Speak to me of: Bull Rush

[TheDarkSaint]

Maybe I'm a noob. Maybe I've been in 2nd Ed too long. But I can't seem to wrap my head around the usefulness of bull rush in combat aside from trying to push someone through an area where they would be subject to Attacks of Opp.

How have you used it in the past? How have you made it useful to your character?

Thanks!

[CTrees]

In Core? Yeah, it's situational. I mean, you could shove someone off a cliff, into area effects, etc.

With splats? There are ways to make it do massive, massive damage.

[The Underlord]

In Core? Yeah, it's situational. I mean, you could shove someone off a cliff, into area effects, etc.

With splats? There are ways to make it do massive, massive damage.

Mainly dungeon crasher.

[Rejusu]

It's not particularly useful unless you get feats to improve it, like most things really. Shock Trooper and Combat Brute in particular help to make it useful. The domino rush from Shock Trooper is particularly nice in the right build. If you bull rush an enemy into the same square as another enemy you get a free trip against both of them with the bonus that you can't be tripped if you fail the check. Combat Brute gives you a +1 bonus to your attack rolls for each square you move a foe with a bullrush (but only to attacks against that foe) the round after you do the bullrush.

Still it's kind of situational and to take full advantage of it you need to use the terrain. You can for example use it to push someone off a cliff, or into a fire. Or any other hazard.

[Wyntonian]

I used it once to throw a giant into a acid pit full of acid-breathing laser-headed shark-bears. As a gnome.


If only my DM's were actually that cool. :smallfrown:

[FMArthur]

It's not particularly useful unless you get feats to improve it, like most things really. Shock Trooper and Combat Brute in particular help to make it useful. The domino rush from Shock Trooper is particularly nice in the right build. If you bull rush an enemy into the same square as another enemy you get a free trip against both of them with the bonus that you can't be tripped if you fail the check. Combat Brute gives you a +1 bonus to your attack rolls for each square you move a foe with a bullrush (but only to attacks against that foe) the round after you do the bullrush.

Still it's kind of situational and to take full advantage of it you need to use the terrain. You can for example use it to push someone off a cliff, or into a fire. Or any other hazard.

Knockback is probably the most important feat for making bull rushing worthwhile, IMO. Even without Dungeon Crasher, being able to push around multiple foes on your turn with multiple attacks makes you effective at controlling enemy positioning while doing your regular damage. Its combination with Shock Trooper makes it amazing at that control and its combination with Dungeon Crasher makes it amazing at that damage. It's such a nice feat.

[Namfuak]

Not from a melee standpoint, but my conjurer sorcerer used melf's unicorn arrow to bull rush a flying harpy down to the ground last session. Also, it went within the threat range of my summoned eagle, allowing a nice attack there.

[Telonius]

The other posters have hit on the main points. I would say that its biggest value is in being a prerequisite for Shock Trooper. Shock Trooper's Heedless Charge is the basis of some of the biggest damage that (non-mounted) melee types can deal.

The only other thing I would say, is that a well-placed Bull Rush can get you or an ally out of being flanked by a Rogue. (The Pushback feat lets you do it without getting an AoO from anybody; regular Improved Bull Rush only denies an AoO to the target).

[Big Fau]

Spells such as Wall of Fire and Maw of Chaos work nicely with Bull Rush attacks.

[Person_Man]

Here's my list of useful things to do with Bull Rush:

Dungeoncrasher Fighter 6 variant: Gives you 8d6 + (Str bonus*3) damage when you Bull Rush someone into a wall or solid object. Dungeonscape.
Knockback: Free Bull Rush when you Power Attack. (You can thus Bull Rush on every attack, though knocking your enemy away from you usually means you'll just hit each enemy within your reach once). Requires Large size or Powerful Build. Races of Stone.
Pushback: The poor man’s Knockback. Once per round when you hit an enemy of your size or smaller, you can Bull Rush him back 5 feet and move into his space. Miniatures Handbook pg 27.
Shock Trooper: Can "direct" a Bull Rush one square to the right or left for each square you push them back, and if you hit an enemy into another enemy's square you can knock both prone. (Also lets you shift the to-hit penalty from Power Attack to AC, making it a great all around feat). Complete Warrior.
Shield of the Severed Hand: When an enemy attacks you and misses, you get a free Bull Rush (preventing a full attack against you, and potentially setting up benefits from Dungeoncrasher or Shock Trooper. Complete Divine pg or Magic Item Compendium.
Brutal Surge weapons: Free Bull Rush when you attack, limited times per day. Magic Item Compendium.
King of Pong (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5897646).
Flaming Homer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4108954&postcount=22).
Contagious Paralysis: Anyone who touches someone that you paralyze must Save or be paralyzed as well. Combine Bull Rush with this, and you have a paralyzing bowling ball. Libris Mortis pg 25.
Rampaging Bull Rush: Any enemy that you successfully Bull Rush is also knocked Prone. Requires Large size or Powerful Build. Races of Stone pg 143.
Smiting Power: You can add your Smite bonus (any Smite, not just Smite Evil) to your Bull Rush attempts and damage. Champions of Valor pg 33.
Knockback enhancement: Free Bull Rush on every attack. Ranged weapons only. And it's the weapon which does the Bull Rush, not you, so your bonuses and Dungeoncrasher don't apply. Complete Warrior pg 135, nerfed in Magic Item Compendium update.
Tiger Blooded: If you hit an enemy with a Tiger Claw strike, they must Save or be pushed back 5 feet. While this doesn’t sound very sexy, keep in mind that it's a Save (not an opposed check) and that since this occurs after you hit and damage the enemy with your maneuver, you're never "wasting" a full attack by knocking them away prematurely. Requires that you also be in a Rage, Shifting, or WildShaped. Tome of Battle pg 33.