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Kelkel
2009-02-24, 10:00 PM
For a character of mine, im looking to make a fighter/melee character that really takes advantage of attacks of oppertunity. Ive already got a Dex of 16 and Combat Reflexes, and im really just looking for a few other good feats that would make AoO's better, or cause opponents to provoke them more often. Anyone have any helpful advice or insight?

Renegade Paladin
2009-02-24, 10:01 PM
Hold the Line lets you make an attack of opportunity against characters that charge you.

Xefas
2009-02-24, 10:04 PM
Stand Still lets you give up the damage one of your AoOs would do to instead force the opponent to not be able to move during their turn.

NeoVid
2009-02-24, 10:18 PM
Strong but risky: Robilar's Gambit. You can AoO someone in response to getting attacked, but they get a pretty significant bonus to hit you.

MeklorIlavator
2009-02-24, 10:21 PM
Rolibar's Gambit form the PHB2 would work, as would Karmic Strike(don't know where it's from). Both make the enemy provoke whenever they attack you.

Also, the Feat Evasive reflexes allows one to make a 5ft step instead of an AOO.

Fixer
2009-02-25, 07:36 AM
Rolibar's Gambit form the PHB2 would work, as would Karmic Strike(don't know where it's from). Both make the enemy provoke whenever they attack you.

Also, the Feat Evasive reflexes allows one to make a 5ft step instead of an AOO.
Rolibar's Gambit (Which only requires Combat Reflexes as a feat but requires a +12 BAB, so only possible in the higher levels) gives your opponents a bonus to hit you, but IF they make an attack roll, you get an AOO.

Karmic Strike (Which requires Expertise, Dodge, and Dex 13 so you could take it at 1st level) from Complete Warrior grants a similar 'bonus' to your opponents (a -4 to AC instead of a +4 to hit, so essentially the same thing) but only gives an AOO for each successful hit on you.

So, if you are trying to avoid being hit, you need to wait until your BAB gets up to +12 to try for Rolibar's Gambit. If you don't mind getting hit (DR, fast healing, whatever) then Karmic Strike will pay off pretty well.

Swooper
2009-02-25, 07:46 AM
Stormguard Warrior from Tome of Battle. Sacrifice AoOs for a huge to hit/damage bonus on your next turn. Pretty easy to stack up to ridiculous numbers in combination with other stuff, like Robilar's Gambit, Karmic Strike, Combat Reflexes and a large number of attacks (via, say, two-weapon fighting and whirling frenzy).

sleepy
2009-02-25, 08:57 AM
It is the first step towards cheese, but you'd benefit enormously from EWP: spiked chain. That's a lot of threatened area. However your mental cinematography will never be the same. Note that the Chain is also finesseable.

This thread (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=863508) mentions the following feats. It also recommends using your AoOs to spam Improved Trip (and thereby generate more free attacks), making use of the Overpowering Attack fighter substitution level (phb2), and seems to imply there is some method of benefitting from double hit whilst equipped with a spiked chain. I assume the secret is armour spikes, which limits the applicability to the 5 foot range, but I could be wrong. At any rate I doubt you're supposed to use an undersized chain in each hand.


* Combat Reflexes (PHB): Make additional attacks of opportunity and even if you are flat-footed. Very nice feat and is required usually for others.
* Hold the Line (CW): Nice with reach weapons and trip if you get charged a lot.
* Karmic Strike (CW): Great for Attack of Opportunity builds.
* Defensive Sweep (PHB II): Provoke AoOs from opponents that begin their actions adjacent to you and do not move.
* Hindering Opportunist (PHB II): Replace AoOs with aid another.
* Robilar's Gambit (PHB II): One of the best feats out there for this type of combat style.
* Stalwart Defense (PHB II): Aid your opponents when they get attacked in melee by opponents by giving up AoOs.
* Mage Slayer (CA): Bonus to will saves and spellcasters you threaten can't cast defensively.
* Deft Opportunist (CV): +4 bonus on attack rolls when making AoOs.
* Overhead Thrust (Draconomicon): Opponents attacking you from above generate AoOs.
* Standstill (EPH): Stop opponent's movement with AoOs.
* Double Hit (Miniatures Handbook): When making a AoO you may attack with your off hand at the same time.
* Sidestep (Miniatures Handbook): Combined with feats like karmic strike or Robilar's Gambit, with this feat you can easily evade full attacks.
* Evasive Reflexes (ToB): As above, but no AoO.



