Captain Crunch's Rules Tweek Workshop

[Xeviat]

Xev's System Changes

Aside from my desire to make changes to the races, classes, skills, and feats, there are elements of the core combat and equipment system that I wish to change. Here is an overview of the elements I'd like to change, and brief proposals of such changes:

Equipment

Weapons
There is an imbalance in some weapons. With a weapon balance calculator designed by a wizards.community member, edited by me for the 3.5 shift, I've found several imbalanced weapons (both weapons that were too strong, and weapons that were too weak). Additionally, I'd like to make adjustments to the "hand and a half" exotic weapons, since spending an exotic feat to just increase base damage (and decrease Str damage effectively) isn't a very good way of spending a feat.

Armor
I'd like to introduce DR as a component of armor, mainly because this will allow for more variety in armor forms. I've tested several forms of this, and have ultimately decided to go with a lower amount of DR for the purpose of simplicity. Additionally, Max Dex bonuses are being replaced by Dodge penalties (so all characters are equally encumbered by armor), and ACPs are being unified across the board. Armor is also being further simplified, possessing three types of armor and three types of each: leather, chain, and plate, all existing as light, medium, and heavy versions.

Combat

Full Attacks
Look at the Dragon; it has a primary bite (AB), 2 secondary claws (-5 AB), 2 secondary wings (-5 AB), and a secondary tail (-5 AB). Now look at a 20th level fighter; it has a primary attack (AB), a secondary attack (-5 AB), a tertiary attack (-10 AB), and a 4th attack (-15 AB). These 3rd and 4th attacks are supposed to be welcomed additions, but often they are not. I'd like to explore making all extra attacks made with a full attack secondary attacks, at a -5 AB penalty. This would greatly increase the potency of high level warriors, who need an improvement.

HP
I have long played with a WP/VP system, but I hadn't taken it to higher levels until recently. After much debate, while I like the imagery of the WP/VP system, I don't like the excessive deadliness of it at higher levels. Thus, I'm proposing a different take on the system (I actually remember someone suggesting this in the past, but I don't remember who it was; if it was you, let me know so I can credit you). Characters will have HP determined by their HD, and these represent a character's energy, vitality, and ability to take blows without damage. Characters will also have WP determined by their Con and modified by their size; these represent the amount of physical damage a character can sustain. All attacks deal HP damage until HP reach 0, then damage is dealt to WP. 1 point of WP damage will fatigue a character. WP are tracked endlessly into negative levels; at negative WP, a character must make Fortitude saves to resist death; the DC equals the amount of negative WP the character is at (-10 wp means a Fort DC of 10). Success means the character is still standing, failure means they start dying, and failure by 10 or more means they are dead. Further damage causes the character to start dying, unless they fail their save by 10 or more, in which they are dead.
This retains the feel of the VP/WP system, without the excessive amounts of high level deaths (the WP/VP system produces low level characters that are more survivable, but high level characters that are easier to kill).

Combat Maneuvers
There are many combat maneuvers I wish to alter. Over the years, I have rarely seen Bull Rush or Overrun performed, while I have seen Trip used extensively. There are also several maneuvers I'd like to introduce, and I'm not sure where they fit in. I'll begin with the altered maneuvers.

Trip
Trip's problem is that it is too good. Trip itself isn't too good, but the Improved Trip feat is. Improved Disarm, for instance, removes the attack of opportunity, grants a +4 to hit, and the opponent can't disarm you in return. Improved Trip, though, removes the attack of opportunity, grants a +4 to the trip check, and grants an extra attack. That extra attack makes the Improved Trip feat worth more than the other Improved Combat Maneuver feats in my opinion.

I'd like to unify the Improved Combat Maneuver feats to just make you better at it, thus instead of Improved Trip granting the extra attack, it should negate the counter trip attempt. Or, Improved Trip could deal unarmed strike damage with a successful trip, representing slamming someone into the floor (while a standard trip just makes them fall). I'm still unsure, but I'd like to discuss things, such as allowing trip to move someone (like a hip throw), and other elements.

Bull Rush
This maneuver is currently weak; my evidence for this is the fact that the maneuver is hardly ever utilized. Ways of improving it are numerous: it could deal damage (you run into them with a good amount of force), there could be an option for pushing them away without following (perhaps at 1/2 Str check, or with a -4 penalty?), it could deal damage if you push the foe into something like a wall, or the foe could fall prone if they fail a balance check.

