Expert at fighting X group [3.5]

[hymer]

Rangers get it with favored enemy. Dwarves get it vs. giants, and to a lesser degree some goblinoids. Clerics get it in spades vs. undead, or other stuff they get to turn/rebuke due to domains.

Can you help me come up with more examples of abilities of some sort that are targeted very specifically at some group? Thanks for reading, regardless. :smallsmile:

[TuggyNE]

Rangers get it with favored enemy. Dwarves get it vs. giants, and to a lesser degree some goblinoids. Clerics get it in spades vs. undead, or other stuff they get to turn/rebuke due to domains.

Can you help me come up with more examples of abilities of some sort that are targeted very specifically at some group? Thanks for reading, regardless. :smallsmile:

Well, Knowledge Devotion lets you pick by putting ranks in appropriate skills. Other than that I'm coming up blank.

[Snowbluff]

There are options in Cityscape for Rangers for having certain groups/guilds as favored enemies, IIRC. More of the same, but worht noting.

Bane Weapons, Disrupting Weapons, and certain metals are better for fighting certain creatures.

Smite (Ex: Evil) is this for various things things.

Things like Confound the Big Folk make you good at fighting larger things.

[hymer]

Thanks guys! Just trying to get my mind moving here, and you've helped a lot.

[Lapak]

The mage slayer line of feats qualify, perhaps.

[hymer]

They do indeed. Thanks!

[Slipperychicken]

You also have Confound the Big Folk, and similar feats which mostly help against bigger creatures or the Giant type.

[hymer]

Snowbluff already mentioned that, but thanks anyway. :smallsmile:

[Lord Il Palazzo]

It's not so much fighting, but each of the bloodlines (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/bloodlines.htm) eventually gives you bonuses on various social checks against beings of the appropriate type.

The elemental racial variants (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#earthSubtype) each give you a +1 bonus on attack rolls against enemies of the opposed element, though you also get -2 on saves against their spells and whatnot so it's a mixed bag.

[Morbis Meh]

Gold Dwarfs get bonus vs abberations instead of orcs, Rangers can take the feat nemesis to give a greater edge against favored enemies, there is a feat (AFB right now) in complete warrior that basically allows someone to countercharge a charger and on this board they're their own race/nation :smallbiggrin:

[herrhauptmann]

there is a feat (AFB right now) in complete warrior that basically allows someone to countercharge a charger and on this board they're their own race/nation :smallbiggrin:
Cometary Collision? Charge them in the middle of their own charge?
I don't know what that has to do with being their own race/nation though...

[Morbis Meh]

Cometary Collision? Charge them in the middle of their own charge?
I don't know what that has to do with being their own race/nation though...

Just a joke at how most barb/melee builds seem to revolve around charging (definitely one of the few useful combat options for melee) and that was the feat I was looking for many thanks sir.

[hymer]

@ Palazzo: Interesting. Certainly not the first thing that came to my mind, thanks!

@ MM & the Cap'n: Back in second edition, one of my players had the motto "The counter to charging is charging." Thanks. :smallsmile:

[herrhauptmann]

Just a joke at how most barb/melee builds seem to revolve around charging (definitely one of the few useful combat options for melee) and that was the feat I was looking for many thanks sir.
Oh yeah, cometary collision is PHB2.
The problem with charging is that it can be countered with a pair of 1400gp boots.
I'm thinking it would be pretty cool to have the boots, and the feat.
scenario 1:
--A charges B (while wearing boots), with a lot of power attack and a 2handed weapon.
--B has the feat, so he countercharges A in the middle of his own charge.
--B enters A's reach, and A gets a "set against charge" attack on B from the boots. At double damage.
Q1: Does A still get his Power Attack bonuses?
--B hits A with his countercharge.
-A hits B with his charge.

Scenario 2. A and B have boots, 2 handed weapons. B has the feat
--A charges B (while wearing boots), with a lot of power attack and a 2handed weapon.
--B has the feat, so he countercharges A in the middle of his own charge.
--B enters A's reach, and A gets a "set against charge" attack on B from the boots. At double damage.
Q1: Does A still get his Power Attack bonuses?
--A enters B's reach, and B gets a "set against charge" attack on A from the boots at double damage.
Q2:Does B still get his Power Attack bonuses?
Q3: If reach is the same, do they hit each other simultaneously?
--B hits A with his countercharge.
--A hits B with his charge.
Q4: What if reach is different? Say A has more reach than B.
Wouldn't he get his set attack, and his charge against B, before B got his countercharge? Wouldn't it also deny B's set attack?