I understand that it appears in no books, but there's a feat called Knock-Down in a sketchy area of the SRD which is technically legal. It gives you a trip attempt as a free action whenever you hit something in melee for more than 10 damage. By all appearances an unupdated 3.0 feat accidentally pasted into the 3.5 SRD, but if you want to try and convince your DM, it's there. He might look at you funny when he realizes whenever you hit someone, they fall, triggering a second attack, and he'll almost certainly look at you funny when he realizes having that NPC stand up allows you to hit him again, which will knock him back down, triggering yet another attack and costing him the action. Then again, that might be acceptable in your game. More likely you start running into a lot of things you can't trip.

PinkysBrain
2009-02-25, 09:24 AM
As an alternative to hold the line there is the rampaging bullrush + knockback (both from RoS) combo ... instead of stopping their movement you knock them back and on the ground (if you succeed on the bullrush).

PinkysBrain
2009-02-25, 09:50 AM
I understand that it appears in no books, but there's a feat called Knock-Down in a sketchy area of the SRD which is technically legal. It gives you a trip attempt as a free action whenever you hit something in melee for more than 10 damage. By all appearances an unupdated 3.0 feat accidentally pasted into the 3.5 SRD
Actually it's from Deities and Demigods, a book with an official 3.5 update.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20030718a

Person_Man
2009-02-25, 10:39 AM
Various AoO builds:

Flaming Homer, the Bowling Ball of DOOM!!!
Half Ogre or Goliath or Half-Giant Fighter 6/Pyrokineticist 1/War Mind 5+

Feats: Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Knockback, Leap Attack, Shock Trooper, Combat Reflexes, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip. You'll also need to take the Education feat or 1 level of any other psionic class or prestige class so that you can get the 8 ranks of Knowledge (Psionics) needed for entry into War Mind. And you'll need at least one power point to qualify for either Pyro or War Mind, which you can get by being a Half-Giant or taking the Wild Talent feat or any psionic base class. I suggest a level or two of Psychic Warrior, as this will give you everything you need plus bonus feats.

Other Feats for consideration: Practiced Manifester, Robilar's Gambit, Improved Unarmed Strike, Battle Jump, Cleave, Hold the Line, Karmic Strike, Inhuman Reach, Deformity (Tall).

Handy Feat Index (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/datafind/feats.shtml)

Before combat, use the Expansion (www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/expansion.htm) power on yourself to increase your reach as much as possible. Note that all whips, including fire lashes, don’t threaten the area into which you can make an attack. So you'll need Improved Unarmed Strike, armor spikes, or a natural weapon to make AoO. My preference is the Claws of the Beast (www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/clawsofthebeast.htm) power, which can be improved by using Claws of the Vampire (www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/clawsoftheVampire.htm) for a King of Smack redux. Note that the FAQ (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20030221a) specifically clarifies that you can switch between a two handed weapon and a natural weapon in the same round. If your DM doesn't agree with the FAQ, you can use Bite of the Wolf or dip into a one level of Monk instead. There are also a variety of spells, feats, items, and special abilities that improve your natural reach, and I suggest you use whatever you can.

Charge exactly 10 feet into your enemy. Make a touch attack with your Fire Lash as a two-handed weapon (as it explicitly says you can in the FAQ). Transfer your full BAB to Leap Attack to increase your damage.

If your enemy is standing next to another enemy, each attack also applies to them (Warmind Sweeping Strike ability). Since Sweeping Strike requires that you move no more then 10 feet during your turn, you can use Hustle+Psionic Dimension Door to teleport around the battlefield without actually moving as needed. But your reach is pretty huge, so you shouldn't have to do that very often. You can also just wait for your enemies to come to you, and ready an action to smack them when they come near you.

Each enemy that you hit gets a free Bull Rush attempt (Knockback) on each attack, applying your damage and Leap Attack bonus to the opposed Str check.

This should allow you to push your enemy several spaces backwards. For each space you move your enemy backwards, you may also shift him one hex to the left or the right (Shock Trooper). If this pushes your enemy into the same hex as another enemy, you get a free Trip Attempt on each of them (Shock Trooper, again).

Assuming you still threaten their spaces, each successful Trip gets a free follow up attack (Improved Trip), and each successful melee attack gets a free Bull Rush, which can start another Shock Trooper+Improved Trip combo. And every melee attack can also apply to someone standing next to your enemy using Sweeping Strike.

