Ernir
2010-09-01, 01:07 PM
"No, you need a feat to do that." - your DM
Everyone has gotten that line sometime, right? You just came up with an awesome plan involving ripping someone's spear away and then using it as leverage to kick the unlucky soul in the groin.
Only, your DM says it won't work. You don't have the right feats, so you'd be provoking three attacks of opportunity, doing the whole thing at a penalty, and besides, you can't both move and attack more than once in the same round (unless you have the right feat or class feature, of course).
Boooooooooooring.
What I am presenting as the "fix" to this kind of situation is a revised set of the core combat rules. The following are the rules I changed, with new text in red, and now invalid text crossed out.
Actions in Combat:
Unarmed Attacks
Striking for damage with punches, kicks, and head butts is much like attacking with a melee weapon, except for the following:
Attacks of Opportunity
Attacking unarmed provokes an attack of opportunity from the character you attack, provided she is armed. The attack of opportunity comes before your attack. An unarmed attack does not provoke attacks of opportunity from other foes nor does it provoke an attack of opportunity from an unarmed foe.
An unarmed character can’t take attacks of opportunity (but see "Armed" Unarmed Attacks, below).
"Armed" Unarmed Attacks
Sometimes a character’s or creature’s unarmed attack counts as an armed attack. A monk, a character with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, a spellcaster delivering a touch attack spell, and a creature with natural physical weapons all count as being armed.
Note that being armed counts for both offense and defense (the character can make attacks of opportunity)
Unarmed Strike Damage
An unarmed strike from a Medium character deals 1d3 points of damage (plus your Strength modifier, as normal). A Small character’s unarmed strike deals 1d2 points of damage, while a Large character’s unarmed strike deals 1d4 points of damage. All damage from unarmed strikes is nonlethal damage. Unarmed strikes count as light weapons (for purposes of two-weapon attack penalties and so on).
Dealing Lethal Damage
You can specify that your unarmed strike will deal lethal damage before you make your attack roll, but you take a -4 penalty on your attack roll. If you have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, you can deal lethal damage with an unarmed strike without taking a penalty on the attack roll.
Full Attack
If you get more than one attack per round because your base attack bonus is high enough, because you fight with two weapons or a double weapon or for some special reason you must use a full-round action to get your additional attacks can use them all with a single standard action. You do not need to specify the targets of your attacks ahead of time. You can see how the earlier attacks turn out before assigning the later ones.
The only movement you can take during a full attack is a 5-foot step. You may take the step before, after, or between your attacks.
If you get multiple attacks because your base attack bonus is high enough, you must make the attacks in order from highest bonus to lowest. If you are using two weapons, you can strike with either weapon first. If you are using a double weapon, you can strike with either part of the weapon first.
Deciding between an Attack or a Full Attack
After your first attack, you can decide to take a move action instead of making your remaining attacks, depending on how the first attack turns out. If you’ve already taken a 5-foot step, you can’t use your move action to move any distance, but you could still use a different kind of move action.
Fighting Defensively as a Full-Round Action
You can choose to fight defensively when taking a full attack action. If you do so, you take a -4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for the same round.
Cleave
The extra attack granted by the Cleave feat or Great Cleave feat can be taken whenever they apply. This is an exception to the normal limit to the number of attacks you can take when not using a full attack action.
Ranged Attacks
You may make a full attack with ranged weapons. This provokes Attacks of Opportunity as normal for ranged weapons.
Special Attacks:
Aid Another
In melee combat, you can help a friend attack or defend by distracting or interfering with an opponent. If you’re in position to make a melee attack on an opponent that is engaging a friend in melee combat, you can attempt to aid your friend as a standard action instead of making an attack of your own. You make an attack roll against AC 10. If you succeed, your friend gains either a +2 bonus on his next attack roll against that opponent or a +2 bonus to AC against that opponent’s next attack (your choice), as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn. Multiple characters can aid the same friend, and similar bonuses stack.
You can also use this standard action to help a friend in other ways, such as when he is affected by a spell, or to assist another character’s skill check.
Bull Rush
You can make a bull rush as a standard action (an attack) or as part of a charge. When you make a bull rush, you attempt to push an opponent straight back instead of damaging him. You can only bull rush an opponent who is one size category larger than you, the same size, or smaller.
Initiating a Bull Rush
First, you move into the defender’s space. Doing this provokes an attack of opportunity from each opponent that threatens you, including except for the defender. (If you have the Improved Bull Rush feat, you don’t provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender.) Any attack of opportunity made by anyone other than the defender against you during a bull rush has a 25% chance of accidentally targeting the defender instead, and any attack of opportunity by anyone other than you against the defender likewise has a 25% chance of accidentally targeting you. (When someone makes an attack of opportunity, make the attack roll and then roll to see whether the attack went astray.)
Second, you and the defender make opposed Strength checks. You each add a +4 bonus for each size category you are larger than Medium or a -4 penalty for each size category you are smaller than Medium. You get a +2 bonus if you are charging. The defender gets a +4 bonus if he has more than two legs or is otherwise exceptionally stable.
Bull Rush Results
If you beat the defender’s Strength check result, you push him back 5 feet. If you wish to move with the defender, you can push him back an additional 5 feet for each 5 points by which your check result is greater than the defender’s check result. You can’t, however, exceed your normal movement limit. (Note: The defender provokes attacks of opportunity if he is moved. So do you, if you move with him. The two of you do not provoke attacks of opportunity from each other, however.)
If you fail to beat the defender’s Strength check result, you move 5 feet straight back to where you were before you moved into his space. If that space is occupied, you fall prone in that space.
Charge
Is unchanged.
Disarm
As a melee attack, you may attempt to disarm your opponent. If you do so with a weapon, you knock the opponent’s weapon out of his hands and to the ground. If you attempt the disarm while unarmed, you end up with the weapon in your hand.
If you’re attempting to disarm a melee weapon, follow the steps outlined here. If the item you are attempting to disarm isn’t a melee weapon the defender may still oppose you with an attack roll, but takes a penalty and can’t attempt to disarm you in return if your attempt fails.
Step 1
Attack of Opportunity. You provoke an attack of opportunity from the target you are trying to disarm. (If you have the Improved Disarm feat, you don’t incur an attack of opportunity for making a disarm attempt.) If the defender’s attack of opportunity deals any damage, your disarm attempt fails.
Step 1
Opposed Rolls. You and the defender make opposed attack rolls with your respective weapons. The wielder of a two-handed weapon on a disarm attempt gets a +4 bonus on this roll, and the wielder of a light weapon takes a -4 penalty. (An unarmed strike is considered a light weapon, so you always take a penalty when trying to disarm an opponent by using an unarmed strike.) If the combatants are of different sizes, the larger combatant gets a bonus on the attack roll of +4 per difference in size category. If the targeted item isn’t a melee weapon, the defender takes a -4 penalty on the roll.