Overrun
Another under used maneuver. I think it's level of being underused has to do with the general weakness of the Improved Overrun feat. If Improved Overrun included unarmed damage, like the Mounted version Trample, then I think it would be used a little more. So, in reality, this is more of a Feat issue, but I thought to bring it up here (there is a small possibility of simply combining Bull Rush and Overrun, since they both represent using brute force and mobility).

Two-Weapon Fighting
I'm not even sure where to start on Two-Weapon Fighting. Currently, it imposes so many restrictions and penalties that there are countless ways of increasing your damage without following the path. In my tests, TWFing is only beneficial for high level rogues, but even when compared to a Fighter with a single Two-Hander, these rogues don't stand up. The damage of a TWFing rogue exceeds a finessing rogue's, but the finessing rogue can have far higher AC (If you use Combat Expertise to equalize their ACs for comparison's purpose, the finesser deals more damage).

I think the most simple way to tackle the problem is through the exploration of the secondary attack theme I addressed above with Full Attacks. Taking the TWFing feat could allow you to make a secondary attack with your off-hand, with no penalty to the primary hand (unless the off-hand is one-handed). An Improved TWFing feat could make both hands treated as primary, gaining secondary attacks each, though a -2 penalty would be applied to both hands when used in this manner. I'll run some tests, but this is just a quick idea.

Possible New Maneuvers

Called Shot
I published a Called Shot system in Issue 2 of the CBGuide, but I think I can expand upon the premise a little more. Rather than imposing penalties to specific actions, I'd like to explore the different conditions (such as dazed, blinded, deafened, sickened, fatigued) that could conceivably be inflicted with normal attacks. Stomach/Groin shots could sicken, head hits could daze, ear trauma could deafen ... The idea behind the Called Shot system is to allow Warriors to inflict debilitating conditions on their foes, like casters can (and it might balance them a little more at early levels). The system works by allowing a warrior to take a penalty to hit in order to deal damage and induce a Fort save to resist the condition. Ultimately, it will still be my Called Shot system as written, but I want to explore the possibilities of introducing new conditions.

One litmus test will be to compare the maneuvers to spells. Daze for one round is a zero level spell, so it can't be terribly difficult. Making an opponent shaken for 1 round is a skill use currently. Blind or Deafness is a 2nd level spell. These are the things to consider, and I'd like help with this one.

Knock Back
Pick up a bat, hit a ball. Notice how it moves? I'd like to introduce a knock back maneuver, but it seems more like a mechanic that could be added to basic damage. The only problem is that it would really have to be added to Critical Hits, and then one would have to simply stipulate that attacks vs. objects always trigger knock back. I'd like to discuss this a bit much too.

Throw
I'd like to introduce a throw maneuver to grappling. A new statistic would be applied to characters, based on their weight and their equipment's weight. This statistic would essentially be a Strength DC for other creatures to manipulate them. This could even help with unifying wind effects, armor check penalties, and possibly many other aspects of the system. Alternately, the throw could be an opposed Str check for simplicity, going under the assumption that stronger people weigh more because they have more muscle mass. A move action would be required to lift the opponent (requiring a grapple check as well, and the capacity to lift that much weight), and then a strength check would be made to determine how far you throw them. I'm not sure how to determine damage at this point, but it would probably be unarmed damage for simplicity.

I'll address each of these in more detail as they are addressed by you, the reader. Ultimately, I'd like to make all of these changes, but I need other minds to assist.

[So-Keher]

Wow it looks like you've got some awesome stuff in the works.
i've actually never used the wp/vp variation (dont know what book) but is there any way to find a variation online? unless of course you will be making one here of course.

im also a big bastard sword fan
and i hated spending an extra feat
how about giving fighters a free proficiency with one weapon every 5 levels (1, 5, 10, 15, 20). they will choose from a 'set' of weapons defined at level one. therefore you could be a specialized bowman for example, and get proficiency with the repeating crossbow

[Gwaihir Windlord]

this sounds good.  I absolutely despise the WP/VP rules, so I wouldn't use those, but I agree with a lot of what you are saying.

