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View Full Version : Favourite Tactic [Social and Combat]



DocRock
2010-10-26, 07:27 PM
As the title says, what's your all time favourite tactic?

Mine is Spring attack. There's just something awesome about "Oh here I am" BAM "There I go". It's versatile and reasonably powerful provided it's utilised right. Of course, there's always the good old summoning a heavy object above the BBEG tactic but my DM found multiple ways to nerf this.

In social settings bluff is my favourite thing of all time. Lies can turn around your entire adventure and you can lie about almost anything. Not for the good or faint of heart though! One caught out lie and you can land your party in a world of hurt.

tahu88810
2010-10-26, 07:50 PM
Charge.
Horse + Lance + Balls of Steel = Awesome
or, if inside,
Boots of Charging + Longsword + Balls of Steel = Awesome

My all-time favorite character was a Hedge-Knight who charged everything and everyone.

Out of combat, I prefer magic. So...diplomacy, I guess?

DocRock
2010-10-26, 07:54 PM
Charge.
Horse + Lance + Balls of Steel = Awesome
or, if inside,
Boots of Charging + Longsword + Balls of Steel = Awesome

My all-time favorite character was a Hedge-Knight who charged everything and everyone.

Out of combat, I prefer magic. So...diplomacy, I guess?

Charging+Spirited Charge+Ride by Attack even? With homebrewed Mount Blades that allow your mount to do extra damage on a ride by attack? :smallbiggrin:

subject42
2010-10-26, 07:54 PM
My favorite out-of-combat-rapidly-devolving-into-in-combat tactic is to use a Binder using the Zceryll and Haures vestiges and do the following.


Use bluff/perform/whatever to get somebody's attention.
Create an illusion right behind the person of a terrible monster. Remember that supernatural activities give no indication that you're using them in most instances.
Scream "LOOK BEHIND YOU"!
Summon a monster right in front of the same person, so that when they turn around they get a great big face full of tentacles.

tahu88810
2010-10-26, 07:55 PM
Charging+Spirited Charge+Ride by Attack even? With homebrewed Mount Blades that allow your mount to do extra damage on a ride by attack? :smallbiggrin:

Oh, yes. Of course. You can't really do that early on, of course, but the more powerful the charge the better.

gallagher
2010-10-26, 07:56 PM
half minotaur cleric with righteous might, plus improved overrun feat.

it is so much better than tripping

DocRock
2010-10-26, 07:58 PM
half minotaur cleric with righteous might, plus improved overrun feat.

it is so much better than tripping

Overrun and large size, followed by righteous might= Good times had by everyone except your enemies.


My favorite out-of-combat-rapidly-devolving-into-in-combat tactic is to use a Binder using the Zceryll and Haures vestiges and do the following.


Use bluff/perform/whatever to get somebody's attention.
Create an illusion right behind the person of a terrible monster. Remember that supernatural activities give no indication that you're using them in most instances.
Scream "LOOK BEHIND YOU"!
Summon a monster right in front of the same person, so that when they turn around they get a great big face full of tentacles.



..... I would wet myself laughing in an RL game.

Ryuk01
2010-10-26, 08:13 PM
Out of Combat:

1. Cast Disguise Self.
2. Cast Mount.
3. Cast Magic Aura on Mount to disguise the magical aura of it.
4. Sell to mount to random guy.
5. Repeat. :smallsmile:

DocRock
2010-10-26, 08:19 PM
Out of Combat:

1. Cast Disguise Self.
2. Cast Mount.
3. Cast Magic Aura on Mount to disguise the magical aura of it.
4. Sell to mount to random guy.
5. Repeat. :smallsmile:

That's....Wow. That's just nasty... lol.

AslanCross
2010-10-26, 08:21 PM
Emerald Razor + Power Attack. Simple, easy to execute, deals a lot of damage very early on. (Of course, a level 3 Warblade only gets a +6 damage total with a 2-hander, but at least you're highly likely to hit.)

A more convoluted but also awesome setup is Dungeoncrasher + Charging Minotaur + Shock Trooper. Deal damage when you hit, deal damage when he hits the wall, and it doesn't matter where the wall is, as long as it's close enough for you to bull rush him into.