And at any time you can Bull Rush an enemy into a wall or other inanimate object, you can use the Dungeon Crasher ability (Dungeonscape, Fighter alternate class levels) to deal an extra 8d6 + (3 x Str mod) damage, in addition to your insane Leap Attack damage. This is really easy to pull off, since with Shock Trooper and your uber Bull Rush multiplier, you should be able to fling enemies pretty far. Alternatively, you can have a friend summon a wall in the middle of the battlefield, forcing your enemies to walk around it, and giving you something to Bull Rush them into. Also note that dead bodies are considered objects, and not allies or enemies. So once you kill something, you should be able to fling enemies into their dead comrades (though your DM will probably rule that they need to be size Large or bigger in order for this to work).

In addition, a whip provokes an AoO from your enemy whenever you use it while adjacent to it. This is actually a great opportunity for you, because with Robilar's Gambit it essentially gives you another chance to start up your chain of attacks if by some odd chance you miss on your first touch attack. Though obviously if you're more defense oriented, you'll want to keep your enemies 10 feet away from you when you hit them with the lash.

Also, be sure to pick up Pounce somehow (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103358). And be sure to buy a backup reach weapon that doesn't deal fire damage. Your DM is most definitely going to throw fire immune enemies at you.

Ping Pong Pete
Goliath Knight 12 (ECL 13)
Cha > Dex > Str > Con > Int 13 > Wis (dump): Like Sir Didymus, you need a Dex of at least 14, because you're going to be taking a lot of AoO. And it's ok to dump Wis, because you have a strong Will Save and can always buy a Cloak of Resistance. But thanks to the racial bonuses, Pete doesn't need to invest in Str and Con as highly as Sir Didymus.

Feats: Power Attack, Mounted Combat (bonus), Improved Bull Rush, Ride By Attack (bonus), Combat Reflexes, Knockback (Races of Stone), Spirited Charge (bonus), Shock Trooper.

Pete has two combo's. The first copies Sir Didymus. Get on a horse, use Test of Mettle, divide and conquer. Note that your damage output will definitely be higher, because you can use a large lance, use Shock Trooper to shift the To-Hit penalty to AC, and will generally have higher Str.

The second combo revolves around Knockback. It's a feat that's limited to Large and Powerful Build races which gives you a free Bull Rush whenever you hit an enemy, adding your Power Attack bonus to it. So instead of leaving your enemies Prone, you push them back. Shock Trooper allows you to move your enemies one square to the left or right for each square you push them back. And it gives you a free Trip attempt if you can steer a Bull Rushed enemy into another enemy's square. And hilariously, all your enemies can do is get up and head right back towards you.

This build is more powerful, but it suffers from two big weaknesses. First, since goliaths are a medium race, they can generally only be mounted while outdoors. Being a small race, Sir Didymus can pretty much go anywhere on his medium mount, maintaining his mobility under almost any conditions. If you just know that you're going to be spending a lot of time indoors, then drop the Ride By Attack and Spirited Charge and pick up Iron Will and Great Fortitude instead (sigh - I wish the Knight's bonus feat list was better), and pick up Leap Attack as soon as you can.

Second, Sir Didymus is playable at every level, but Pete desperately needs lots of feats for his key second combo to work. Flaws help. But if you can't use flaws and you're playing at mid levels you have to suck it up and take 2 levels of Fighter, and accept the fact that your Knight abilities will be somewhat sub-par.

Hentai, the Knight Protector
Whatever Knight X
Cha > Dex > Str (13+)> Con > Int (10+) > Wis (dump): Basically, this Knight has three goals:

1) Get access to Standstill (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Stand_Still), Combat Reflexes, Mage Slayer (Complete Arcane), Supernatural Opportunist (Tome of Magic), and Frightful Presence (Draconomicon).

2) Getting ridiculous reach. This can be accomplished a number of ways:

Play a big race (try to avoid LA)
Reach Weapon: Doubles reach.
Wildshape/Polymorph: Turn into something bigger.
Enlarge Person: +1 size.
Expansion (doesn't stack with Enlarge Person): +1 or +2 size.
Alter Self (doesn't stack with Enlarge Person or Expansion): +1 size.
Willing Deformity -> Deformity Tall (Heroes of Horror): +5 ft.
Aberration Blood -> Inhuman Reach (Lords of Madness): +5 ft.
Extended Reach (req tentacle like limbs, provided by Inhuman Reach): +5 ft.
3 levels of Warshaper (Comp Warrior): +5 ft, but only with natural weapons.