Step 2
Consequences. If you beat the defender, the defender is disarmed. If you attempted the disarm action unarmed, you now have the weapon. If you were armed, the defender’s weapon is on the ground in the defender’s square.
If you fail on the disarm attempt, the defender may immediately react and attempt to disarm you with the same sort of opposed melee attack roll. His attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity from you. If he fails his disarm attempt, you do not subsequently get a free disarm attempt against him.
Note: A defender wearing spiked gauntlets can’t be disarmed. A or a defender using a weapon attached to a locked gauntlet gets a +10 bonus to resist being disarmed.
Grabbing Items
You can use a disarm action to snatch an item worn by the target. If you want to have the item in your hand, the disarm must be made as an unarmed attack.
If the item is poorly secured or otherwise easy to snatch or cut away the attacker gets a +4 bonus. Unlike on a normal disarm attempt, failing the attempt doesn’t allow the defender to attempt to disarm you. This otherwise functions identically to a disarm attempt, as noted above.
You can’t snatch an item that is well secured unless you have pinned the wearer (see Grapple). Even then, the defender gains a +4 bonus on his roll to resist the attempt.
Feint
Feinting is a standard action is done in place of a melee attack. To feint, make a Bluff check opposed by a Sense Motive check by your target. The target may add his base attack bonus to this Sense Motive check. If your Bluff check result exceeds your target’s Sense Motive check result, the next melee attack any melee attacks you make against the target until the end of your next turn does not allow him to use his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). This attack must be made on or before your next turn.
When feinting in this way against a nonhumanoid you take a -4 penalty. Against a creature of animal Intelligence (1 or 2), you take a -8 penalty. Against a nonintelligent creature, it’s impossible.
Feinting in combat does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Feinting as a Move Action
With the Improved Feint feat, you can attempt a feint as a move action instead of as a standard action.
Grapple (Rewritten almost entirely.)
Grapple Checks
Repeatedly in a grapple, you need to make opposed grapple checks against an opponent. A grapple check is like a melee attack roll. Your attack bonus on a grapple check is:
Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + special size modifier
Special Size Modifier
The special size modifier for a grapple check is as follows: Colossal +16, Gargantuan +12, Huge +8, Large +4, Medium +0, Small -4, Tiny -8, Diminutive -12, Fine -16. Use this number in place of the normal size modifier you use when making an attack roll.
Starting a Grapple
To start a grapple, you need to grab and hold your target. Starting a grapple requires a successful grapple check. If you get multiple attacks, you can attempt to start a grapple multiple times (at successively lower base attack bonuses).
Step 1
Grab. You make a melee touch attack to grab the target. If you fail to hit the target, the grapple attempt fails. If you succeed, proceed to Step 3.
Step 2
Grapple. Make an opposed grapple check as a free action. If you succeed, you and your target are now have the condition of Grappling, and you deal damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike and may, if you wish, move into the target's space. If you lose, you fail to start the grapple.
In case of a tie, the combatant with the higher grapple check modifier wins. If this is a tie, roll again to break the tie.
Step 3
You can perform actions while grappled, starting on the turn the grapple is started, provided you have actions remaining (including finishing a Full Attack).
Grappled
A character who is grappled threatens no squares, loses her dexterity bonus to AC, and can take no actions save for those outlined below.
Activate a Magic Item: You can activate a magic item, as long as the item doesn’t require spell completion activation. You don’t need to make a grapple check to activate the item.
Attack Your Opponent: You can make an attack with an unarmed strike, natural weapon, or light weapon. You can’t attack with two weapons while grappling. This attack can be a Special Attack, such as a Disarm or Trip attack.
No attack roll is needed to hit your opponent in a grapple. Instead, you must win an opposed grapple check to perform the attack. If the grapple check fails, the attack is wasted.
Cast a Spell: You can attempt to cast a spell while grappling, provided its casting time is no more than 1 standard action, and requires neither a somatic nor a material component. Any spell that requires precise and careful action is impossible to cast while grappling or being pinned. If the spell is one that you can cast while grappling, you must make a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level) or lose the spell. You don’t have to make a successful grapple check to cast the spell.
Escape from Grapple: You can escape a grapple by winning an opposed grapple check in place of making an attack. You can make an Escape Artist check in place of your grapple check if you so desire, but this requires a standard action. If more than one opponent is grappling you, your grapple check result has to beat all their individual check results to escape. (Opponents don’t have to try to hold you if they don’t want to.) If you shared a space with an opponent when you escape, you finish the action by moving into any space adjacent to your opponent(s).
Move: You can move five feet (bringing all others engaged in the grapple with you, and maintaining your relative positions) by winning an opposed grapple check. This requires a standard action, and you must beat all the other individual check results to move the grapple. This opposed check may be failed voluntarily.
You get a +4 bonus on your grapple check to move a pinned opponent.
Talk: You may communicate normally during a grapple.
Pin your opponent: You can hold your opponent immobile by winning an opposed grapple check (made in place of an attack). If you win, you both maintain the Grappled condition, and your opponent gains the Pinned condition (see below).
Use Supernatural ability: The use of most supernatural abilities whose activation requires no more than a standard action, such as breath weapons, is not restricted in a grapple.
Pinned:
The only action you can perform while pinned is an attempt to escape from the pin, which is performed as an "Escape from Grapple" above, but success removes only the Pinned condition, not the Grappled condition.
Other actions (including speech) are available only at the whim of the one who has you Pinned.
A note on grappling! Due to the inherently chaotic nature of grapples, the DM is encouraged to houserule on the fly when presented with a tricky grapple situation.
Mounted Combat
Horses in Combat
Heavy warhorses, light warhorses and warponies can serve readily as combat steeds. Light horses, ponies, and heavy horses, however, are frightened by combat. If you don’t dismount, you must make a DC 20 Ride check each round as a move action to control such a horse. If you succeed, you can perform a standard action after the move action. If you fail, the move action becomes a full round action and you can’t do anything else until your next turn.
Your mount acts on your initiative count as you direct it. You move at its speed, but the mount uses its action to move.
A horse (not a pony) is a Large creature and thus takes up a space 10 feet (2 squares) across. For simplicity, assume that you share your mount’s space during combat.
Combat while Mounted
With a DC 5 Ride check, you can guide your mount with your knees so as to use both hands to attack or defend yourself. This is a free action.
When you attack a creature smaller than your mount that is on foot, you get the +1 bonus on melee attacks for being on higher ground. If your mount moves more than 5 feet, you can only make a single melee attack. Essentially, you have to wait until the mount gets to your enemy before attacking, so you can’t make a full attack. Even at your mount’s full speed, you don’t take any penalty on melee attacks while mounted.
