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View Full Version : Melee AOE Feats 3.5 PEACH



NeoSeraphi
2011-07-09, 10:46 PM
Blade Rush (General, Fighter)
Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack, Improved Overrun, BAB +6
Benefits: As a full-round action, you may make a double move action, but you must move in a straight line. You may stop this at any point during the move, even before you've completed your first move action, but doing so does not lessen the full-round action this technique requires to make. If you move through any enemy squares, you immediately make an Overrun attempt on them with a +4 bonus (This stacks with the +4 bonus provided by Improved Overrun). If you succeed your Overrun attempt, you automatically receive a melee attack against the creature at your highest attack bonus with any melee weapon you are holding. If you fail an Overrun, your opponent may not attempt to Overrun you, but you must stop moving. If you successfully Overrun and attack, you may keep moving in a straight line (Essentially, you are slicing your way through your opponents)

Special: If two opponents are adjacent to each other and both of them are in your line, and you successfully Overrun the first, you receive an additional +4 bonus to Overrun the second due to momentum and confusion. This bonus is cumulative for each adjacent opponent (+4 if you're Overrunning the second in line, +8 if you're Overrunning the 3rd, etc) Additionally, you use your weapon's Size, not yours, to determine the Size modifier to the Overrun check and whether an opponent is too large for you to Overrun.

Hurricane Slash (General, Fighter)
Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, BAB +6
Benefits: As a full-round action, you may swing your melee weapon in a circle around you, receiving an automatic melee attack roll at your highest attack bonus to every creature within your reach. If you hit a creature, you deal normal melee damage for that attack and automatically make a Bull Rush attempt against that creature as a free action with a +4 bonus (This stacks with the +4 bonus from Improved Bull Rush). A successful Bull Rush knocks the creature back 10 ft plus an additional 5 ft for every 5 points you exceeded their roll by, instead of the normal amount. You may not move with any creature that you knock back with this effect.

Special: If you have the Combat Reflexes feat, you may consume all your remaining attacks of opportunity for the round to use this ability as an immediate action (regardless of whether your opponents provoked attacks of opportunity from you)


Dance of Blades (General, Fighter, Scout)
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack
Benefit: As a full-round action, you may perform a Dance of Blades. This allows you to swiftly move between foes and slice each one of them to pieces. You may attack all opponents within the area of effect, regardless of your movement speed, and you do not provoke any attacks of opportunity. You receive a melee attack at your highest attack bonus against each creature within a 30 foot cone.

Special: If you have the Dervish Dance class feature, you may instead expend a daily use of your Dervish Dance ability to receive a full-attack against all opponents within a 30 foot cone


Earthquake (General, Fighter)
Prerequisites: Int 13, Str 13, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, BAB +6
Benefit: You gain the ability to deliver a powerful shockwave. To use this ability, you must strike the ground with a melee bludgeoning weapon as a full-round action. All creatures within a 20 ft radius (except for you) who are touching the ground take damage equal to the damage you would deal with your bludgeoning weapon (Reflex Negates, DC 10+1/2 your character level +your Strength modifier), and you automatically make a Trip attempt against each one (whether they make their Reflex save or not). You add a +4 bonus to this Trip attempt automatically (which stacks with Improved Trip), and a further +4 bonus if you are using a two-handed bludgeoning weapon or a one-handed bludgeoning weapon in both hands. If you successfully Trip a creature within your melee reach, you receive your free melee attack against them as per your Improved Trip feat.

Special: Creatures still apply their Stability and Size bonuses to their Trip checks, but you do not automatically fail to Trip a creature who is two or more Size categories larger than you when making this attack.

Cipher Stars
2011-07-10, 12:49 AM
I'll be using Blade Rush ASAP. which in worse case scenario would be in five levels ._.

NeoSeraphi
2011-07-10, 12:55 AM
Oh yeah? Can't wait to see it. This would be the first time someone playtested my homebrew with me there. In theory, Blade Rush should work pretty well for someone like Trinity, but I guess it depends on the DM (Then again, so does lightning bolt)

DracoDei
2011-07-10, 01:14 AM
Does "Don't Touch Me!" deal damage, or is it an improved, cheaper, Whirlwind Attack (not necessarily a bad thing from what I hear).

NeoSeraphi
2011-07-10, 01:27 AM
Ah, yes. Clarifying that now. Don't Touch Me! deals damage and initiates a Bull Rush, kind of like Knockback from Races of Stone (Maybe. Can't remember if that's Bull Rush or Trip)

Edit: Added one for Trip. Might be a bit powerful, considering it doesn't need an attack roll, but it allows a save for no damage and can only be used with a bludgeoning weapon, unlike the others.

Zerg Cookie
2011-07-10, 07:46 AM
Love these and will allow my players to use in case they ask.
These are stronger than normal feats, but personally I think all feats should be that powerful and not the other way around due to the power imbalance between, say, a fighter and a wizard.