Some of these options aren't a good choice for this build, but I'd though I'd put them out there anyway. But it should be relatively easy for you to get 30+ feet of reach with a moderate investment.

3) Find a way to consistently deal 40ish damage per hit - not very hard with decent Str, a two handed weapon magic weapon, etc. This will make the Reflex Saves needed to accomplish any type of movement and the Concentration checks needed to cast ridiculously hard.

Put these together with your Knight class abilities (Bulwark of Defense, Vigilant Defender, Daunting Challenge, Test of Mettle) and basically everyone within your reach will be screwed one way or another. Stand near the party Wizard or whoever needs to be protected the most, and the enemies will come to you, even without Test of Mettle.

The down side of this build is that it really doesn't come together until at least ECL 12ish, if not much higher. It lacks any offensive combo besides Fear, though you could certainly add one at high levels. And your DM is definitely going to use lots of very long range enemies against you, so be prepared.


Sir Didymus
Strongheart Halfling Knight 10

Con > Cha > Dex > Str > Int 13 > Wis (dump): You need a Dex of at least 14, because you're going to be taking a lot of AoO. It's ok to dump Wis, because you have a strong Will Save and can always buy a Cloak of Resistance.

Strongheart Halflings lose their Save bonus and gain a bonus feat instead. It's a Forgotten Realms Race.

Feats: Combat Expertise, Improved Trip (Halfling bonus feat), Mounted Combat (Knight bonus), Knock-Down, Ride By Attack (Knight bonus), Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, Spirited Charge (Knight bonus). If possible, also pick up Shock Trooper ASAP. Though its not pivotal for this build, it helps a lot on your Charge attacks. You can switch out Combat Expertise->Improved Trip->Knock-Down for Stand Still, which is more efficient for battlefield control but never deals damage.

Invest in Handle Animal. Buy a pack of dogs, trained for guard duty, attack, and riding. They're cheap, fast, and also useful for disarming traps in dungeons. (Fetch the bone Lassie!) Ride one into combat, and have the others guard the campsite and act as replacements in case your main mount gets killed. An even better combination is if you have a Druid or Ranger in the party with an animal companion. At higher levels, you can take Leadership or Dragon Cohort and get something more useful, preferably something with flight.

Your combo is simple. Use Test of Mettle to draw your enemies to you. Charge through and past them repeatedly, drawing them as far away as you can from the rest of your party. Divide and conquer. Have the rest of the party gang up on whoever passed their Test of Mettle Save, and once they're dead, have them kill whoever is following you around - one at a time - vastly increasing your party's effectiveness.

Use your lance and shield together for higher AC, or use your lance two handed for Power Attack and Spirited Charge for 3(1d6+magic+[Str*1.5]+[BAB*2]) damage. If possible, use an animated shield, so that you can gain you Knight bonus to it while maximizing your damage output.

If someone tries to attack you, you get a free hit on them (lance is a reach weapon) followed by a free Trip attempt (Knock-Down). Remember, no one can charge through an occupied square, so if the person isn't killed, they become defensive terrain for you. And with Vigilante Defender, Skill Monkeys and Monks will have a hard time bypassing your defenses.

Also, its important to note that if someone under the effect of your Test of Mettle is standing 0-10 feet away from you, your next action should usually be to Withdraw or Move away at your full speed, or if possible Charge through and past them or someone else on the battlefield, ending up 70ish feet away. Don't make a Full Attack. And don't take your To-Hit down so far with Power Attack that you risk missing. This is counter intuitive, but remember that your main goal on the battlefield is to control your enemies, not engage them. If they spend every round chasing you, that's another round they're not attacking your friends. This is your true goal. Occasional massive damage from a great charge attack is just a helpful side effect.

Keep in mind that using this combo is just begging your DM to throw incorporeal (immune to Trip) enemies and/or enemies with no Int score (immune to Test of Mettle) at you. So I suggest you buy two lances: One main +4 Adamantine Lance (maximizing your chance To-Hit) for regular combat, and a secondary +1 Cold Steel Ghost Touch Lance of Disruption for when its appropriate.

Your DM will probably also mix in a large number of ranged combatants, so be sure to have a friend cast Protection from Arrows on you.