If your mount charges, you also take the AC penalty associated with a charge. If you make an attack at the end of the charge, you receive the bonus gained from the charge. When charging on horseback, you deal double damage with a lance.
You can use ranged weapons while your mount is taking a double move, but at a -4 penalty on the attack roll. You can use ranged weapons while your mount is running (quadruple speed), at a -8 penalty. In either case, you make the attack roll when your mount has completed half its movement. You can make a full attack with a ranged weapon while your mount is moving. Likewise, you can take move actions normally.
Casting Spells while Mounted
You can cast a spell normally if your mount moves up to a normal move (its speed) either before or after you cast. If you have your mount move both before and after you cast a spell, then you’re casting the spell while the mount is moving, and you have to make a Concentration check due to the vigorous motion (DC 10 + spell level) or lose the spell. If the mount is running (quadruple speed), you can cast a spell when your mount has moved up to twice its speed, but your Concentration check is more difficult due to the violent motion (DC 15 + spell level).
If Your Mount Falls in Battle
If your mount falls, you have to succeed on a DC 15 Ride check to make a soft fall and take no damage. If the check fails, you take 1d6 points of damage.
If You Are Dropped
If you are knocked unconscious, you have a 50% chance to stay in the saddle (or 75% if you’re in a military saddle). Otherwise you fall and take 1d6 points of damage.
Without you to guide it, your mount avoids combat.
Overrun
You can attempt an overrun as a standard action in place of an attack taken during your move. (In general, you cannot take a standard action attack during a move; this is an exception.) With an overrun, you attempt to plow past or over your opponent (and move through his square) as you move. You can only overrun an opponent who is one size category larger than you, the same size, or smaller. You can make only one overrun attempt per round.
If you’re attempting to overrun an opponent, follow these steps.
Step 1
Attack of Opportunity. Since you begin the overrun by moving into the defender’s space, you provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender.
Step 1
Opponent Avoids? The defender has the option to simply avoid you. If he avoids you, he doesn’t suffer any ill effect and you may keep moving (You can always move through a square occupied by someone who lets you by.) The overrun attempt doesn’t count against your actions this round (except for any movement required to enter the opponent’s square). If your opponent doesn’t avoid you, move to Step 3.
Step 2
Opponent Blocks? If your opponent blocks you, make a Strength check opposed by the defender’s Dexterity or Strength check (whichever ability score has the higher modifier). A combatant gets a +4 bonus on the check for every size category he is larger than Medium or a -4 penalty for every size category he is smaller than Medium. The defender gets a +4 bonus on his check if he has more than two legs or is otherwise more stable than a normal humanoid. If you win, you knock the defender prone. If you lose, the defender may immediately react and make a Strength check opposed by your Dexterity or Strength check (including the size modifiers noted above, but no other modifiers) to try to knock you prone.
Step 3
Consequences. If you succeed in knocking your opponent prone, you can continue your movement as normal. If you fail and are knocked prone in turn, you have to move 5 feet back the way you came and fall prone, ending your movement there. If you fail but are not knocked prone, you have to move 5 feet back the way you came, ending your movement there but are free to move on or try again, assuming you have not used up your attacks and movement for the round. If that square is occupied, you fall prone in that square.
Improved Overrun
If you have the Improved Overrun feat, your target may not choose to avoid you.
Mounted Overrun (Trample)
If you attempt an overrun while mounted, your mount makes the Strength check to determine the success or failure of the overrun attack (and applies its size modifier, rather than yours). If you have the Trample feat and attempt an overrun while mounted, your target may not choose to avoid you, and if you knock your opponent prone with the overrun, your mount may make one hoof attack against your opponent.
Sunder
You can use a melee attack with a slashing or bludgeoning weapon to strike a weapon or shield that your opponent is holding. If you’re attempting to sunder a weapon or shield, follow the steps outlined here. (Attacking held objects other than weapons or shields is covered below.)
Step 1
Attack of Opportunity. You provoke an attack of opportunity from the target whose weapon or shield you are trying to sunder. (If you have the Improved Sunder feat, you don’t incur an attack of opportunity for making the attempt.)
Step 1
Opposed Rolls. You and the defender make opposed attack rolls with your respective weapons. The wielder of a two-handed weapon on a sunder attempt gets a +4 bonus on this roll, and the wielder of a light weapon takes a -4 penalty. If the combatants are of different sizes, the larger combatant gets a bonus on the attack roll of +4 per difference in size category.
Step 2
Consequences. If you beat the defender, roll damage and deal it to the weapon or shield. See Table: Common Armor, Weapon, and Shield Hardness and Hit Points to determine how much damage you must deal to render the destroy the weapon or shield nonfunctional. A nonfunctional item can not be used for its intended purpose, and all magical properties it may have are suppressed. It can be restored to full use by using the appropriate craft skill.
If you fail the sunder attempt, you don’t deal any damage.
Sundering a Carried or Worn Object
You don’t use an opposed attack roll to damage a carried or worn object. Instead, just make an attack roll against the object’s AC. A carried or worn object’s AC is equal to 10 + its size modifier + the Dexterity modifier of the carrying or wearing character. Attacking a carried or worn object provokes an attack of opportunity just as attacking a held object does. To attempt to snatch away an item worn by a defender rather than damage it, see Disarm. You can’t sunder armor worn by another character.
Throw Splash Weapon
Is unchanged.
Trip
You can try to trip an opponent as an unarmed melee attack. You can only trip an opponent who is one size category larger than you, the same size, or smaller.
Making a Trip Attack
Make an unarmed melee touch attack against your target. This provokes an attack of opportunity from your target as normal for unarmed attacks.
If your attack succeeds, make a Strength check opposed by the defender’s Dexterity or Strength check (whichever ability score has the higher modifier). A combatant gets a +4 bonus for every size category he is larger than Medium or a -4 penalty for every size category he is smaller than Medium. The defender gets a +4 bonus on his check if he has more than two legs or is otherwise more stable than a normal humanoid. If you win, you trip the defender. If you lose, the defender may immediately react and make a Strength check opposed by your Dexterity or Strength check to try to trip you.
Avoiding Attacks of Opportunity
If you have the Improved Trip feat, or if you are tripping with a weapon (see below), you don’t provoke an attack of opportunity for making a trip attack.
Being Tripped (Prone)
A tripped character is prone. Standing up is a move action.
Tripping a Mounted Opponent
You may make a trip attack against a mounted opponent. The defender may make a Ride check in place of his Dexterity or Strength check. If you succeed, you pull the rider from his mount.
Tripping with a Weapon
Some weapons can be used to make trip attacks. In this case, you make a melee touch attack with the weapon instead of an unarmed melee touch attack, and you don’t provoke an attack of opportunity.
