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View Full Version : [3.5] Causing a distraction in combat



Phoenix10k
2011-01-21, 09:17 PM
I'm sure I've just missed it in all my readings, but after looking through the PHB 1&2, Complete Scoundrel, Complete Adventurer, Song and Silence, etc., I can't find rules, tricks, or feats relating to causing a distraction in combat. I've found the rules for feinting, and I'm not really sure that's what I'm looking for.

I'm playing a monk inspired by the craziness of the Monkey King of Chinese folklore. We're starting at level 5, and I'm wielding a quarterstaff. It's more for flavor and balance than anything else. I know my unarmed attacks are actually stronger, so I was looking for official rulings on using... say, a move action to toss my staff at my opponent in order to make him catch it or distract him long enough to land a kick or punch on him. Where should I look?

Also, if anyone knows a way to make a quarterstaff competitive in damage with my unarmed attacks, that'd be awesome, too. Warning, low-magic setting, dirt poor.

true_shinken
2011-01-21, 09:19 PM
You're looking for the Bluff skill. Skill tricks help as well.

Also, the monkey king is a spellcaster.

Prime32
2011-01-21, 09:25 PM
If you want to knock the opponent off-balance, then attack them again... Improved Trip (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#improvedTrip). EDIT: Passive Way monk (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#passiveWay) will get it faster.

EDIT:
Also, if anyone knows a way to make a quarterstaff competitive in damage with my unarmed attacks, that'd be awesome, too. Warning, low-magic setting, dirt poor.The shillelagh and mighty wallop/greater mighty wallop spells are the standard route.


Also, the monkey king is a spellcaster.And how...

Yet, despite being possibly the most powerful spellcaster in any mythology ever, he still knew fewer spells than a high-level D&D wizard. Or rather, a D&D wizard can replicate dozens of his spells with one spell.

Greenish
2011-01-21, 09:29 PM
Also, if anyone knows a way to make a quarterstaff competitive in damage with my unarmed attacks, that'd be awesome, too. Warning, low-magic setting, dirt poor.
Get decent Strength score.
Use the staff two-handed.
???
Profit.

Phoenix10k
2011-01-21, 09:31 PM
You're looking for the Bluff skill. Skill tricks help as well.

Also, the monkey king is a spellcaster.

True that. That's a little later down the line.

You know, I thought I read through all of Bluff. That was exactly what I was looking for. As for skill tricks, I assume you mean the ones in Complete Scoundrel?

Prime32
2011-01-21, 09:34 PM
True that. That's a little later down the line.Eh... becoming a spellcaster "later down the line" doesn't usually work in 3.5, since your spells will be easily resisted, and the higher-level spells cast by single-class spellcasters grow exponentially more powerful than what you can use.

If you want to use magic to augment your fighting abilities, take 2 levels of monk and 18 levels of psychic warrior. Then take the Tashalatora feat, which lets you continue to advance your monk abilities. This combination is basically what the monk class was meant to be from the start - stuff like hustle and Up the Walls is actually more monk-like than what you could get by sticking with the class, on top of not being horribly limited in uses.

Otherwise, Tome of Battle does a far better job at simulating the kind of combat you're after, with maneuvers ranging from "reflect sunlight in your opponent's eyes" to "strike all enemies within reach" to "Fox's Up+B move in Super Smash Bros (http://www.ssbwiki.com/Fire_Fox)".

Phoenix10k
2011-01-21, 09:46 PM
Eh... becoming a spellcaster "later down the line" doesn't usually work in 3.5...

...take the Tashalatora feat...

Hm. Unfortunately, while you're probably right, I don't think it'll matter in the end. In the circle of friends I play D&D with, the DMs level their players slooooooooooooowly, and the games really never last past 3 months. Couple that with the utter fear a couple of them have of giving players magic items...

As for Tashalatora, that feat is beautiful. Unfortunately, the DMs in our circle have a unanimous pact on a "No Psionics, Not Ever" rule.

*sigh* The few ruin it for the many. (referring to the metagaming players that ruined the game for our DMs for so long)