Out of combat, when captured (Beguiler/Mindbender)
1. Cast Blur on yourself (Beguiler's bonus Silent Spell feat lets you cast it without doing ANYTHING)

2. Telepathically speak to your captors in a language they don't know.

3. Feign possession by some Elder Evil.

4. Hope your Bluff works.

Show
2010-10-26, 08:31 PM
My all time favorite tactic is rather situational, but here it is.
First I take a level in swordsage.
Take the improved trip feat.
I prepare two maneuvers: Counter Charge and Mighty Throw.
Then I stand on the edge of a cliff.
When someone charges/approaches me, I use mighty throw. Make a melee touch attack using Mighty Throw. After a simple melee touch attack(fiendishly easy to make against heavy fighters), make a trip attempt with a total mod of 8+str. If you succeed(you probably will), you throw the target 10 feet from you, in any direction you want.. Here, this means off the cliff.
If they charged at you, you have a backup plan. Activate Counter Charge as an immediate action and, if you succeed on an opposed attack roll check, you can force them to move(once again) in any direction for 10 feet. They charge off the cliff.

If you succeed, the attack continues as usual with +2 to attack and damage. However, its a small price to pay for two chances to simply fling your opponent, no matter how powerful, off the edge of a platform/cliff/building.

Aron Times
2010-10-26, 08:38 PM
A level 3 psion in 4e has access to Betrayal, which lets him force the target to attack an ally. It comes in really handy when there's a powerful solo surrounded by his underlings, as most of the damage dealt by monsters comes from their melee basic attack.

The last time I played a psion, I made the enemy's hellhounds protecting the enemy casters om nom nom on them. It was basically a win-win situation for the party. If the hellhounds moved away from the casters, the latter would become fodder for our strikers. If they didn't, my character would keep mind-controlling them into attacking their masters.

Did I mention that Betrayal is at-will? :smallcool:

And finally, if your DM allows this, you can use Betrayal to set up a bar fight or something similar from a safe distance. Find a good hiding spot and spam Betrayal on the orcs/trolls/goblins/whatever, and watch the ensuing brawl.

Callista
2010-10-26, 08:43 PM
Well, I only ever had one character who was capable of doing it, but I thought it was awfully fun to have a character use Improved Feint to Smite Evil and add 4d6 for the Sneak Attack.

(Rogue/paladin does work relatively well, if you remember that "rogue" is just a skillset. An honorable diplomat kind of character can easily multiclass, and they both share Charisma as a key stat. Thankfully I had three rolls of 13 or higher to put in INT, CON, and DEX, and was using a non-spellcasting paladin variant.)

DocRock
2010-10-26, 09:01 PM
Did I mention that Betrayal is at-will? :smallcool:

And finally, if your DM allows this, you can use Betrayal to set up a bar fight or something similar from a safe distance. Find a good hiding spot and spam Betrayal on the orcs/trolls/goblins/whatever, and watch the ensuing brawl.

At will....Seriously? And that's not OP?


Well, I only ever had one character who was capable of doing it, but I thought it was awfully fun to have a character use Improved Feint to Smite Evil and add 4d6 for the Sneak Attack.

(Rogue/paladin does work relatively well, if you remember that "rogue" is just a skillset. An honorable diplomat kind of character can easily multiclass, and they both share Charisma as a key stat. Thankfully I had three rolls of 13 or higher to put in INT, CON, and DEX, and was using a non-spellcasting paladin variant.)

This I liked a lot. Lawful good rogue paladin...But is feinting in combat something an honourable paladin would do? Or would it be considered trickery?

Callista
2010-10-26, 09:05 PM
Feinting in combat is a normal part of fencing. This character used a rapier. So--no, not dishonorable by any stretch of the word; it's a valid strategy. I think I may've been playing one of the few paladins ever with ranks in Bluff, though.

DocRock
2010-10-26, 09:18 PM
Feinting in combat is a normal part of fencing. This character used a rapier. So--no, not dishonorable by any stretch of the word; it's a valid strategy. I think I may've been playing one of the few paladins ever with ranks in Bluff, though.

Tis a great strategy to be sure. An honourable rogue, who'd have thunk it!

How did you explain that your paladin could pick locks? "He who looks into the eyes of monsters, must first see through the eyes of them" type angle?

subject42
2010-10-26, 09:21 PM
How did you explain that your paladin could pick locks? "He who looks into the eyes of monsters, must first see through the eyes of them" type angle?

"My masters in the Holy Order forced me to disassemble, clean, oil and reassemble my armor every night while blindfolded and hanging upside down from a door lintel. Locks are easy."