If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the weapon to avoid being tripped.
Special
If you have the Weapon Finesse feat, you may make a dexterity check in place of a strength check to trip an opponent. If you choose this option, you gain neither bonuses nor penalties due to your size on your check to trip the opponent.
Turn or rebuke undead
Is unchanged.
Two-weapon Fighting
If you wield a second weapon in your off hand, you can get one extra attack per round with that weapon. If you have extra attacks due to a high base attack bonus, you may make additional attacks with your off hand weapon as well, with the usual penalties. You suffer a -6 penalty with your regular attack or attacks with your primary hand and a -10 penalty to the attack with your off hand when you fight this way. You can reduce these penalties in two ways:
If your off-hand weapon is light, the penalties are reduced by 2 each. (An unarmed strike is always considered light.)
The Two-Weapon Fighting feat lessens the primary hand penalty by 2, and the off-hand penalty by 6.
Table: Two-Weapon Fighting Penalties summarizes the interaction of all these factors.
Double Weapons
You can use a double weapon to make an extra attack with the off-hand end of the weapon as if you were fighting with two weapons. The penalties apply as if the off-hand end of the weapon were a light weapon.
Thrown Weapons
The same rules apply when you throw a weapon from each hand. Treat a dart or shuriken as a light weapon when used in this manner, and treat a bolas, javelin, net, or sling as a one-handed weapon.
Shield Bash Attacks
You can bash an opponent with a light shield or heavy shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. See Table: Weapons for the damage dealt by a shield bash. Used this way, a shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a heavy shield as a one-handed weapon and a light shield as a light weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its AC bonus until your next action (usually until the next round). An enhancement bonus on a shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but the shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.
Shield Spikes
When added to your shield, these spikes turn it into a martial piercing weapon that increases the damage dealt by a shield bash as if the shield were designed for a creature one size category larger than you. You can’t put spikes on a buckler or a tower shield. Otherwise, attacking with a spiked shield is like making a shield bash attack.
An enhancement bonus on a spiked shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but a spiked shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.
Revised core feats:
Spring Attack [General]
Prerequisites
Dex 13, Dodge, Mobility, base attack bonus +4.
Benefit
When using the attack action or full attack action with a melee weapon, you can move both before and after the attack, provided that your total distance moved is not greater than your speed. Moving in this way does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender you attack, though it might provoke attacks of opportunity from other creatures, if appropriate. You can’t use this feat if you are wearing heavy armor.
You must move at least 5 feet both before and after you make your attack in order to utilize the benefits of Spring Attack.
Special
A fighter may select Spring Attack as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Improved Bull Rush [General]
Prerequisites
Str 13, Power Attack.
Benefit
When you perform a bull rush you do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender. need to follow the defender in order to push him the full distance. If the defender's movement is stopped due to an obstacle, it takes damage as if you had hit him with an unarmed strike. You also gain a +4 bonus on the opposed Strength check you make to push back the defender.
Special
A fighter may select Improved Bull Rush as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Improved Overrun [General]
Prerequisites
Str 13, Power Attack.
Benefit
When you attempt to overrun an opponent, the target may not choose to avoid you. You also gain a +4 bonus on your Strength check to knock down your opponent. Should the attempt succeed, you gain an immediate free attack against that opponent.
Normal
Without this feat, the target of an overrun can choose to avoid you or to block you.
Special
A fighter may select Improved Overrun as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Improved Sunder [General]
Prerequisites
Str 13, Power Attack.
Benefit
When you strike at an object held or carried by an opponent (such as a weapon or shield), you do not provoke an attack of opportunity.
You also gain a +4 bonus on any attack roll made to attack an object held or carried by another character. If a sunder attempt you make successfully disables an item, any leftover damage (damage beyond that which was required to disable the item) from the attack is carried over to the defender.
Normal
Without this feat, you provoke an attack of opportunity when you strike at an object held or carried by another character.
Special
A fighter may select Improved Sunder as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Improved Disarm [General]
Prerequisites
Int 13, Combat Expertise.
Benefit
You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when you attempt to disarm an opponent, nor does the opponent have a chance to disarm you. If you fail a disarm attempt, the opponent does not get a chance to disarm you. You also gain a +4 bonus on the opposed attack roll you make to disarm your opponent.
If you successfully disarm an opponent, you may use the opening to make an immediate melee attack against that opponent, using the weapon you disarmed him with. If you succeeded on an unarmed disarm attempt (meaning the weapon is now in your hand), you may make the attack using that weapon instead.
Normal
See the normal revised disarm rules.
Special
A character with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat does not suffer the -4 penalty on opposed attack rolls made to disarm due to unarmed strikes being a light weapon.
A fighter may select Improved Disarm as one of his fighter bonus feats.
A monk may select Improved Disarm as a bonus feat at 6th level, even if she does not meet the prerequisites.
Improved Unarmed Strike [General]
Benefit
You are considered to be armed even when unarmed —that is, you do not provoke attacks or opportunity from armed opponents when you attack them while unarmed. However, you still get an attack of opportunity against any opponent who makes an unarmed attack on you.
You can make attacks of opportunity using your unarmed strike, and your unarmed strike can be enhanced as if it were a masterwork weapon. In addition, your unarmed strikes can deal lethal or nonlethal damage, at your option.
Normal
Without this feat, you are considered unarmed when attacking with an unarmed strike, and you can deal only nonlethal damage with such an attack.
Special
A monk automatically gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat at 1st level. She need not select it.
A fighter may select Improved Unarmed Strike as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Improved Grapple [General]
Prerequisites
Dex 13, Improved Unarmed Strike.
Benefit
You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when you make a touch attack to start a grapple. When you make a successful unarmed attack, you may start a grapple as a free action, no initial touch attack required.
You also gain a +4 bonus on all grapple checks, regardless of whether you started the grapple.
Normal
Without this feat, you provoke an attack of opportunity when you make a touch attack to start a grapple.
Special
A fighter may select Improved Grapple as one of his fighter bonus feats.
A monk may select Improved Grapple as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if she does not meet the prerequisites.
The short of it:
Full attacking is now a standard action, vastly increasing mobility and reducing that annoying period at the start of most fights, where you can't yet put all your hard-earned attacks to good use.
Using a "special attack" by default does not provoke an attack of opportunity, making them (IMO) a lot more usable. Taking a feat related to the special attack has new benefits, to not diminish their use.
Yet another grapple "fix".
What I wanted to do here was to create a more fluid combat environment, where pulling off stunts and amazing maneuevers is something that is encouraged, and not the sole domain of those who have specialized in the stunts.
What I didn't want to do was to rebalance melee. I think this does make melee more powerful, but the intent was to make melee more fun.
