[3.5] Down I go again.

[Malak'ai]

Hey Playground.

I was just wondering if there was any easy way of helping to defend against tripping without having to resort to obscure reference books, loop holes in the rules or what not.
Are there any feats or abilities that would do this?
This is for a level 4 Human character in a low/mid op game so I'm not looking for weird or exotic 20 level builds.

[limejuicepowder]

Well AC stacking is probably the easiest (don't get hit, don't get tripped). This is also the strategy that will NOT spend valuable feats on preventing something that only comes up sometimes.

Out of curiosity, are you facing a lot of wolves or something? If that's the case I would just wait it out, as wolves very quickly become non-challenging once you gain some levels.

Grabbing a level of warblade would give the sure-footed stance. But don't do it cause it's complete crap.

I strongly encourage you to not spend feats on this. You are much better off investing in general strategies, like AC or flying, then extremely specific things like "+4 to resist trip attacks."

[nightwyrm]

Get something that lets you fly.
Get something that lets you be large(r).
Get something that gives you more AC/concealment.

[Optimator]

Does Complete Adventurer count as "obscure"? 10 or more ranks in balance can be used, but you aren't high enough level now that I think about it.

[Azoth]

A few potions of enlarge person never hurt. 75gp for a full combat of +4 due to size and gives reach.

[Togo]

Don't stand up?

[Malak'ai]

Thank you.
I forgot to mention that this is for an NPC Knight who fights with a greatsword (while on foot) that, while not completely hostile towards the PC's yet is certainly on the way to becoming an enemy.
The reason I ask is that one of the PC's is a BC tripper and I just wanted to know any other ways of giving him a better chance of staying on his feet.
Also, ToB isn't being used as I don't have it.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

There are two Tumble-based skill tricks in Complete Scoundrel that focus on regaining your feet from prone. Skill tricks are similar to feats, they cost two kill points to gain, and you can use each one only once per encounter. Nimble Stand requires Tumble 8 ranks, and allows you to get up from prone without provoking AoOs. Back On Your Feet requires Tumble 12 ranks, and if you go prone for any reason at all, you can use it to regain your feet as soon as it happens without provoking AoOs. Remember each of those can only be used once per encounter.

If you don't have Tumble as a class skill, you can trade Ride for it (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a). You can even look into hiring an NPC Psion to manifest a Psychic Reformation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/psychicReformation.htm) on you to put max ranks in tumble. At 4th level at the standard rates that should cost you 780 gp and 100 xp, and you can repick anything it allows you to from your first level to your current one. Once you hit 5th level you can put your eighth rank in Tumble and get Nimble Stand, then at 9th you can get Back On Your Feet.

Complete Adventurer gives you additional uses of the Balance skill, one of which is to roll a Balance check (at a -10) to oppose a Trip attempt instead of rolling a Str or Dex check. It requires at least 10 ranks in Balance, so you can't do that until 7th level if it's a class skill, but skill checks are easy to boost into the stratosphere.

If you've got plenty of extra feats (Fighter), you can take the feat Combat Stability from PH2, which requires Combat Focus. There's also Shield Ward from PH2 which requires Shield Specialization, and you can gain some/all of those immediately if you get a Psychic Reformation.

[Tr011]

Why don't you say your class levels? Might have helped...
As a caster, you should get a good spell against it.
As a warrior/fighter/barbarian/monk, get big and improve your strength. Maybe get Improved Trip.
As a roguish character, get the skill tricks or a level in Thief-Acrobat (CAdv).

[Malak'ai]

Why don't you say your class levels? Might have helped...
As a caster, you should get a good spell against it.
As a warrior/fighter/barbarian/monk, get big and improve your strength. Maybe get Improved Trip.
As a roguish character, get the skill tricks or a level in Thief-Acrobat (CAdv).

I forgot to in my first post, but I did say in my second. 4th level Human Knight.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Switch Ride for Tumble as a class skill, give him max ranks, and include the skill tricks I mentioned at relevant levels.

Give him Shield Specialization and Shield Ward.