To above post
That's why I like Weapon Group Feats (Unearthed Arcana, or http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/weaponGroupFeats.htm.  I love that site.)

[Xeviat]

The "official" WP/VP system is in Unearthed Arcana, but it can be miraculously found at www.d20srd.org.

The bastard sword is a two-handed martial weapon, so spending a feat to use it in one hand is fine. Technically, by mechanical balance, it's a little weak now due to the way damage dice scale. Currently, damage dice go 1d6 > 1d8 > 2d6 > 2d8 > 4d6 ... right? That means the longsword to bastard sword jump is smaller than the longsword to greatsword jump; the bastard sword is both a weak martial weapon and a weak exotic weapon. Boosting its potency should be simple enough, though.

As you're a fan, I think I'll bounce the ideas off you. In my games, there are 3 "hand and a half" weapons: Bastard Sword (1d10 19-20/x2), War Axe (1d10 20/x3), and Katana (1d8 18-20/x2). I can't really change their damage, but other abilities could be given to them. Tripping capability, disarm bonus, sunder bonus, disarm resistance, sunder resistance ... these are all possibilities.

Look at the weapons in Complete Adventurer. They have the barbed dagger (deals extra damage on sneak attacks and critical hits), broadblade shortsword (+2 AC when fighting defensively or using combat expertise 2), quick blade rapier (+2 to disarm and feint), longaxe (can be used as a reach weapon while using Power Attack 3), and longstaff (cannot be flanked when fighting defensively or using combat expertise 2). These weapons are truely exotic, as they give you special abilities, and are worth their feats. Likewise, the spiked chain is worth it as an exotic weapon, and with some alterations, the whip could be too.

I'm not really sure what sort of bonuses could be applied to the hand and a halves, but they currently don't seem worth it at the momment.

[the_taken]

Rule changes to the combat system?
Read: Races of War

There's a part where he deals completely on the effects of attacking. And he says it's all Open Gamming Content, so I'll create a blockquote. [blockquote=K]The Failure of Feats
"How about instead of being able to travel anywhere in the multiverse, transform yourself into anything you can think of, stop time, and slay everyone you can see, we just give a nice +1 to hit with your secondary weapon? Deal?"

Feats were an interesting idea when they were ported to 3rd edition D&D. But let's face it; they don't go nearly far enough. Feats were made extremely conservative in their effects on the game because the authors didn't want to offend people with too radical a change. Well, now we've had third edition for 6 years, and we're offended. Feats are an interesting and tangible way to get unique abilities onto a character, but they have fallen prey to two key fallacies that has ended up turning the entire concept to ashes in our mouths. The first is the idea that if you think of something kind of cool for a character to do, you should make it a feat. That sounds compelling, but you only get 7 feats in your whole life. If you have to spend a feat for every cool thing you ever do, you're not going to do very many cool things in the approximately 260 encounters you'll have on your way from 1st to 20th level. The second is the idea that a feat should be equivalent to a cantrip or two. This one is even less excusable, and just makes us cry. A +1 bonus is something that you seriously might forget that you even have. Having one more +1 bonus doesn't make your character unique, it makes you a sucker for spending one of the half dozen feats you'll ever see on a bonus the other players won't even mention when discussing your character.

We all understand this problem, what do we do about it? Well, for starters, Feats have to do more things. Many characters are 5th level or so and they only have 2 feats. Those feats should describe their character in a much more salient way than "I'm no worse shooting into melee than I am shooting at people with cover that isn't my friends." This was begun with the tactical feats, but it didn't go far enough. It's not enough to add additional feats that do something halfway interesting for high level characters to have â,¬' we actually have to replace the stupid one dimensional feats in the PHB with feats that rational people would care about in any way. Spending a single feat should be enough to make you a "sniper character" because for a substantial portion of your life you only get one feat. Secondly, we have to clear away feats that don't provide numeric bonuses large enough to care about. The minimum bonus you'll ever notice is +3, because that's actually larger than the difference between having rolled well and having rolled poorly on your starting stats. Numeric bonuses smaller than that are actually insulting and need to be removed from the feats altogether. 3.5 Skill Focus was a nice start, but that's all it was â,¬' a start.