How did I do?
Everyone has gotten that line sometime, right? You just came up with an awesome plan involving ripping someone's spear away and then using it as leverage to kick the unlucky soul in the groin.
Only, your DM says it won't work. You don't have the right feats, so you'd be provoking three attacks of opportunity, doing the whole thing at a penalty, and besides, you can't both move and attack more than once in the same round (unless you have the right feat or class feature, of course).
Boooooooooooring.
What I am presenting as the "fix" to this kind of situation is a revised set of the core combat rules. The following are the rules I changed, with new text in red, and now invalid text crossed out.
Actions in Combat:
Unarmed Attacks
Striking for damage with punches, kicks, and head butts is much like attacking with a melee weapon, except for the following:
Attacks of Opportunity
Attacking unarmed provokes an attack of opportunity from the character you attack, provided she is armed. The attack of opportunity comes before your attack. An unarmed attack does not provoke attacks of opportunity from other foes nor does it provoke an attack of opportunity from an unarmed foe.
An unarmed character can’t take attacks of opportunity (but see "Armed" Unarmed Attacks, below).
"Armed" Unarmed Attacks
Sometimes a character’s or creature’s unarmed attack counts as an armed attack. A monk, a character with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, a spellcaster delivering a touch attack spell, and a creature with natural physical weapons all count as being armed.
Note that being armed counts for both offense and defense (the character can make attacks of opportunity)
Unarmed Strike Damage
An unarmed strike from a Medium character deals 1d3 points of damage (plus your Strength modifier, as normal). A Small character’s unarmed strike deals 1d2 points of damage, while a Large character’s unarmed strike deals 1d4 points of damage. All damage from unarmed strikes is nonlethal damage. Unarmed strikes count as light weapons (for purposes of two-weapon attack penalties and so on).
Dealing Lethal Damage
You can specify that your unarmed strike will deal lethal damage before you make your attack roll, but you take a -4 penalty on your attack roll. If you have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, you can deal lethal damage with an unarmed strike without taking a penalty on the attack roll.
Full Attack
If you get more than one attack per round because your base attack bonus is high enough, because you fight with two weapons or a double weapon or for some special reason you must use a full-round action to get your additional attacks can use them all with a single standard action. You do not need to specify the targets of your attacks ahead of time. You can see how the earlier attacks turn out before assigning the later ones.
The only movement you can take during a full attack is a 5-foot step. You may take the step before, after, or between your attacks.
If you get multiple attacks because your base attack bonus is high enough, you must make the attacks in order from highest bonus to lowest. If you are using two weapons, you can strike with either weapon first. If you are using a double weapon, you can strike with either part of the weapon first.
Deciding between an Attack or a Full Attack
After your first attack, you can decide to take a move action instead of making your remaining attacks, depending on how the first attack turns out. If you’ve already taken a 5-foot step, you can’t use your move action to move any distance, but you could still use a different kind of move action.
Fighting Defensively as a Full-Round Action
You can choose to fight defensively when taking a full attack action. If you do so, you take a -4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for the same round.
Cleave
The extra attack granted by the Cleave feat or Great Cleave feat can be taken whenever they apply. This is an exception to the normal limit to the number of attacks you can take when not using a full attack action.
Ranged Attacks
You may make a full attack with ranged weapons. This provokes Attacks of Opportunity as normal for ranged weapons.
Special Attacks:
Aid Another
In melee combat, you can help a friend attack or defend by distracting or interfering with an opponent. If you’re in position to make a melee attack on an opponent that is engaging a friend in melee combat, you can attempt to aid your friend as a standard action instead of making an attack of your own. You make an attack roll against AC 10. If you succeed, your friend gains either a +2 bonus on his next attack roll against that opponent or a +2 bonus to AC against that opponent’s next attack (your choice), as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn. Multiple characters can aid the same friend, and similar bonuses stack.
You can also use this standard action to help a friend in other ways, such as when he is affected by a spell, or to assist another character’s skill check.
Bull Rush
You can make a bull rush as a standard action (an attack) or as part of a charge. When you make a bull rush, you attempt to push an opponent straight back instead of damaging him. You can only bull rush an opponent who is one size category larger than you, the same size, or smaller.
Initiating a Bull Rush
First, you move into the defender’s space. Doing this provokes an attack of opportunity from each opponent that threatens you, including except for the defender. (If you have the Improved Bull Rush feat, you don’t provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender.) Any attack of opportunity made by anyone other than the defender against you during a bull rush has a 25% chance of accidentally targeting the defender instead, and any attack of opportunity by anyone other than you against the defender likewise has a 25% chance of accidentally targeting you. (When someone makes an attack of opportunity, make the attack roll and then roll to see whether the attack went astray.)
Second, you and the defender make opposed Strength checks. You each add a +4 bonus for each size category you are larger than Medium or a -4 penalty for each size category you are smaller than Medium. You get a +2 bonus if you are charging. The defender gets a +4 bonus if he has more than two legs or is otherwise exceptionally stable.
Bull Rush Results
If you beat the defender’s Strength check result, you push him back 5 feet. If you wish to move with the defender, you can push him back an additional 5 feet for each 5 points by which your check result is greater than the defender’s check result. You can’t, however, exceed your normal movement limit. (Note: The defender provokes attacks of opportunity if he is moved. So do you, if you move with him. The two of you do not provoke attacks of opportunity from each other, however.)
If you fail to beat the defender’s Strength check result, you move 5 feet straight back to where you were before you moved into his space. If that space is occupied, you fall prone in that space.
Charge
Is unchanged.
Disarm
As a melee attack, you may attempt to disarm your opponent. If you do so with a weapon, you knock the opponent’s weapon out of his hands and to the ground. If you attempt the disarm while unarmed, you end up with the weapon in your hand.
If you’re attempting to disarm a melee weapon, follow the steps outlined here. If the item you are attempting to disarm isn’t a melee weapon the defender may still oppose you with an attack roll, but takes a penalty and can’t attempt to disarm you in return if your attempt fails.
Step 1
Attack of Opportunity. You provoke an attack of opportunity from the target you are trying to disarm. (If you have the Improved Disarm feat, you don’t incur an attack of opportunity for making a disarm attempt.) If the defender’s attack of opportunity deals any damage, your disarm attempt fails.
Step 1
Opposed Rolls. You and the defender make opposed attack rolls with your respective weapons. The wielder of a two-handed weapon on a disarm attempt gets a +4 bonus on this roll, and the wielder of a light weapon takes a -4 penalty. (An unarmed strike is considered a light weapon, so you always take a penalty when trying to disarm an opponent by using an unarmed strike.) If the combatants are of different sizes, the larger combatant gets a bonus on the attack roll of +4 per difference in size category. If the targeted item isn’t a melee weapon, the defender takes a -4 penalty on the roll.