Dwarf would have been a much better choice over Human, maybe give him a Hat of Disguise and he was a Dwarf the whole time. Not only will he get a +4 vs trip, but he can also use the Tumble skill in heavy armor because he won't be slowed down.

[Kelb_Panthera]

You said the problem is a humanoid trip-monkey? Disarm him and fight him with a reach weapon. Make sure you pick up the feat stand still (XPH & SRD) As a knight with stand still and a reach weapon it should be trivialy easy to keep an empty square between you. If he cant reach you, he can't trip you.

[Azoth]

Should it need pointing out. Trippers always use reach. The TWO favorite tactics are spiked chain or guisamer and gauntlent spikes. 5 feet isn't enough to stop a tripper you need 10+.

Sooo let's see. Enlarge person puts you on even reach. Jontunbrude would cancel out the imrpoved trip benefit and give you a bigger greatsword. Willing Deformity + Inhuman Reach brings your reach to 15'. Combat Reflexes+ stand still means he can't close. Maybe get knockback so if you miss and he does close you can bull rush him back on strike. Or get a disarming weapon and try to knock his weapon away. At low levels trippers are annoying if you can't stay out of their reach.

Oh 600gp MIC Boots of Agile Leaping. 5 ranks in tumble swift action stand from prone no aoo

[King Atticus]

A couple of items from the MIC might help.

First-Boots of Agile Leaping (600gp) they won't help you avoid being tripped but will help you stand up. With 5 ranks in balance you can stand from prone with a swift action that does not provoke an AoO.

Second-Steadfast Boots (1400gp) help you not fall in the first place. They grant a +4 bonus on checks to avoid being Bull Rushed, Overrun or Tripped. Plus if you carry as long as you carry a 2-handed weapon you are constantly treated as if you had readied that weapon against a charge.

If they give you enough help it's cheaper than spending feats on it.

[Tr011]

Get yourself enlarged. Permanent enlarge is at 3.000gp by a NPC spellcaster. Or get an item which can turn you large at-will. It would bring your reach with a reach weapon to 20ft. Also, you would gain +5 vs. trip. And the +damage is nice anyways. You could take Improved Trip to protect your allies by tripping your foes. No one would trip a large Knight with Improved Trip and 20ft Reach.

[Invader]

The answer should be quite obvious:

Grow more legs...:smallamused:

[Kelb_Panthera]

Should it need pointing out. Trippers always use reach. The TWO favorite tactics are spiked chain or guisamer and gauntlent spikes. 5 feet isn't enough...


5ft is fine if he can reliably disarm. He readies an action to disarm when the trip monkey is close enough. If the trip-monkey was charging he stops on account of AoO+ standstill. If he's not charging he can either eat an AoO to pick up the weapon or he can eat a, "stop there" for trying to close. Since the OP is a knight, anyone that starts a turn in his threatened area treats those squares as difficult terrain. He can't take a 5' step foward because AoO+ standstill. Op disarms again. Rinse+ repeat 'till dead tripper.

[Marlowe]

Malack'ai, who in Blenheim thought of making a tripper? Or having a reach weapon for that matter?

EDIT: If you're talking about Verossa, (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=413318) she's not a tripper. Though she could be if she used a different weapon.

[Malak'ai]

@ Marlowe: Noone you've met before, possible new player from school.

[Marlowe]

Unheard of! Where will the Blenheim group end up if people start making useful martial characters? It's blasphemy!

[Malak'ai]

Hey, give the others some credit, D & G are really bad examples of the players here. S knows how to make a decent character, it's just getting him to show up thats hard.

[Wonton]

There's also the Stand spell from the PHB 2. Level 1, castable as an immediate action, makes one creature stand up without provoking AoOs.

[Marlowe]

Hey, give the others some credit, D & G are really bad examples of the players here. S knows how to make a decent character, it's just getting him to show up thats hard.

Granted. I must say I'm still curious what everyone's characters actually are.

[Malak'ai]

@Marlowe: Nothing confirmed yet, but possibly a Wizard and a Rogue.

Thank you everyone for your help, I'll take a look at everything and see what would fit the most for what I have in mind for this NPC.