Can't Touch This!!!
Whatever Scout 3/Ranger X (Swift Hunter) or just Scout X

Evasive Reflexes (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20060706a) + Hold the Line + Karmic Strike and/or Robilar's Gambit + reach weapon: In addition to the normal things that provoke an AoO, every time an enemy Charges you or attacks you, you get a 5 ft step. So it's very difficult to attack you unless the enemy is using a ranged weapon or has a ton of reach. The ideal weapon to use is a Spinning Sword (Secrets of Sarlona pg 136), which is basically a one handed spiked chain. That way you can use your free hand to draw thrown weapons, keeping a good distance from your enemy at all times.

Also helpful:

Ways to get Pounce (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103358)
Magic Rollerskates (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cw/20061120a)
Greater Manyshot (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicFeats.html#greater-manyshot)
Hustle (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html#hustle)
Psicrown of the Evader (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Psicrown_of_the_Evader)
Elocator (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicElocater.html)


DC 40 Tumble Check: Allows you to take a 10 ft. step. From Oriental Adventures (3.0 material). Actually not that hard to do with Skill Focus (Tumble), 1 level of Exemplar, 1 level of Marshal, a few magic items, and/or an Item Familiar. OR...

Sparring Dummy of the Master: Arms and Equipment Guide. Permanent 10 ft steps. But it requires you take Monk levels, and its 3.0 material.


Sam the Shuffling Shield Soldier
Whisper Gnome or Kobold Fighter X

Take Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, and Combat Reflexes. This gives you some battlefield control. An animated shield, reach weapon, and armor spikes also help.

Take Dodge, Mobility, and Elusive Target. Elusive Target is very useful for a variety of reasons. But the key ability is Cause Overreach. Now whenever you move out of an enemy's threatened area and they miss on the AoO, you get a free Trip attack (and free follow up attack from Improved Trip).

Take Formation Expert (Complete Warrior). This gives you the Step into the Breech maneuver. Whenever you have a line of allies and one ally falls, you may Move into that position as if you had a Readied Action. Also, buy Boots of Speed. This gives you Haste (extra movement and attack) when you need it.

Have a team member cast Empowered Summon Monster/Natures Ally I once or twice, or Animate Objects. This creates a line of weak allies for you. As each one dies, you'll get a free Move. This means you'll probably get a Full Attack most rounds (because they Move for you, die, and you Move into their space), and you'll get plenty of free attacks on your enemies whenever they try to take an AoO on you (and miss, because your AC is so ridiculously high).


Optional:

Take the Ancestral Weapon feat (Book of Exalted Deeds) at first level. This feat lets you sacrifice magic items (bypassing the need to sell them at a 50% mark down) or gold in order to improve a single weapon. Designate your shield as this weapon. If you're playing in a long term campaign, it will save you a lot of money, and give you an uber shield/weapon.

Take TWF, Improved TWF, and then Double Hit (Miniatures Handbook). Now you have 2 more attacks when you make a normal full attack. And when you make an AoO, you may attack with both weapons (your shield and whatever).

Take Robilar's Gambit (PHBII). This will give you an extra attack whenever an enemy swings at you and misses.

Take Shield Specialization and Shield Ward (PHBII). This adds your Shield bonus to your Touch AC and your ability to resist special attacks. Since your Shield bonus will be ridiculously high (base + enhancement +1 from specialization) this should be quite high. This will go a long way towards protecting you from casters (and their dreaded touch attack spells) and very big enemies (like dragons and whatnot, which are fond of Grapple).

Take Item Familiar (Unearthed Arcana). This feat (which everyone qualifies for) gives a chosen item intelligence and special abilities. Lots of them are quite potent at high levels.

Take Power Attack for extra damage.

The end result: High AC, high touch AC, tons of attacks, plenty of mobility. Not the best build in the world, but it's playable in a normal group.

King of Smack (forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=227556): Not mine, but a classic.

Curmudgeon
2009-02-25, 01:05 PM
Snap Kick (Tome of Battle) is a great feat to take if you're maximizing AoOs. Snap Kick gives you an extra unarmed attack whenever you make a melee attack -- including on every AoO.

Kaiyanwang
2009-02-25, 01:11 PM
I'd point from Dragon magazine (if allowed) #340, Improved and Greater Combat Reflexes, feats allowing a second and third AOO for each action provoking AOOS (you "burn" you AOOs for each one, anyway).

The issue has more of AOOS feats: take a look.

