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View Full Version : [3.5 rules] Fixing melee combat (PEACH)



Waargh!
2012-09-09, 01:34 PM
Following an earlier post, I thought to give some ideas on how to restore melee to its more accurate form in D&D 3.X. I believe this fits more the setting. Supernatural and magical abilities will still be spectacular and powerful, yet you will need to have the time and means to actually use them which might not be the case if you are caught in the middle of a fiery battle. This doesn’t fully balance melee fighters; they will still require a way to get a high damage output and have other means to be useful outside of combat.


Melee locking
You are considered locked in melee with all targets you threaten and/or threaten you while you are wielding a weapon you are proficient with. If a target passes through your threaten range it’s considered locked in melee as long as it remains on a space you threaten. You need to be able to target a creature to be considered locked in melee.
Certain restrictions apply to your targets as described below:
Attack of Opportunity: when succeeding on an AoO you disrupt the action that triggered it effectively negating its effect. The action and resources are spent. Exception: standing up
5-ft step: when your target takes a 5-ft step move that will bring them outside your threatening space, you gain an AoO.
Tumble skill: when a target is using Tumble skill to avoid an AoO against you, you still are granted one if target is passing through a space you threaten.
Defensive casting: if a spell has somatic components, you still get an AoO even if defensive casting check succeeds.

Melee threat
When fighting a target where they cannot threaten you effectively while locked in melee, you get a considerable advantage against them. You focus fully on attacking them as you fear not any retaliation.
Challenge effective melee threat: you may choose to ignore a targets melee threat when performing a melee attack against them. The target gets a free melee attack with the same attack role as an AoO against you. If the result of the d20 is less than 15, they can choose to take 15. If the attack succeeds consider it as a hit that has an exact equal of targets AC for all special ability purposes (no critical hit threat when taking 15). If the attack deals damage you lose your attack action. If the attack misses you may gain role a dice and take a minimum of 15 as above against that target. You can repeat this for all attacks on a given round (if attack/defense would change, redo the check).
Defensive casting: while casting defensively any creature you are locked in melee with can consider you not a threat and test your potential as described above. If you cannot deal damage you provoke an AoO if you succeed on your concentration check.

Note 1: combat Reflexes
It is advised to give monsters Combat Reflexes as melee locking makes this single feat vital. You can give it for free to everyone. This is the recommendation.

Note 2: other class features
It should be noted that some class abilities may break the melee locking rules or others may not function as intended. It is implied that these abilities either have these rules applied or not. If you perform a combat maneuver that provokes AoO, you may still not have the action negated. At the same time, if an action lets you move without provoking AoO it can be reasonable to apply melee locking rules.

Vital Feats
These feats allow to ease some maneuvers while in melee by a "feat tax". Quick feet is to allow melee fighters that rely on speed and maneuverability. Battle caster feats is to allow spell casters to cast while locked in melee if they have sufficient melee capabilities. The additional ability of Quick Draw is designed for Archers as to be able to defend themselves when a threat is approaching. Archers still suffer from Melee locking, but they can defend themselves by not suffering from melee threat.


Quick feet
Requirement: Fighter, Rogue or Monk level 4 (or other suitable classes)
Effect: you can ignore the restrictions of melee locking while using Tumble skill or taking a 5-ft step.

Battle caster
Requirement: Any caster
Effect: you may choose to have your effective melee threat challenged by all creatures you are locked in melee with. If you succeed you can cast instead a spell with a maximum time of a standard action that has touch or personal range without provoking AoO if you succeed on your defensive casting check.

Improved Battle caster
Recharacter nt: Battle Caster feat, caster level 11
Effect: you can use spells with Close range as well.

Quick Draw (additional effect)
Special: you may draw a weapon as an immediate action if you have a free hand.



Fighter Feats
Just some quick ideas on some feats that can enhance these rules:
Note: it can be suggested that Paladins, Rangers, Monks, Barbarians or other classes that can effectively count as melee warriors be considered as Fighters for feat purposes. This is the recommendation


Protector
Requirement: Fighter level 1
Effect: If you have effectively attacked and damaged a creature you are locked in melee with, your allies on their coming turn may perform a 5-ft step or pass using tumble skill or cast defensively ignoring the restrictions of Melee locking for that particular creature. Additionally, once a round as an immediate action you may also take the free attack against a target that is locked in melee with you and chooses to challenge the effective melee threat of an ally he is also locked in melee with.

Melee expertise
Requirement: Fighter level 4 (or other suitable classes)
Effect: the restrictions of melee locking and melee threat don’t apply to you. You also don’t provoke AoO when standing up.

Melee Crush
Requirement: Fighter level 11
Effect: when successfully challenging the effective melee threat of a target your attack deals double the damage. You may use this ability at will.



Notes on the mechanics
Melee locking can ensure that you have the upper hand even if the target could otherwise disintegrate you in a couple of seconds if they were allowed to. Melee threat ensures that if a target is really not a threat, you can focus on crushing them. Or you can ensure that they don’t escape your melee locking out of luck. You can consider 5 main categories:

Master: Fighters that will use feats to enhance their bonus and can make a non-master character really suffer while locked in melee.
Good: All characters that rely on melee should have a high enough attack not to have their effective melee threat challenged. They should also not be too worried when locked in melee even if they could have an ability that cannot be used (i.e. cast a buff spell).
Average: Characters that have melee capabilities but don’t only rely on them should suffer from melee locking but not from melee threat. Certain feats can aid them to get out of the difficult situation
Bad: Characters that cannot effectively fight in melee will suffer from melee threat as most attacks against them will hit. They are limited while locked in melee and their best case scenario is losing an action to escape (i.e. with a spell).

Concerns: if you consider Archers under powered already either some feats can allow them to balance this. I feel Archers should be able to fight in melee either, so excluded them.
An abuses can be by elevating your AC maybe (i.e. combat expertise) in order to claim melee threat bonus. The fix for this is to take the Melee expertise feat as the intend is for fighters not to really have additional rules to worry about. Still it makes sense that if you cannot defend yourself you suffer the same results from a powerful enemy regardless if you specialize in melee or not.

Waargh!
2012-09-10, 07:03 PM
(time to use my one free of charge bump)

Bump!

Yitzi
2012-09-10, 07:39 PM
You probably should have the "locked in melee" status apply when you threaten them or they threaten you, rather than requiring both, unless you want that not-wielding-a-weapon wizard to not be locked in melee with the fighter who threatens him.

Waargh!
2012-09-10, 08:58 PM
You are right! Changed it to and/or as that was the intend