Hylas
2012-03-15, 01:37 AM
So as a thought experiment, and possibly as a future character, I was thinking about how to get the most out of the dirty trick combat maneuver, seeing as how it's the most versatile combat maneuver out there.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Dirty-Trick
Short version: Make a check as a standard action, if you succeed then you can make a target blinded, dazzled, deafened, entangled, shaken, or sickened for 1 round (1d4 if you have greater). Add 1 additional round per 5 that you exceed the DC. A catch is that the target can remove the status ailment with a move action (standard action if you have greater).
I figured taking out a guy's standard action each round would be pretty neat, however Paizo has done it's best to make combat maneuvers suck as much as possible by making it nearly impossible to have it as something other than a standard action to execute. The only options I found to overcome this is either being a Monk Maneuver Master, a Fighter Cad, or taking the Quick Dirty Trick feat.
Quick Dirty Trick feat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/quick-dirty-trick-combat-1)
Pros: Not tied to a class (but will probably be done as a fighter).
Cons: Requires 4 feats to get to its full potential. Still can only do one dirty trick a round and only as the first attack in a full attack action.
Fighter (Cad Archetype) (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/fighter/archetypes/paizo---fighter-archetypes/cad)
Pros: Gets a +1 bonus to dirty trick every 4 levels. At 7th level gets a free dirty trick whenever you attack a flat footed enemy.
Cons: Have to wait until 13th level to do two combat maneuvers as a standard action. Can still only do one dirty trick a round if you attack. Payback is questionably useful. Lose armor options.
At 7th level I suppose you can do a full attack (maybe with TWF, which will use the last of your feats) to do a quick dirty trick to blind, attack 1-3 more times, and if any of them hit then you get another dirty trick, but only if the first one lands. However if you're immobilizing a guy by blinding them and taking away all of their standard actions then they aren't attacking you and you aren't getting your payback bonus, and if I remember correctly bonuses to attack count as CMB bonuses as well.
Monk (Maneuver Master) (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/monk/archetypes/paizo---monk-archetypes/maneuver-master)
Pros: Extra attacks from a flurry turn into maneuvers. Can flurry with a non-monk weapon (depending on how you read the rules). Bonus feats ignore prerequisites. Extra options to boost chances to land a dirty trick. Build starts off attacking and tricky at 1st level.
Cons: Not a soul-stealing, fire-breathing, monk. No armor or weapon proficiencies. You'll be playing a monk.
Monk seems like a good choice, but suffers from poor damage options. I think the ability to sneak attack right after doing a dirty trick would really make the ability shine, but rogues don't have the BAB to reliably land attacks or the feats to grab anything but the dirty trick line. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get the most out of dirty trick?
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Dirty-Trick
Short version: Make a check as a standard action, if you succeed then you can make a target blinded, dazzled, deafened, entangled, shaken, or sickened for 1 round (1d4 if you have greater). Add 1 additional round per 5 that you exceed the DC. A catch is that the target can remove the status ailment with a move action (standard action if you have greater).
I figured taking out a guy's standard action each round would be pretty neat, however Paizo has done it's best to make combat maneuvers suck as much as possible by making it nearly impossible to have it as something other than a standard action to execute. The only options I found to overcome this is either being a Monk Maneuver Master, a Fighter Cad, or taking the Quick Dirty Trick feat.
Quick Dirty Trick feat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/quick-dirty-trick-combat-1)
Pros: Not tied to a class (but will probably be done as a fighter).
Cons: Requires 4 feats to get to its full potential. Still can only do one dirty trick a round and only as the first attack in a full attack action.
Fighter (Cad Archetype) (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/fighter/archetypes/paizo---fighter-archetypes/cad)
Pros: Gets a +1 bonus to dirty trick every 4 levels. At 7th level gets a free dirty trick whenever you attack a flat footed enemy.
Cons: Have to wait until 13th level to do two combat maneuvers as a standard action. Can still only do one dirty trick a round if you attack. Payback is questionably useful. Lose armor options.
At 7th level I suppose you can do a full attack (maybe with TWF, which will use the last of your feats) to do a quick dirty trick to blind, attack 1-3 more times, and if any of them hit then you get another dirty trick, but only if the first one lands. However if you're immobilizing a guy by blinding them and taking away all of their standard actions then they aren't attacking you and you aren't getting your payback bonus, and if I remember correctly bonuses to attack count as CMB bonuses as well.
Monk (Maneuver Master) (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/monk/archetypes/paizo---monk-archetypes/maneuver-master)
Pros: Extra attacks from a flurry turn into maneuvers. Can flurry with a non-monk weapon (depending on how you read the rules). Bonus feats ignore prerequisites. Extra options to boost chances to land a dirty trick. Build starts off attacking and tricky at 1st level.
Cons: Not a soul-stealing, fire-breathing, monk. No armor or weapon proficiencies. You'll be playing a monk.
Monk seems like a good choice, but suffers from poor damage options. I think the ability to sneak attack right after doing a dirty trick would really make the ability shine, but rogues don't have the BAB to reliably land attacks or the feats to grab anything but the dirty trick line. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get the most out of dirty trick?