Step 2
Consequences. If you beat the defender, the defender is disarmed. If you attempted the disarm action unarmed, you now have the weapon. If you were armed, the defender’s weapon is on the ground in the defender’s square.
If you fail on the disarm attempt, the defender may immediately react and attempt to disarm you with the same sort of opposed melee attack roll. His attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity from you. If he fails his disarm attempt, you do not subsequently get a free disarm attempt against him.
Note: A defender wearing spiked gauntlets can’t be disarmed. A or a defender using a weapon attached to a locked gauntlet gets a +10 bonus to resist being disarmed.
Grabbing Items
You can use a disarm action to snatch an item worn by the target. If you want to have the item in your hand, the disarm must be made as an unarmed attack.
If the item is poorly secured or otherwise easy to snatch or cut away the attacker gets a +4 bonus. Unlike on a normal disarm attempt, failing the attempt doesn’t allow the defender to attempt to disarm you. This otherwise functions identically to a disarm attempt, as noted above.
You can’t snatch an item that is well secured unless you have pinned the wearer (see Grapple). Even then, the defender gains a +4 bonus on his roll to resist the attempt.
Feint
Feinting is a standard action is done in place of a melee attack. To feint, make a Bluff check opposed by a Sense Motive check by your target. The target may add his base attack bonus to this Sense Motive check. If your Bluff check result exceeds your target’s Sense Motive check result, the next melee attack any melee attacks you make against the target until the end of your next turn does not allow him to use his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). This attack must be made on or before your next turn.
When feinting in this way against a nonhumanoid you take a -4 penalty. Against a creature of animal Intelligence (1 or 2), you take a -8 penalty. Against a nonintelligent creature, it’s impossible.
Feinting in combat does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Feinting as a Move Action
With the Improved Feint feat, you can attempt a feint as a move action instead of as a standard action.
Grapple (Rewritten almost entirely.)
Grapple Checks
Repeatedly in a grapple, you need to make opposed grapple checks against an opponent. A grapple check is like a melee attack roll. Your attack bonus on a grapple check is:
Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + special size modifier
Special Size Modifier
The special size modifier for a grapple check is as follows: Colossal +16, Gargantuan +12, Huge +8, Large +4, Medium +0, Small -4, Tiny -8, Diminutive -12, Fine -16. Use this number in place of the normal size modifier you use when making an attack roll.
Starting a Grapple
To start a grapple, you need to grab and hold your target. Starting a grapple requires a successful grapple check. If you get multiple attacks, you can attempt to start a grapple multiple times (at successively lower base attack bonuses).
Step 1
Grab. You make a melee touch attack to grab the target. If you fail to hit the target, the grapple attempt fails. If you succeed, proceed to Step 3.
Step 2
Grapple. Make an opposed grapple check as a free action. If you succeed, you and your target are now have the condition of Grappling, and you deal damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike and may, if you wish, move into the target's space. If you lose, you fail to start the grapple.
In case of a tie, the combatant with the higher grapple check modifier wins. If this is a tie, roll again to break the tie.
Step 3
You can perform actions while grappled, starting on the turn the grapple is started, provided you have actions remaining (including finishing a Full Attack).
Grappled
A character who is grappled threatens no squares, loses her dexterity bonus to AC, and can take no actions save for those outlined below.
Activate a Magic Item: You can activate a magic item, as long as the item doesn’t require spell completion activation. You don’t need to make a grapple check to activate the item.
Attack Your Opponent: You can make an attack with an unarmed strike, natural weapon, or light weapon. You can’t attack with two weapons while grappling. This attack can be a Special Attack, such as a Disarm or Trip attack.
No attack roll is needed to hit your opponent in a grapple. Instead, you must win an opposed grapple check to perform the attack. If the grapple check fails, the attack is wasted.
Cast a Spell: You can attempt to cast a spell while grappling, provided its casting time is no more than 1 standard action, and requires neither a somatic nor a material component. Any spell that requires precise and careful action is impossible to cast while grappling or being pinned. If the spell is one that you can cast while grappling, you must make a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level) or lose the spell. You don’t have to make a successful grapple check to cast the spell.
Escape from Grapple: You can escape a grapple by winning an opposed grapple check in place of making an attack. You can make an Escape Artist check in place of your grapple check if you so desire, but this requires a standard action. If more than one opponent is grappling you, your grapple check result has to beat all their individual check results to escape. (Opponents don’t have to try to hold you if they don’t want to.) If you shared a space with an opponent when you escape, you finish the action by moving into any space adjacent to your opponent(s).
Move: You can move five feet (bringing all others engaged in the grapple with you, and maintaining your relative positions) by winning an opposed grapple check. This requires a standard action, and you must beat all the other individual check results to move the grapple. This opposed check may be failed voluntarily.
You get a +4 bonus on your grapple check to move a pinned opponent.
Talk: You may communicate normally during a grapple.
Pin your opponent: You can hold your opponent immobile by winning an opposed grapple check (made in place of an attack). If you win, you both maintain the Grappled condition, and your opponent gains the Pinned condition (see below).
Use Supernatural ability: The use of most supernatural abilities whose activation requires no more than a standard action, such as breath weapons, is not restricted in a grapple.
Pinned:
The only action you can perform while pinned is an attempt to escape from the pin, which is performed as an "Escape from Grapple" above, but success removes only the Pinned condition, not the Grappled condition.
Other actions (including speech) are available only at the whim of the one who has you Pinned.
A note on grappling! Due to the inherently chaotic nature of grapples, the DM is encouraged to houserule on the fly when presented with a tricky grapple situation.
Mounted Combat
Horses in Combat
Heavy warhorses, light warhorses and warponies can serve readily as combat steeds. Light horses, ponies, and heavy horses, however, are frightened by combat. If you don’t dismount, you must make a DC 20 Ride check each round as a move action to control such a horse. If you succeed, you can perform a standard action after the move action. If you fail, the move action becomes a full round action and you can’t do anything else until your next turn.
Your mount acts on your initiative count as you direct it. You move at its speed, but the mount uses its action to move.
A horse (not a pony) is a Large creature and thus takes up a space 10 feet (2 squares) across. For simplicity, assume that you share your mount’s space during combat.
Combat while Mounted
With a DC 5 Ride check, you can guide your mount with your knees so as to use both hands to attack or defend yourself. This is a free action.
When you attack a creature smaller than your mount that is on foot, you get the +1 bonus on melee attacks for being on higher ground. If your mount moves more than 5 feet, you can only make a single melee attack. Essentially, you have to wait until the mount gets to your enemy before attacking, so you can’t make a full attack. Even at your mount’s full speed, you don’t take any penalty on melee attacks while mounted.