DocRock
2010-10-26, 09:23 PM
"My masters in the Holy Order forced me to disassemble, clean, oil and reassemble my armor every night while blindfolded and hanging upside down from a door lintel. Locks are easy."

You, my fellow, receive a win for that.

Drakevarg
2010-10-26, 09:27 PM
Favorite combat tactic?

1. Obtain army. (Don't care how.)
2. Put army in formation.
3. Give first two rows Hold the Line feat.
4. Give first row spears.
5. Give second row longspears.
6. Give the rest composite longbows with highest STR bonus they can manage.
7. Find enemy cavalry.
8. Taunt cavalry.
9. Cackle maniacly.

DocRock
2010-10-26, 09:28 PM
Favorite combat tactic?

1. Obtain army. (Don't care how.)
2. Put army in formation.
3. Give first two rows Hold the Line feat.
4. Give first row spears.
5. Give second row longspears.
6. Give the rest composite longbows with highest STR bonus they can manage.
7. Find enemy cavalry.
8. Taunt cavalry.
9. Cackle maniacly.

Actually that's not a tactic. That's called beating D and D.

Drakevarg
2010-10-26, 09:30 PM
Actually that's not a tactic. That's called beating D and D.

And is it unnessicary overkill if you gave them all magic weapon oil as part of their standard equipment?

Aww, you cast protection from arrows? That's cute. :smallamused:

Foryn Gilnith
2010-10-26, 09:31 PM
Mine is Spring attack. There's just something awesome about "Oh here I am" BAM "There I go".

Even more ridiculous when you have Pounce, free movement, and Hide in Plain Sight. Charge at them, make 5 attacks with your two-weapon-fighting, hide and shift away. The thought briefly crossed my mind to run a high-level campaign just so I can use those drow assassins en masse.

DocRock
2010-10-26, 09:36 PM
And is it unnessicary overkill if you gave them all magic weapon oil as part of their standard equipment?

Aww, you cast protection from arrows? That's cute. :smallamused:

Wotc designers want to have a word with you. :smallamused:


Even more ridiculous when you have Pounce, free movement, and Hide in Plain Sight. Charge at them, make 5 attacks with your two-weapon-fighting, hide and shift away. The thought briefly crossed my mind to run a high-level campaign just so I can use those drow assassins en masse.

Agreed, HiPS is just ridiculous amounts of fun.

valadil
2010-10-26, 09:39 PM
1) Cast Defenestrating Sphere on large group of enemies.
2) Cast Wall of Force between you and enemies.
3+) Yell "pull!" as enemies are thrown over the wall one at a time and your party's readied actions go off.

Yes I realize that throwing enemies high enough and in the right direction takes a bit of luck. I've also seen it done, throwing enemies for the entire duration of the sphere.

Tyndmyr
2010-10-26, 09:42 PM
Heavily metamagiced walls of fire.

Invisible Spell is a must. So is Fell Drain.

Drakevarg
2010-10-26, 09:54 PM
Heavily metamagiced walls of fire.

Invisible Spell is a must. So is Fell Drain.

I think Fell Animate would be funnier.

Tyndmyr
2010-10-26, 09:56 PM
What, animate them as piddling undead? No, no...death by negative levels makes them rise as wights. Which, when they kill things, make them into wights.

Obviously, you must make the wall of fire in a circle. Leave a gold coin in the middle.



For the more sadistic, fell drained Nightmares.

Callista
2010-10-26, 10:05 PM
"My masters in the Holy Order forced me to disassemble, clean, oil and reassemble my armor every night while blindfolded and hanging upside down from a door lintel. Locks are easy."Heh :) Well, actually, she couldn't pick locks very well; she usually UMD'd a scroll of Knock if she really needed to open a door. I needed the skill points for social and strategic stuff; and besides, we had a single-classed rogue in the party. I had just enough ranks to Aid Another reliably. Having another rogue in the party was part of why I went for that build to begin with, since I didn't want my character to be redundant.

The character's backstory had her start out as a scout in the military before she was called as a paladin.