Furthermore, the fundamental structure of feats has been a disaster. The system of prerequisites often ensures that characters won't get an ability before it would be level appropriate for them to do so, but actually does nothing to ensure that such characters are in fact getting level appropriate abilities. Indeed, if a 12th level character decides that they want to pursue a career in shooting people in the face, they have to start all over gaining an ability that is supposed to be level appropriate for a 1st level character. Meanwhile, when a wizard of 12th level decides to pursue some new direction in spellcasting â,¬' he learns a new 6th level spell right off â,¬' and gets an ability that's level appropriate for a 12th level character.

Exploits
Getting proficiency with a weapon isn't worth a feat. They hand that crap out with your character class for free. Seriously, even exotic weapon proficiencies aren't a big deal. Therefore, we're instituting Exploits as something that can be acquired in-game. These are for any of the binary abilities that simply don't have a massive impact on your character's performance at any level.

If you have Martial Weapon Proficiency, it's really unreasonable for it to be that hard to learn how to use a new weapon, whether it's exotic or not. If you spend a week training with a weapon, you can make an Int check (DC 10) to simply gain the Exploit of Exotic Weapon Proficiency. And no, you can't take 10 on that.

If you don't have Martial Weapon Proficiency and you want to use a new weapon, that's touchier. But if you have a weapon for an entire level, you should just gain proficiency in it when you gain your next level whatever level you happen to select.

The New Feat System:

So where are we going with this? First of all, feat chains are gone. That seemed like a good idea, but it wasn't. Secondly, the vast majority of feats don't have prerequisites at all, they scale. A [Combat] feat scales to your Base Attack Bonus, a [Skill] feat scales to your ranks in a skill, and a [Metamagic] feat scales to the highest level spell you can cast. And that's because those are the only things in the game that actually have anything to do with the level your character is in any way that we feel good about.[/blockquote][blockquote=K]Advanced Combat

Advanced combat is a somewhat disingenuous name, as it implies that these rules are more complex than the "basic" rules found in the PHB. In truth, some of them are and some are not. Mostly, we look at these rules as a revision of the existing rules to make them more useful to players and DMs. In part that means taking incomprehensible portions of the combat system (grapple, for example), and cutting them down into discreet actions people can actually use without a half-hour argument. Partly this means taking basic combat actions and making sure that they have a valid purpose at all levels of play.

Base Attack Bonus and Combat Maneuvers

If you looked at the classes in the PHB, you'd think that BAB actually meant something. Classes with good BABs are severely restricted in other areas, and they only get 1 or 2 more BAB every four levels as compared to full spellcasters. Clearly, having even a slight bulge in BAB is supposed to be a major advantage. But in the basic rules, it really isn't. The bonus that a Fighter gets to his BAB over a Wizard is actually smaller than the variance of having rolled well and having rolled poorly on one's attributes. There is no guaranty that an Elven Fighter is better with a bow than an Elven Wizard is at 1st or even 4th level. Even when the BAB starts to pull ahead, it does so very slowly. A net +1 to-hit is something that you seriously might never even notice if you rolled your dice in secret. A +1 to-hit means that out of 20 attacks, one attack that would have missed would hit instead. Which, compared to the difference in numbers of attacks that land between someone who rolls well and someone who rolls poorly during an adventure is vanishingly small.

So what we're doing is actually making BAB mean something. It's supposed to represent the amount of combat skill you have, so let's work with that. From now on, if you have more BAB than the target of your attacks, you are considered to "Have the Edge" on that attack. Combat Maneuvers will perform better when used by someone with the Edge. So while anyone can attempt to Disarm an opponent (provoking an attack of opportunity and dropping the weapon on the ground on a successful opposed attack roll), a character with the Edge can disarm better (provoking no attack of opportunity and sending the weapon flying in a direction of his choice). In this manner, a character who takes full BAB classes always has a fundamental advantage in combat over characters who do other things.

Attacks of Opportunity
As you may have noticed, we have put in a lot more mechanics that interact with Attacks of Opportunity. That's because we're also instituting the following change to the mechanics of AoOs:

    * If you have a Base Attack Bonus high enough to warrant gaining additional attacks, you also get additional Attacks of Opportunity.
      So a character with a BAB of +6 can make 2 AoOs each round. A character with a BAB of +11 can make 3, and a character with 16 can make 4.