Had another planned out, but realized that it couldn't work, as the feat requires a readied action.

[terminusdrop321]

Dragonslayer, Ghost slayer, Knight of the Chalice and Abolisher are all prestige classes that grant "Anti-X" abilities.

The Banemagic feat Gives bonus damage to spells versus X creature type.

[Medic!]

Vassal of Bahamut's one of my most-and-least favorites. Most because you get some awesome armor, a bump to your WBL, and you permanently scar dragons. Worst because unless you backstory the pre-reqs or get a DM to say "That's just silly" you have to sideline the party while you take on a dragon by yourself.

It's about killin' dragons, not watchin' someone else kill dragons :smallmad:

[hymer]

@ terminusdrop321: A nice little handful to take a peel at, thanks!

@ Medic!: I'll take a look just the same.

[mattie_p]

scenario 1:
--A charges B (while wearing boots), with a lot of power attack and a 2handed weapon.
--B has the feat, so he countercharges A in the middle of his own charge.
--B enters A's reach, and A gets a "set against charge" attack on B from the boots. At double damage.
Q1: Does A still get his Power Attack bonuses?
--B hits A with his countercharge.
-A hits B with his charge.
A1: Yes, as long as he declares the power attack before he rolls the attack.

Benefit
On your action, before making attack rolls for a round, you may choose to subtract a number from all melee attack rolls and add the same number to all melee damage rolls. This number may not exceed your base attack bonus. The penalty on attacks and bonus on damage apply until your next turn.


Scenario 2. A and B have boots, 2 handed weapons. B has the feat
--A charges B (while wearing boots), with a lot of power attack and a 2handed weapon.
--B has the feat, so he countercharges A in the middle of his own charge.
--B enters A's reach, and A gets a "set against charge" attack on B from the boots. At double damage.
Q1: Does A still get his Power Attack bonuses?
--A enters B's reach, and B gets a "set against charge" attack on A from the boots at double damage.
Q2:Does B still get his Power Attack bonuses?
Q3: If reach is the same, do they hit each other simultaneously?
--B hits A with his countercharge.
--A hits B with his charge.
Q4: What if reach is different? Say A has more reach than B.
Wouldn't he get his set attack, and his charge against B, before B got his countercharge? Wouldn't it also deny B's set attack?

Had another planned out, but realized that it couldn't work, as the feat requires a readied action.

Yeah, the readied action is what trips up scenario 2. A doesn't end up charging B any longer due to "Your foe loses the benefits of charging (but not the penalties) but can still attack you." (from the feat)

The readied action of B interrupts the charge. The sequence is:
A charges B
B counter-charges A
A gets "set against charge" on B (1st attack roll by A)
B's charge completes with attack roll (1st attack roll by B)
A attacks, if possible (2nd attack roll by B).
(This answers question 3)

Both get Power attack benefits on all attack rolls, so long as it was declared before rolling the attack. (Q 1 and 2)

For question 4, if A's reach exceeds B's, the charge is still interrupted, so the sequence above still stands.

[GolemsVoice]

There's a line of weapon crystals designed to aid against certain enemies, such as a crystal that enables sneak attacks and critical hits against undead. There's also a spell that allows this, temporarily, for constructs.

[soveliss24]

Vassal of Bahamut's one of my most-and-least favorites. Most because you get some awesome armor, a bump to your WBL, and you permanently scar dragons. Worst because unless you backstory the pre-reqs or get a DM to say "That's just silly" you have to sideline the party while you take on a dragon by yourself.

It's about killin' dragons, not watchin' someone else kill dragons :smallmad:

Platinum Knight (Draconomicon) is another PrC with similar flavor to Vassal of Bahamut, but with easier prerequisites. Dragonfriend is a feat tax though.

Personally I love both classes, but for flavor reasons (Bahamut is my favorite deity by far). Gameplay-wise, they both disappoint me greatly.

Also, Gnome Giant-Slayer (Complete Warrior) is another PrC dedicated to taking out a specific kind of foe. EDIT: And Darkwood Stalker, Hunter of the Dead, and Occult Slayer. All from Complete Warrior as well.

[Drelua]

Well, there's the Mortal Hunter PrC from The Book of Vile Darkness. They basically get Favoured Enemy against, well, mortals, which includes all but about 4 creature types. The pre-reqs can be hard though, requiring the Outsider type among other things.