PinkysBrain
2009-02-25, 02:03 PM
Snap Kick (Tome of Battle) is a great feat to take if you're maximizing AoOs. Snap Kick gives you an extra unarmed attack whenever you make a melee attack -- including on every AoO.
Including the attack the feat grants ... the feat is broken as written.

Person_Man
2009-02-25, 09:39 PM
Including the attack the feat grants ... the feat is broken as written.

It imposes a -2 on all attacks that round each time you use it. And it has to be an unarmed strike, which means that unless your primary weapon is spiked gauntlets, then you can't use a magic weapon.

It's certainly potent for some builds, but not broken IMO.

PinkysBrain
2009-02-25, 10:01 PM
If you use it as intended, so it only triggers on standard actions which include melee attacks and full attacks, it's fine. If you start using it by raw and letting it trigger on just any old "melee attack with a weapon" then it goes off the deep end.

Kaiyanwang
2009-02-26, 06:28 AM
It imposes a -2 on all attacks that round each time you use it. And it has to be an unarmed strike, which means that unless your primary weapon is spiked gauntlets, then you can't use a magic weapon.

It's certainly potent for some builds, but not broken IMO.

Well, maybe a spiked/bladed armour. You strike with the kick (IIRC, unarmed strike is not only with fists). As a DM I could allow it (but I couldn't allow infinite snapkick).

Edit: no, rule misread.

Curmudgeon
2009-02-26, 09:12 AM
Including the attack the feat grants ... the feat is broken as written. No, Snap Kick isn't broken. It imposes a -2 penalty on all attacks for the rest of the round, including missile attacks where you can receive no benefit from the feat. Also since the base unarmed damage for most classes is low, it will only give a small benefit without spending additional resources to increase that unarmed damage. This is clearly a feat intended to boost Monks (who really need it). In the right circumstances precision damage classes like Rogues and Scouts will also benefit significantly from Snap Kick. For the OP's AoO Fighter it's going to require high STR to make Snap Kick a good choice. Since Kelkel has said the character has 16 DEX, the STR may not be high enough to make unarmed damage significant, so this two feat investment (Improved Unarmed Strike and Snap Kick) may not be worthwhile.

Broken? Hardly.

lvl 1 fighter
2009-02-26, 12:33 PM
Jack B. Quick (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=646185)

That's one of the classiest AoO machines I've seen. Also, no Spiked Chain cheese.

Eloel
2009-02-26, 12:41 PM
Rolibar's Gambit (Which only requires Combat Reflexes as a feat but requires a +12 BAB, so only possible in the higher levels) gives your opponents a bonus to hit you, but IF they make an attack roll, you get an AOO.

Karmic Strike (Which requires Expertise, Dodge, and Dex 13 so you could take it at 1st level) from Complete Warrior grants a similar 'bonus' to your opponents (a -4 to AC instead of a +4 to hit, so essentially the same thing) but only gives an AOO for each successful hit on you.

So, if you are trying to avoid being hit, you need to wait until your BAB gets up to +12 to try for Rolibar's Gambit. If you don't mind getting hit (DR, fast healing, whatever) then Karmic Strike will pay off pretty well.

Can you have both for 2 AOOs per enemy's hit?

Lycar
2009-02-26, 01:51 PM
*About the Knockback feat*

... He might look at you funny when he realizes whenever you hit someone, they fall, triggering a second attack, and he'll almost certainly look at you funny when he realizes having that NPC stand up allows you to hit him again, which will knock him back down, triggering yet another attack and costing him the action. Then again, that might be acceptable in your game. More likely you start running into a lot of things you can't trip.

Uh sorry, Knockback doesn't work that way. If you do enough damage, you get to trip your opponent. This is NOT a trip attack per se, you do NOT get to hit your opponent again if your trip check succeeds.

Think of it this way: If you try a trip attack, you bet your attack action on a chance to get to strike a prone enemy, but if your trip fails, the attack is wasted.

With Knockback, you already got to damage your opponent and you get a chance to force them prone on top of that.

Lycar

sleepy
2009-02-27, 02:18 PM
Lycar: looks like you're thinking of something else. You typed Knockback, I typed Knock-Down. From the SRD:

~~
KNOCK-DOWN [GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +2, Improved Trip, Str 15.

Benefit: Whenever you deal 10 or more points of damage to your opponent in melee, you make a trip attack as a free action against the same target.
~~

It definitely states you make a "trip attack".