Bonus Attacks and BAB
The bonus attacks that characters get for hitting a BAB of 11 or 16 are not good. I don't know what that was about, but I can only assume that it had to do with a fundamental lack of playtesting past level 10. Anyway, the penalty for taking a bonus attack in a Full Attack action should never rise above -5. So if you have a BAB of +17, your attack routine should look like this: +17/+12/+12/+12. Really.

Attack Options
Characters have a number of options when they attack their opponents.

Expertise
You leverage your combat skill into defense rather than offense.
Requirement: You must make an attack action and have a BAB of at least +1. You need not specifically attack an enemy.
Effect: Before making an attack roll, you may take an attack penalty of up to your BAB on this attack and all further attacks until your next turn, and gain an equal Dodge Bonus to AC. You may only use this option once per turn.

Power Attack
You leverage your combat skill into devastating attacks at the expense of accuracy.
Requirement: You must make an attack action and have a BAB of at least +1.
Effect: Before making an attack roll, you may voluntarily take an attack penalty of up to your BAB, and inflict two times that amount in extra damage with that attack. You may take this option on any or all of your attacks if you wish.

Special Attack Actions
All of the following maneuvers may be made in place of an attack. Any time a character is permitted an attack for any reason (including an attack of opportunity or the attack at the conclusion of a charge), they may make a special attack action instead.

Bullrush
If you have not moved your entire allotted distance this turn, you may attempt to push your opponent back as a melee attack. First, you move into your opponent's square (which probably provokes an attack of opportunity, see movement). Then you make an opposed size-modified strength check against a DC of 10 + the target's Strength modifier + the target's size modifier (you do not have to roll to hit). If you succeed, you push your opponent back 5 feet. If you succeed by more than 1, you may move your opponent back a single 5' square for every 2 points your check exceeds the DC.
Modifiers: The Size Modifier to both the Bullrush check and the DC is +4 for every size larger than medium and -4 for every size smaller than medium.
Special: The movement used during a Bullrush counts against your movement this turn. If you do not take a move or charge action this turn, you will normally be limited to five feet of movement. This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity from you or the target, but is quite likely to provoke an attack of opportunity from any other creature standing nearby. During a bullrush, both characters provide cover for each other.

    * Edge Option: If you have the edge on your target, you do not provide cover for your opponent even if they are the same size as you. Further, you may move your opponent in a direction up to 45 degrees off from your initial approach, altering your own course to push them more than 5 feet if necessary. If you fail the initial strength check, you may choose which adjacent square you are pushed into.


Coup de Grace
You may attempt to slay an opponent outright if they are helpless. As a full-round action, you may automatically hit a helpless opponent in melee range. This attack is automatically a critical hit. This action provokes an attack of opportunity.
Interrupting a Coup de Grace: A character who suffers damage during the Coup de Grace must make a Concentration Check (DC 10 + Damage Inflicted) or the action is resolved as a normal attack.

    * Edge Option: If you have the Edge on an opponent who threatens you during a Coup de Grace, you do not provoke an attack of opportunity from them.


Covering Fire
You may use your ranged attacks to provide cover for your allies. Take an attack with your ranged weapon and roll a normal attack roll. Until the beginning of your next turn one of your allies may use the result of your attack roll as their Armor Class against one attack of opportunity.

    * Edge Option: If you have The Edge against an opponent whose attack of opportunity was negated by Covering Fire, your ranged weapon may hit them. Simply compare the attack roll to their armor class as if it was also a normal attack.


Disarm
You may attempt to disarm your opponent with a melee attack. Disarm is a special attack action. Make an attack roll against an "armor class" of 10 + the target's melee attack bonuses with the item in question. If you succeed, one weapon or held item is snatched out of your opponent's grasp. Failing a Disarm attempt provokes an attack of opportunity from the target. A disarmed item lands in a randomly determined square adjacent to the target.
Defending against a Disarm: An item held in two hands is harder to disarm, increasing the DC by +4. An item tied to one's body with a sword-wrap or locked gauntlet is much harder to disarm, increasing the DC by +8.
Special:A Disarm may be used to attempt to remove a weapon that is presently being used in an attack against the disarmer even if the creature using the weapon is out of range or otherwise not threatened by the character. A Disarm (or any attack) is normally only usable during an attack against such creatures as an Attack of Opportunity or a Readied Action.

