Shocktrooper bullrushing with a twist?

[VeGaS1986]

Hi there folks

Im currently musing on a build for my next character, so as to be prepared when / if my current one kicks the bucket.

What ive been thinking is to do a bullrush build, since that has never seen any use in my grp (improved bullrush get taken for Shocktrooper, thats it)

Now in my search ive seen all the flaming homer and dungeon crasher talk and while thats all well and good, I dont want an insanely optimized character, I simple want a fun one that performs well without outshining the other players ( I research my builds alot more than my peers so this is a real consern)

The current idea I have does involve a bit of dungeon crashing but is primarily gonna focus on getting two levels of drunken master for the Stagger class feature to do super weird charges (FUN). What im wondering is how Shocktroopers Domino Rush works in regards to a charge bullrush. Lets say I am able to push my opponent 20 feet. Does the rush end as soon as I push him into another creatures square and get my free trips? Or do I continue on through and possibly hit more enemies? What happens if I trip my initial target? Does he drop prone emideatly or do I keep carrying him along with me, then he drops prone when all is said and done?

Im sure ill think of more questions but that is it for now. The build sorta hinges on being able to play like a bowling ball, using Stagger to get where I wanna be and hit them from the right direction to set up the chain.

Thanks in advance.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Use either Half-Ogre in Races of Destiny (LA +2, large) or Goliath in Races of Stone (LA +1, Powerful Build) for your race. Buy off your level adjustment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm) if possible.

Go Fighter with Dungeoncrasher, and preferably also get the Zhentarim Soldier (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060327a) substitution levels (easily reflavored as a bully archetype and stripped of its association to an organization), and then there's free class features (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20061013a) that you should never pass up.

Get Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, and the feat Knock-Back in Races of Stone. Just standing there you can make a normal attack and get a free bull rush check to smack your foes across the room. EWP: Spiked Chain and Combat Reflexes are highly recommended. If your Int score is high enough, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, and Knock-Down (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#knockDown) makes it so your foes land prone as well, so they'll have to move-action to get back up and then move-action to get back into the fight, so every swing you take wastes an opponent's entire next round.

Take the feat Imperious Command from Drow of the Underdark, and the Never Outnumbered skill trick in Complete Scoundrel. Those work exceptionally well with Zhentarim Soldier 9, and don't forget you get a size bonus to Intimidate checks.

[VeGaS1986]

Yeah I intend to go Goliath and get knockback just to have the option, but im primarily trying to get into the whole "running all over the place with enemies flying around" thing. Also still would like some interpretation or rulings on the whole "multiple dominos in one rush" question

Also your suggested build falls exactly into the pitfall of being over optimized (imo anyway)

Thanks for the reply though :)

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I'm pretty sure that with Domino Rush, you bull rush your target (opponent A) into another opponent's (opponent B's) space, trip both of them, and probably stop there. You cannot continue bull rushing them both along because you didn't make a bull rush action against opponent B. That space is now obstructed, so if you bull rushed as part of a charge you cannot continue forward through that space.

I'd just stick to using Knock-Back to knock an opponent into another foe's space and still get the Domino Rush effect. It keeps you out of harm's way and helps to keep your opponents from attacking the rest of your party.

I wouldn't consider a build that keeps your party safe by keeping opponents down to be overly optimized. If you were using Leap Attack and Shock Trooper with a Valorous weapon to kill an opponent in a single swing, and then using Cleave to kill a second one, every single round, then your party would feel like a bunch of sidekicks. If you're knocking opponents around and making it easier for your other party members to do whatever it is they do, then everyone will have a lot more fun and characters will have a better chance of survival.

The Zhentarim Soldier makes an opponent Shaken (-2 to his d20 rolls), and it gives you something to do for noncombat situations ("See my big friend here? He doesn't like pesky bureaucrats who ask for too much paperwork."), though with Imperious Command you can keep one opponent you threaten cowering for the whole encounter, and Never Outnumbered you can make every opponent within ten feet cower for a single round once per encounter. Again, you're not wiping out encounters single-handed or reducing your party to sidekicks, you're debuffing opponents to make them less effective so the rest of your party has a better chance of beating them.

[Morph Bark]

You'd just get your free trips and end it there. You can only Bull Rush one creature at a time and cannot Bull Rush them through someone else (except maybe an ally). A bigger question would be if you can Bull Rush a prone target at all.

In my current campaign I'm playing a female Goliath Barbarian/Monk/Warblade/Dungeoncrasher Fighter/Champion of Gwynharwyf. Every hit means I can Bull Rush them, which I always do if I'd Dungeoncrash them into a wall and still keep them within reach. I haven't gotten to use Domino Rush yet though, partly thanks to positioning and partly thanks to incorporeal targets. The times I've gotten someone prone (thanks to a feat that allows me to make a trip attempt at the end of a Bull Rush while raging), I'd simply Bull Rush them into the ground and Dungeoncrash them that way. It was allowed, sure, but perhaps questionable to other DMs.

[Wings of Peace]

I'm fond of Warforged Juggernaut myself. Mechanics aside, you get to yell "I'M THE JUGGERNAUT BI*CH!".