If your mount charges, you also take the AC penalty associated with a charge. If you make an attack at the end of the charge, you receive the bonus gained from the charge. When charging on horseback, you deal double damage with a lance.
You can use ranged weapons while your mount is taking a double move, but at a -4 penalty on the attack roll. You can use ranged weapons while your mount is running (quadruple speed), at a -8 penalty. In either case, you make the attack roll when your mount has completed half its movement. You can make a full attack with a ranged weapon while your mount is moving. Likewise, you can take move actions normally.
Casting Spells while Mounted
You can cast a spell normally if your mount moves up to a normal move (its speed) either before or after you cast. If you have your mount move both before and after you cast a spell, then you’re casting the spell while the mount is moving, and you have to make a Concentration check due to the vigorous motion (DC 10 + spell level) or lose the spell. If the mount is running (quadruple speed), you can cast a spell when your mount has moved up to twice its speed, but your Concentration check is more difficult due to the violent motion (DC 15 + spell level).
If Your Mount Falls in Battle
If your mount falls, you have to succeed on a DC 15 Ride check to make a soft fall and take no damage. If the check fails, you take 1d6 points of damage.
If You Are Dropped
If you are knocked unconscious, you have a 50% chance to stay in the saddle (or 75% if you’re in a military saddle). Otherwise you fall and take 1d6 points of damage.
Without you to guide it, your mount avoids combat.
Overrun
You can attempt an overrun as a standard action in place of an attack taken during your move. (In general, you cannot take a standard action attack during a move; this is an exception.) With an overrun, you attempt to plow past or over your opponent (and move through his square) as you move. You can only overrun an opponent who is one size category larger than you, the same size, or smaller. You can make only one overrun attempt per round.
If you’re attempting to overrun an opponent, follow these steps.
Step 1
Attack of Opportunity. Since you begin the overrun by moving into the defender’s space, you provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender.
Step 1
Opponent Avoids? The defender has the option to simply avoid you. If he avoids you, he doesn’t suffer any ill effect and you may keep moving (You can always move through a square occupied by someone who lets you by.) The overrun attempt doesn’t count against your actions this round (except for any movement required to enter the opponent’s square). If your opponent doesn’t avoid you, move to Step 3.
Step 2
Opponent Blocks? If your opponent blocks you, make a Strength check opposed by the defender’s Dexterity or Strength check (whichever ability score has the higher modifier). A combatant gets a +4 bonus on the check for every size category he is larger than Medium or a -4 penalty for every size category he is smaller than Medium. The defender gets a +4 bonus on his check if he has more than two legs or is otherwise more stable than a normal humanoid. If you win, you knock the defender prone. If you lose, the defender may immediately react and make a Strength check opposed by your Dexterity or Strength check (including the size modifiers noted above, but no other modifiers) to try to knock you prone.
Step 3
Consequences. If you succeed in knocking your opponent prone, you can continue your movement as normal. If you fail and are knocked prone in turn, you have to move 5 feet back the way you came and fall prone, ending your movement there. If you fail but are not knocked prone, you have to move 5 feet back the way you came, ending your movement there but are free to move on or try again, assuming you have not used up your attacks and movement for the round. If that square is occupied, you fall prone in that square.
Improved Overrun
If you have the Improved Overrun feat, your target may not choose to avoid you.
Mounted Overrun (Trample)
If you attempt an overrun while mounted, your mount makes the Strength check to determine the success or failure of the overrun attack (and applies its size modifier, rather than yours). If you have the Trample feat and attempt an overrun while mounted, your target may not choose to avoid you, and if you knock your opponent prone with the overrun, your mount may make one hoof attack against your opponent.
Sunder
You can use a melee attack with a slashing or bludgeoning weapon to strike a weapon or shield that your opponent is holding. If you’re attempting to sunder a weapon or shield, follow the steps outlined here. (Attacking held objects other than weapons or shields is covered below.)
Step 1
Attack of Opportunity. You provoke an attack of opportunity from the target whose weapon or shield you are trying to sunder. (If you have the Improved Sunder feat, you don’t incur an attack of opportunity for making the attempt.)
Step 1
Opposed Rolls. You and the defender make opposed attack rolls with your respective weapons. The wielder of a two-handed weapon on a sunder attempt gets a +4 bonus on this roll, and the wielder of a light weapon takes a -4 penalty. If the combatants are of different sizes, the larger combatant gets a bonus on the attack roll of +4 per difference in size category.
Step 2
Consequences. If you beat the defender, roll damage and deal it to the weapon or shield. See Table: Common Armor, Weapon, and Shield Hardness and Hit Points to determine how much damage you must deal to render the destroy the weapon or shield nonfunctional. A nonfunctional item can not be used for its intended purpose, and all magical properties it may have are suppressed. It can be restored to full use by using the appropriate craft skill.
If you fail the sunder attempt, you don’t deal any damage.
Sundering a Carried or Worn Object
You don’t use an opposed attack roll to damage a carried or worn object. Instead, just make an attack roll against the object’s AC. A carried or worn object’s AC is equal to 10 + its size modifier + the Dexterity modifier of the carrying or wearing character. Attacking a carried or worn object provokes an attack of opportunity just as attacking a held object does. To attempt to snatch away an item worn by a defender rather than damage it, see Disarm. You can’t sunder armor worn by another character.
Throw Splash Weapon
Is unchanged.
Trip
You can try to trip an opponent as an unarmed melee attack. You can only trip an opponent who is one size category larger than you, the same size, or smaller.
Making a Trip Attack
Make an unarmed melee touch attack against your target. This provokes an attack of opportunity from your target as normal for unarmed attacks.
If your attack succeeds, make a Strength check opposed by the defender’s Dexterity or Strength check (whichever ability score has the higher modifier). A combatant gets a +4 bonus for every size category he is larger than Medium or a -4 penalty for every size category he is smaller than Medium. The defender gets a +4 bonus on his check if he has more than two legs or is otherwise more stable than a normal humanoid. If you win, you trip the defender. If you lose, the defender may immediately react and make a Strength check opposed by your Dexterity or Strength check to try to trip you.
Avoiding Attacks of Opportunity
If you have the Improved Trip feat, or if you are tripping with a weapon (see below), you don’t provoke an attack of opportunity for making a trip attack.
Being Tripped (Prone)
A tripped character is prone. Standing up is a move action.
Tripping a Mounted Opponent
You may make a trip attack against a mounted opponent. The defender may make a Ride check in place of his Dexterity or Strength check. If you succeed, you pull the rider from his mount.
Tripping with a Weapon
Some weapons can be used to make trip attacks. In this case, you make a melee touch attack with the weapon instead of an unarmed melee touch attack, and you don’t provoke an attack of opportunity.