    * Edge Option: If you have the Edge on your target, your Disarm attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity, and you may choose which adjacent square your opponent's weapon or held item lands in. If you have a free hand, the item may end up in your possession instead.


Feint
By performing a distracting maneuver or fencing your opponent into a poor position, you may make an attack against them at their worst. You take an attack action to make a Bluff check with a DC of 10 + your opponent's Wisdom modifier + the higher of your opponent's BAB or ranks in Sense Motive. If you succeed, your opponent does not get their Dexterity Bonus to AC against the next attack you make against them (if it is within the next round).

    * Edge Option: If you have the Edge on your target and you successfully Feint, you may make an attack against that opponent this round as a Swift action.


Grapple
Grapple is collectively 3 separate maneuvers that all fall under the super-heading of "grappling". Any grapple attempt provokes an attack of opportunity unless your attack has the edge.

    * Grab On
      Sometimes, you want to attach yourself to a larger creature, getting inside their reach and then repeatedly stabbing them or simply weighing them down. As an attack action you may attempt to grab on to an opponent.
      Grabbing on to an opponent provokes an attack of opportunity and requires a check with the same bonuses as a melee attack. The DC to grab on to an opponent is their Touch AC plus their BAB. If you have 5 ranks of Climb or Ride, you get a +2 synergy bonus on this maneuver for each skill.
      Holding on: Once you've attached yourself to your opponent, you go wherever they go. Move in to their space, and move where they do automatically (this movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity or count against your movement in any way). You may attack with any light or one handed weapon, and your opponent is denied his Dexterity bonus against you.
      Being Held on to: If another creature has grabbed on to your character, their weight counts against your carrying capacity. If you're overloaded, you may be unable to move or even collapse until you shake your opponent off. You can attempt to attack a creature holding on to you, but your strength modifier is halved for such attacks and your attacks are at -4. You may attempt to shake your opponent off as an attack action by making a check with a bonus equal to your melee attack or Escape Artist and a DC of 10 + the greatest of your opponent's BAB, Climb Ranks, or Ride Ranks.
      Edge Options: If you have the edge on an opponent when you grab them, they may not attack you at all once you have grabbed on to them. Further, grabbing on to an opponent does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
    * Hold Down
      Sometimes you want to pin an opponent to the ground. First, make a touch attack. Then, make a Grapple Check (BAB + Strength Modifier + Special Size Modifier) with a DC of 10 + Defender's Grapple Check Modifier. If you succeed, your opponent is pinned for one round. They can't move, and you may put ropes or manacles on them if you wish with an attack action. At the end of any turn you are pinning your opponent, you may inflict unarmed or constriction damage. With subsequent attack actions, you may attack with natural weapons or light weapons with no penalty.
      Escaping a Pin: If you're pinned you can attempt to fight back, but you're prone and you suffer an additional -4 penalty to attack the creature pinning you (generally a -8 total penalty to attack your attacker). You can get out with an attack action by making a Grapple or Escape Artist check with a DC of 10 + your opponent's Grapple Modifier.
      Edge Options: If you're pinning an opponent and your attacks have the edge, your opponent cannot attack you or anyone else until they get free. Furthermore, if anyone else attacks them, they are considered helpless.
    * Lift
      Sometimes you want to put an opponent in your mouth or carry away a struggling princess. Make a touch attack and then make a Grapple Check with a DC equal to 10 + your opponent's Grapple modifier. If you succeed, your opponent is hefted into the air. You may move around freely while carrying your opponent (their weight counts against your limits of course). You may perform a coup de grace or swallow whole action on a character you have lifted, but doing so ends the lift whether it succeeds or fails.
      Escaping a Lift: When you've been lifted, you cannot move under your own power, but you can continue to attack. Attacks against the creature which has lifted you are at a -4 penalty. You can also attempt to escape with an attack action by making a Grapple or Escape Artist check with a DC of 10 + your opponent's Grapple Modifier.
      Edge Options: If you have the edge on an opponent you have lifted, they may not attack you or anyone else until they escape.

