Opt for the visible.

[beejazz]

Aside from whatever game balance issues you may argue, I've always preferred feats like monkey grip, prone attack, throw anything, or ranged pin over classic reliables like combat reflexes and power attack when making bad guys. The one reason for this: visible effect.

You have to admit it's a hell of alot scarier to get pinned to the wall by a thrown sheild (as per Fellowship) than to just get critted. Likewise, while fireballs might be scary, they're gone in an instant... and buffer spells just make people hard to hit. While it may be a simple matter of descriptive abillity, Evard's Black Tentacles is just scarier.

What say you? Am I right or am I crazy?

[daggerhart]

you're right.  
trapping, a character is scarier than hurting them.

but if you trap them in a way that totally prevents them from taking part in the action, its just annoying.

[beejazz]

Meh. I wasn't so much going for "OMG TRAPPED" as "can he DO that?!"

[CYMRO]

Meh. I wasn't so much going for "OMG TRAPPED" as "can he DO that?!"

Yes, sometimes players forget that NPCs have the same options as PCs.

[Soup Nazi]

Yeah there are truly few mechanics that are both effective and look cool. Personally I think ogre fighters with flaming spiked chains, who trip, disarm, and tear people apart with reach and attacks of opportunity are one of the few things that do. I really hope the Book of Nine Swords: Tome of Battle is loaded with flashy combat options...I'm a melee combat lover.

Oh and I agree on Evard's Black Tentacles, but that spell actually kicks royal arse mechanically too.

-Nasty-

[Túrin]

Oh and I agree on Evard's Black Tentacles, but that spell actually kicks royal arse mechanically too.

I wonder if that's a coincidence...

[beejazz]

I've always been fond of half-giants with monkey grip, full plate, and HUGE MUSKETS. PCs get a little shaky when you mention an "eight, maybe ten foot barrel"... crit on 4d6? OW! Likewise for four-armed adamantine warforged loaded down with katanas and oversized TWF feat. damage is more fun when it LOOKS scary, ya know. Like the Str40 knife-fighter (1d4+15) might deal damage, but he isn't necessarily scary.

[Xeviat]

I don't know; the first time someone takes almost 20 damage from a non-magical knife, they're going to spaz out.

[Túrin]

I think that was his point as well.

[Raelifin]

I think at that point the impact from the hilt of the blade deals more damage than the cut. O_O

[Raelifin]

Oh, and on the topic of cool looking feats,  awesome blow has got to be my fav.

[Numinous]

Oooh, very nice, I'll have to use that one sometime.  *Evil DM smile*