I just have to disagree on the names. "Don't touch me" and "Shake the ground" strike me as weird names for feats.

Also, Dance of Blades. Why cone? I'd understand area, I'd understand line, but why cone?

Cieyrin
2011-07-10, 08:19 AM
Looks like someone has been playing Disgaea...

That said, I like how Blade Rush supports the much maligned Overrun combat maneuver.

The feat requirements seem a bit high but they're pretty nice feats just the same. It's just you're likely only going to see them in the hands of Fighters or people with Fighter dips explicitly to pick these up, as most anybody else is only going to be able to do this one thing.

The Dervish Dance clause on Dance of Blades seems a bit overpowering to me. At the very least, I'd require expending a Dance use for the day to get that. Given how many Dervishes tend to TWF, plus A Thousand Cuts, that's a lot of attacks to consider.

NeoSeraphi
2011-07-10, 09:28 AM
Love these and will allow my players to use in case they ask.
These are stronger than normal feats, but personally I think all feats should be that powerful and not the other way around due to the power imbalance between, say, a fighter and a wizard.

I just have to disagree on the names. "Don't touch me" and "Shake the ground" strike me as weird names for feats.

Also, Dance of Blades. Why cone? I'd understand area, I'd understand line, but why cone?

Thank you. A DM coming forward and saying he'd permit my homebrew hasn't happened before. If it does come up in a game, please tell me how it goes.

I chose a cone because A. The point of these feats is to give melee the ability to deal AOEs like spells, and a cone is just another of those areas and more importantly B. a cone represents your immediately line of vision, and also how quickly you are able to move. In 6 seconds, you can jump from person to person, tearing them with a quick slash of your sword before elegantly returning to your position, but only because you could see all of them and plan it. It also incorporates facing into 3.5 just a little bit for melee, something that WotC never bothered to do.

I changed the name of Shake the Ground to Earthquake, but I honestly can't think of a name for Don't Touch Me!. I tried Hurricane Slash, but that didn't sound right. Any suggestions?


Looks like someone's been playing Disgaea...

What? No, I was just...performing an experiment!

Actually, a lot of my homebrew is based on video games. They're partly my motivation for homebrewing. WotC has already incorporated plenty of fantasy into their source material, so I just like to add in things they may not have thought of that other gaming companies did. The Scout, the True Hero, the Templar, these feats and my current side project the Observer are all based off video games I've played at some point.


That said, I love how Blade Rush supports the much-maligned Overrun maneuver

It's because you can't Overrun on a charge. It really doesn't make any sense. If you're using momentum to just run over your opponents, it would seem like a charge would help with that. And it did, actually if you look in the PHB pre-errata. There was a sentence in the Overrun section that said, "If you Overrun as part of a charge, you receive a +2 bonus on the check to knock your opponent prone". Even though earlier in the same book it said you couldn't Overrun on a charge. Yeah.

Anyway, I'm glad you think so. Overrun mechanically isn't very good but fluff-wise, it's pretty cool. So that's why homebrew exists right? Take things that could possibly contribute to the Rule of Cool and make them playable.



It's just likely you're going to see them in the hands of Fighters
That doesn't bother me in the least. The fighter should have AOEs. If I can improve one of the least powerful classes in core by giving him feats so expensive they almost become an exclusive class feature for him, then good.


At the very least, Dance of Blades should use up a daily use of the Dervish Dance ability

The Dervish, in my opinion, is underpowered for the feats you have to give up to get in the class. So I figured I'd throw them a bone while I was helping the fighter. But okay. I added your suggestion. Thanks for the PEACH

Cieyrin
2011-07-10, 10:15 AM
I changed the name of Shake the Ground to Earthquake, but I honestly can't think of a name for Don't Touch Me!. I tried Hurricane Slash, but that didn't sound right. Any suggestions?

I think Hurricane Slash is a fine name, personally. Less silly as well but then I just like Disgaea.


What? No, I was just...performing an experiment!

Actually, a lot of my homebrew is based on video games. They're partly my motivation for homebrewing. WotC has already incorporated plenty of fantasy into their source material, so I just like to add in things they may not have thought of that other gaming companies did. The Scout, the True Hero, the Templar, these feats and my current side project the Observer are all based off video games I've played at some point.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with drawing from video games, honoring the classics is part of what makes homebrew awesome.


It's because you can't Overrun on a charge. It really doesn't make any sense. If you're using momentum to just run over your opponents, it would seem like a charge would help with that. And it did, actually if you look in the PHB pre-errata. There was a sentence in the Overrun section that said, "If you Overrun as part of a charge, you receive a +2 bonus on the check to knock your opponent prone". Even though earlier in the same book it said you couldn't Overrun on a charge. Yeah.