Trip
As an attack action, you may attempt to knock an opponent prone. Make a touch attack, and if you succeed make a Strength + BAB check against a DC of 10 + your opponent's Strength + BAB or Balance modifier (whichever is greater). Success leaves your opponent prone. Failure provokes an attack of opportunity.
Modifiers: The DC to trip an opponent who has four legs or is otherwise inherently stabile is increased by 4. Radially symmetrical creatures like Oozes cannot be tripped at all.

    * Edge Option: If you have the edge on your target, you do notprovoke an attack of opportunity if your trip attempt fails, but your target provokes an attack of opportunity from you if your trip succeeds.[/blockquote]
I like it. And I'll be making it standard in my upcomming ninja game.

[Xeviat]

I'm not sure. I do like that they changed the opposed checks for disarm, bull rush, and such to flat DCs. I'm not sure about the notion of scaling feats: my solution to that is that high level feats should be better, and cross chain feats should exist to grant added power to characters who diversify.

I understand the idea of making feats worth more, but I'm not sure if they go to far with that system. I've seen it online, so I'll take a deeper look at it. I'm glad to see that they came up with the +0/-5/-5/-5 itterative attack system too.

[khyron1144]

Rule changes to the combat system?
Read: Races of War


  That sounds compelling, but you only get 7 feats in your whole life. If you have to spend a feat for every cool thing you ever do, you're not going to do very many cool things in the approximately 260 encounters you'll have on your way from 1st to 20th level.

Where did they get that number seven?

A Human fighter has three at first level, one of which has to be combat-related.  At second level it's four. At third level it's five. At fourth level it's six.  At sixth it's eight.

A human wizard has three at first level, four at third, five at fifth, six at sixth, seven at ninth, and eight at tenth.

And there's rangers and their virtual feats.

[the_taken]

Y'know, I can name one CORE feat that scales... Many Shot.

Where did they get that number seven?

A Human fighter has three at first level, one of which has to be combat-related.  At second level it's four. At third level it's five. At fourth level it's six.  At sixth it's eight.

A human wizard has three at first level, four at third, five at fifth, six at sixth, seven at ninth, and eight at tenth.

And there's rangers and their virtual feats.

20 divided by 3 is 6.66. Then a character gets a feat at first level. That's seven.
How many feats does a sorcerer get? Or a druid? Paladin? Barbarian? Bard? And not every one is human.

You're missing the point. The point is that a feat is supposed to make your character awesome, from whatever level you get it up thru tp Lvl20. (This scalling feats idea plus the fighter class means a fighter is very awesome at combat.)

[khyron1144]

1) 20 divided by 3 is 6.66. Then a character gets a feat at first level. That's seven.
2) How many feats does a sorcerer get? 3) Or a druid? 4) Paladin? 5) Barbarian? 6) Bard? 7) And not every one is human.

8  ) You're missing the point. 9) The point is that a feat is supposed to make your character awesome, from whatever level you get it up thru tp Lvl20. (This scalling feats idea plus the fighter class means a fighter is very awesome at combat.)

1) Okay that's where the number came from.  Thank you for answering the question I posed.
2-6) Take your pick from: a) If you want to screw your charcter over by taking a class that does not confer bonus feats go ahead, but it's your choice, so don't complain that your character gets screwed as to number of feats.
or b) They get class features to make up for it, like: 2) more spells per day, 3) wild shape, 4) lay on hands, divine grace, detect evil, 5) d12 hit dice and good skills, or 6) a little bit of everything, including curative magic, so they don't exactly get screwed over.
7) Everyone whose player really likes feats is.
8   ) Probably
9) Possibly.


Sorry for the temporary derailment.  To get things back on track:

Combat Maneuvers
There are many combat maneuvers I wish to alter. Over the years, I have rarely seen Bull Rush or Overrun performed, while I have seen Trip used extensively. There are also several maneuvers I'd like to introduce, and I'm not sure where they fit in. I'll begin with the altered maneuvers.

Maybe it's the kind of games we play, but generally, the kind of combats I see involve pretty much no maneuvers.  It's mostly, fighter types rush up and make a full attack, spellcasters hide behind them and cast direct damage and disabling spells at enemies.

Does anybody else have this situation?

[Xeviat]

I used to see fights where no one used anything but move+attack or full attack, but later I saw more disarm, sunder, and trips, but rarely Bull Rush or Overrun (I only see Bull Rush now because two players are crusaders and have the Bull Rush maneuver).