If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the weapon to avoid being tripped.
Special
If you have the Weapon Finesse feat, you may make a dexterity check in place of a strength check to trip an opponent. If you choose this option, you gain neither bonuses nor penalties due to your size on your check to trip the opponent.
Turn or rebuke undead
Is unchanged.
Two-weapon Fighting
If you wield a second weapon in your off hand, you can get one extra attack per round with that weapon. If you have extra attacks due to a high base attack bonus, you may make additional attacks with your off hand weapon as well, with the usual penalties. You suffer a -6 penalty with your regular attack or attacks with your primary hand and a -10 penalty to the attack with your off hand when you fight this way. You can reduce these penalties in two ways:
If your off-hand weapon is light, the penalties are reduced by 2 each. (An unarmed strike is always considered light.)
The Two-Weapon Fighting feat lessens the primary hand penalty by 2, and the off-hand penalty by 6.
Table: Two-Weapon Fighting Penalties summarizes the interaction of all these factors.
Double Weapons
You can use a double weapon to make an extra attack with the off-hand end of the weapon as if you were fighting with two weapons. The penalties apply as if the off-hand end of the weapon were a light weapon.
Thrown Weapons
The same rules apply when you throw a weapon from each hand. Treat a dart or shuriken as a light weapon when used in this manner, and treat a bolas, javelin, net, or sling as a one-handed weapon.
Shield Bash Attacks
You can bash an opponent with a light shield or heavy shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. See Table: Weapons for the damage dealt by a shield bash. Used this way, a shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a heavy shield as a one-handed weapon and a light shield as a light weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its AC bonus until your next action (usually until the next round). An enhancement bonus on a shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but the shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.
Shield Spikes
When added to your shield, these spikes turn it into a martial piercing weapon that increases the damage dealt by a shield bash as if the shield were designed for a creature one size category larger than you. You can’t put spikes on a buckler or a tower shield. Otherwise, attacking with a spiked shield is like making a shield bash attack.
An enhancement bonus on a spiked shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but a spiked shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.
Revised core feats:
Spring Attack [General]
Prerequisites
Dex 13, Dodge, Mobility, base attack bonus +4.
Benefit
When using the attack action or full attack action with a melee weapon, you can move both before and after the attack, provided that your total distance moved is not greater than your speed. Moving in this way does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender you attack, though it might provoke attacks of opportunity from other creatures, if appropriate. You can’t use this feat if you are wearing heavy armor.
You must move at least 5 feet both before and after you make your attack in order to utilize the benefits of Spring Attack.
Special
A fighter may select Spring Attack as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Improved Bull Rush [General]
Prerequisites
Str 13, Power Attack.
Benefit
When you perform a bull rush you do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender. need to follow the defender in order to push him the full distance. If the defender's movement is stopped due to an obstacle, it takes damage as if you had hit him with an unarmed strike. You also gain a +4 bonus on the opposed Strength check you make to push back the defender.
Special
A fighter may select Improved Bull Rush as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Improved Overrun [General]
Prerequisites
Str 13, Power Attack.
Benefit
When you attempt to overrun an opponent, the target may not choose to avoid you. You also gain a +4 bonus on your Strength check to knock down your opponent. Should the attempt succeed, you gain an immediate free attack against that opponent.
Normal
Without this feat, the target of an overrun can choose to avoid you or to block you.
Special
A fighter may select Improved Overrun as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Improved Sunder [General]
Prerequisites
Str 13, Power Attack.
Benefit
When you strike at an object held or carried by an opponent (such as a weapon or shield), you do not provoke an attack of opportunity.
You also gain a +4 bonus on any attack roll made to attack an object held or carried by another character. If a sunder attempt you make successfully disables an item, any leftover damage (damage beyond that which was required to disable the item) from the attack is carried over to the defender.
Normal
Without this feat, you provoke an attack of opportunity when you strike at an object held or carried by another character.
Special
A fighter may select Improved Sunder as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Improved Disarm [General]
Prerequisites
Int 13, Combat Expertise.
Benefit
You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when you attempt to disarm an opponent, nor does the opponent have a chance to disarm you. If you fail a disarm attempt, the opponent does not get a chance to disarm you. You also gain a +4 bonus on the opposed attack roll you make to disarm your opponent.
If you successfully disarm an opponent, you may use the opening to make an immediate melee attack against that opponent, using the weapon you disarmed him with. If you succeeded on an unarmed disarm attempt (meaning the weapon is now in your hand), you may make the attack using that weapon instead.
Normal
See the normal revised disarm rules.
Special
A character with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat does not suffer the -4 penalty on opposed attack rolls made to disarm due to unarmed strikes being a light weapon.
A fighter may select Improved Disarm as one of his fighter bonus feats.
A monk may select Improved Disarm as a bonus feat at 6th level, even if she does not meet the prerequisites.
Improved Unarmed Strike [General]
Benefit
You are considered to be armed even when unarmed —that is, you do not provoke attacks or opportunity from armed opponents when you attack them while unarmed. However, you still get an attack of opportunity against any opponent who makes an unarmed attack on you.
You can make attacks of opportunity using your unarmed strike, and your unarmed strike can be enhanced as if it were a masterwork weapon. In addition, your unarmed strikes can deal lethal or nonlethal damage, at your option.
Normal
Without this feat, you are considered unarmed when attacking with an unarmed strike, and you can deal only nonlethal damage with such an attack.
Special
A monk automatically gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat at 1st level. She need not select it.
A fighter may select Improved Unarmed Strike as one of his fighter bonus feats.
Improved Grapple [General]
Prerequisites
Dex 13, Improved Unarmed Strike.
Benefit
You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when you make a touch attack to start a grapple. When you make a successful unarmed attack, you may start a grapple as a free action, no initial touch attack required.
You also gain a +4 bonus on all grapple checks, regardless of whether you started the grapple.
Normal
Without this feat, you provoke an attack of opportunity when you make a touch attack to start a grapple.
Special
A fighter may select Improved Grapple as one of his fighter bonus feats.
A monk may select Improved Grapple as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if she does not meet the prerequisites.
The short of it:
Full attacking is now a standard action, vastly increasing mobility and reducing that annoying period at the start of most fights, where you can't yet put all your hard-earned attacks to good use.
Using a "special attack" by default does not provoke an attack of opportunity, making them (IMO) a lot more usable. Taking a feat related to the special attack has new benefits, to not diminish their use.
Yet another grapple "fix".
What I wanted to do here was to create a more fluid combat environment, where pulling off stunts and amazing maneuevers is something that is encouraged, and not the sole domain of those who have specialized in the stunts.
What I didn't want to do was to rebalance melee. I think this does make melee more powerful, but the intent was to make melee more fun.
How did I do?