, increases deadliness which increases the damage value.

The main weakness of the technique - because it's one-handed only - is that unlike a 'proper' sword strike it's not usually deadly enough to win a first blood duel; Kakita can sneak round this problem with their ability to increase the severity of a critical.

Crossing Cut cannot crit by itself... So it cannot draw blood.

But if you use Fire Stance with ring 4, and melee 3, and all of a sudden get like 6 success + 2 opport + 4 strife (not far fetched).. You end up at 15 damage. USUALLY, that is when someone use a Void Point to "change that 15 damage into a critical severity 5 and soak it". But a Kakita being a Kakita, lets say rank 3, that critical strike becomes a severity 8. Which is a bit harder to deal with. Not impossible, but the choice isn't that easy to make as the chance it leaves you bleeding are relatively high.

Rising Blade is just awfully weak though.

Can someone answer my questions about the points?

On 2/3/2020 at 3:04 PM, Bertidu said:

Focus Roll :

1k1+3 from rank 1 technique (this can be a bit lower at lower insight)

This is because center stance 1k1?Where i could find about? And that +3 where it is from?

This +5 from Iaijutsu 5 i didnt find too.

4k4 from Void ring its spending 4 void points right? Is that possible with 3 void ring but 3k3?

Depending on how your table/GM interprets the wording of Center Stance and the timing of Iaijutsu rules, potentially another +1k1+4. Where this + 4 come from?

I will not be a tainted warrior because my background. Any suggestion of replacement?

Your swrod damage is:

4k2 base for a kakita blade ok

1k0 from kenjutsu 3 ok

3k0 from strenght ok

2k0 from monstrous strenght i didnt have

1k1 from a void point ok

7k0 from free raises ???

Potentially another 4k0 from regular raises ???

I see here only 8k2 in damage where 10k9 from damage?

Thanks for all explanation. Best regards ...

Can someone answer my questions about the points?

18 minutes ago, Bertidu said:

Can someone answer my questions about the points?

it is a 5e forum here... totally different rules.
I don't think you are at the right place to get an answer, no matter how hard you ask. try reddit: r/ rokugan

4 hours ago, Avatar111 said:

it is a 5e forum here... totally different rules.
I don't think you are at the right place to get an answer, no matter how hard you ask. try reddit: r/ rokugan

Ok so, goodbye.