Foryn Gilnith
2010-10-26, 10:08 PM
Wotc designers want to have a word with you.
If you really want something to talk about the meeting, try making 1st-level NPC town guards with the following breakdown of their NPC wealth:

425 gp - 51 lb of Shapesand [Sandstorm], 50 of which is shaped into Full Plate
180 gp - Moon Mote [Magic of Faerun], for signaling with Dancing Lights as the OotS goblins did.
100 gp - Chaos Flask [Planar Handbook], for tough enemies (shape into black lotus venom, dragon bile, greensickness, svakalor venom, or something ridiculous)
70 gp - Breathing Hood [Drow of the Underdark], for when knockout gas goes awry.
50 gp - 2 doses of Sleep-Smoke [City of Splendors]. Knockout gas, for dealing with criminals.
50 gp - 5 Eggshell Dust Grenades [Oriental Adventures]. Throw it at enemies to blind them.
20 gp - 1 vial of Aboleth Mucus [Savage Species]. Highly lethal, less potential than the Chaos Flask. Use with care.
7 gp - Heavy Wooden Shield. Combine with the full plate earlier for 20 AC.
2 gp - Truncheon [Book of Exalted Deeds]. Standard police baton.
2 gp - 2 Lassos [Book of Exalted Deeds]. Because these guards are too encumbered to chase criminals and having a way to restrain them besides blinding helps.
1 gp - 10 Insectbane Candles [Arms & Equipment Guide]. For guard duty on hot, mosquito-filled summer days.
25 sp - 3 uses of Hearthfire [Races of Stone]. That's 72 hours of torchlight coming from something the size of a jello cube; convenient hands-free lighting.
4 sp - 2 bags of Marbles [Arms and Equipment Guide]. Trip up enemies.
1 sp - Sack. Evidence collection device.

And so, through the power of splatbooks and adventuring gear, you have first-level guards walking around in full plate with shields, gas masks, and pepper spray projectiles.

SurlySeraph
2010-10-26, 10:11 PM
Even more ridiculous when you have Pounce, free movement, and Hide in Plain Sight. Charge at them, make 5 attacks with your two-weapon-fighting, hide and shift away. The thought briefly crossed my mind to run a high-level campaign just so I can use those drow assassins en masse.

Better yet, Shadow Pounce. *BAMF* *stabstabstab* *BAMF* *stabstabstab* *disappear*

At low levels, Fell Drain Sonic Snap or Magic Missile to one-shot things. Works especially well when combined with a handy commoner as part of an Intimidate check.

Lightbringer (http://www.realmshelps.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Lightbringer) isn't often useful because Turn Undead is better used for DMM and you usually won't have time to charge it up. But if you do, combining it with Last Judgment (BoED) is just awesome: "You're all going to hell right now!" There are much more efficient ways for a high-level cleric to fight, sure, but with careful planning to lure lots of tough enemies into range just as you get +8 or so to the DC of a mass save-or-die spell, it's beautiful.

But none of the above are my all-time-favorite tactic. My all-time-favorite topic is "Charge, smite, Power Attack for full." Adding in Radiant Charge for a Crusader, Rhino's Rush and/or Lion's Charge for a paladin, and any other damage-booster compatible with a charge. Because you can't argue with Smite Evil.

lsfreak
2010-10-26, 10:43 PM
I like Pounce + Travel Devotion, personally, to mimic Spring Attack.

Illusions (silent image and friends) are awesome kinds of fun with a sadistic character. Make a person hear things in empty rooms. Not even soft things: they are sitting in their well-lit reading room, and suddenly it's as if two people are having a conversation. Except he's completely alone. He starts to see things at the edge of his visions, that are never quite there when he looks closer, but eventually he notices that whenever this happens, the same person is seen walking by, or talking with a merchant, or something else. Soon it's not just flits or movement, but he sees full-fledged monsters in the middle of the market surrounding this person, monsters which no one else seems to see. Every time he approaches this person, he escapes into the crowd or a dark alley. And finally, once he's at the edge, he finally catches his tormentor! And upon releasing sweet vengeance on this maddening presence, the body melts.
Congratulations, you have successfully broken a person.

Yukitsu
2010-10-26, 10:46 PM
Robilars gambit, improved trip and elusive target tactical feat. Spend all my time provoking attacks of opportunity.

Trenelus
2010-10-26, 11:52 PM
Some anti-social pre-emptive measures: Fake Wallet: if DM likes to use pickpocketers, keep a pouch filled with potatos on your belt instead of real wallet. Gives the thieves something to think about, bonus point if you can cast Explosive Runes...

Lev
2010-10-27, 01:30 AM
Illusion image spells.

Leadership Guilding

odder
2010-10-27, 01:47 AM
my two favorite tactics are:

1. Obtain ridiculous amounts of undead minions - let the undead swarming begin.
2. obtain wall of force - destroy ships with it