Anyway, I'm glad you think so. Overrun mechanically isn't very good but fluff-wise, it's pretty cool. So that's why homebrew exists right? Take things that could possibly contribute to the Rule of Cool and make them playable.

Yeah, current Overrun doesn't make any sense, though I could have sworn you could Overrun as part of a charge. Maybe I am thinking of 3.0 or Iron Heroes...


That doesn't bother me in the least. The fighter should have AOEs. If I can improve one of the least powerful classes in core by giving him feats so expensive they almost become an exclusive class feature for him, then good.

I'm just saying that cutting out other character types doesn't seem like good design to me. Fighters should have nice things, it's true, but making feat trees long is the same problem that archery and two-weapon fighting has. Making trees long just to make them long doesn't make sense, as being incompetent till you meet all your prereqs just isn't fun. Perhaps that's just a problem of 3.5 but that doesn't mean we have to stick to the same principles that just exacerbates the power difference between melee and spellslingers.


The Dervish, in my opinion, is underpowered for the feats you have to give up to get in the class. So I figured I'd throw them a bone while I was helping the fighter. But okay. I added your suggestion. Thanks for the PEACH

They're expensive feat-wise, it's true, but they were worthwhile to pursue pre-ToB, as it was one of the few ways to make a mobile full attacks at the time. I think they've aged well and are perhaps a bit more powerful now, thanks to Swift Hunters and Highland Stalkers giving Skirmish to buff those mobile full attacks. Regardless, new toys for melee are always good things, especially since Dervishes will meet the prereqs anyways.

NeoSeraphi
2011-07-10, 10:27 AM
Well, why should I allow someone to make a Bull-Rush style attack if they haven't trained in how to Bull-Rush better than others? I don't see the problem with the prerequisite feats for these attack options, the only one that's really expensive is Dance of Blades.

I'll remove the Power Attack requirement from Earthquake, it wasn't there to begin with anyway, but I thought it fit. As for Dance of Blades, well, that's WotC's fault for making Spring Attack so expensive anyway.

I'll change the name to Hurricane Slash, then. I can see other builds able to take it, after all, Improved Bull Rush is required for Shock Trooper. (Granted Uber-chargers have a feat-intensive build, but if you were just going Shock Trooper, this might be a fun use of a 3rd level feat if you were human)

Edit: There, every feat except Dance of Blades only requires two feats. That's not very expensive, and it's not like Power Attack is a waste of a feat like Dodge is.

Seerow
2011-07-10, 12:10 PM
These feats seem exceptionally strong for at will abilities that can be gotten (with the exception of Dance of Blades) by a level 1 human fighter.

Maybe a BAB prerequisite is in order?

NeoSeraphi
2011-07-10, 12:58 PM
Added a +3 BAB prerequisite. Well, Seerow? Do you like the feats themselves? I believe you are one of the people who agree that melee should have nice things.

Edit: Updated Blade Rush to use your weapon's Size instead of yours. It normally won't come up since most people use the same size weapon as them, but if you're cutting through people using a BFS like Sephiroth, that should really come into play when you're knocking over a giant (And likewise, a troll trying to knock over a human with a toothpick dagger isn't going to succeed)

Seerow
2011-07-10, 05:05 PM
I like the feats' mechanics, they're a combination of the various combat maneuvers and solid aoe damage, which is cool.


However I see these as powers closer to 7th level in power, if not higher. Remember, casters don't start getting major aoe damage effects until 5th level, and aoe with added effects typically comes even later. Then consider those are limited resource effects (at least at the level you get them, at higher level they may as well be unlimited cause you aren't running out of lower level spells), versus these being unlimited effects, and you can see why I'm leery of it.


I'll probably end up borrowing at least some of this for my system whenever I get around to sitting down and writing up powers. But as you currently have them as feats, I wouldn't use them. They come earlier than is necessary for them to be good, and lack any sort of limitation. Melee needs nice things, but levels 1-5 aren't the levels they need them at.

NeoSeraphi
2011-07-10, 05:16 PM
Alright. I was reluctant to set the bar too high because someone else complained about the the difficulty non-fighters would have in getting the feats due to other prerequisites, but it would be pointless to post this if I didn't consider every angle that the people who PEACHed for me presented.

A sorcerer receives 3rd level spells (which is when AOE happens, mostly) at 6th level. However, at that point, the sorcerer's AOE is dealing 6d6 points of damage, and allowing a saving throw, but no attack roll.

Meanwhile, a fighter gets his first iterative attack, which means that for him, choosing one of these combat maneuvers as a full round action is actually a bit of a sacrifice, as he loses the ability to damage one foe multiple times in order to damage multiple foes once.

6 BAB seems like a good point, therefore. I don't want to push it back anymore though, wouldn't be that special if melee got it after the casters. And if I made it +7 or higher, then non-fighters wouldn't be able to get it until 9th, when the wizards get 5th level spells.