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Roderick_BR
2006-12-26, 08:09 PM
Greetings Playgroundians. Since my Prestige Class got good responses (I'm still working on it) I decided to try my hand at a "chain" Feat. This is something a low level character can take at lower levels to help to add variety to his combats, and at higher levels it gives better bonuses.
The bonuses are low at first, because you gains the bonuses of others feats, but can use only one style at a time, and there's the penalty. As you rise in level, you can add more feats to it and get more powerful effects.
Again, suggestions are always welcome.


Edit: 12/27/2006

Changed the feat's name, fer Lord Iames Osari's suggestion
Removed the Combat Reflexes requisite, and reduced the Base Attack for just +1
I made the rest of the feats be class features to be used on prestige classes. I suggest using the "Supreme" version only in extremely combat-oriented PrC.s

I'm still leaving it generic, not related to specific weapons.

Combat Tactics

Combat Tactic [Figher]
Requisites: Combat Expertize, Int 13+, Base Attack +1
Benefits: The character learns how to use Combat Tactics, and can switch his instance to better benefit his fighting style.
Every round, the character can choose a Combat Tactic as a free action. The modifiers will affect the character till his next round, when he can change the style, maintain his current one, or just switch it off and fight as normal.
When choosing a Battle Style, the character gains the bonus indicated, and receives the penalty indicated. All bonuses and penalties are Competence modifiers.
{table=head]Style|Bonus|Penalty
Ofensive | Attack Roll +1 | Armor Class -1
Defensive | Armor Class +1 | Damage Roll -1
Powerful | Damage Roll +1 | Attack Roll -1[/table]


Improved Combat Tactic (Ex)
Same as Combat Tactic, only with bigger bonuses. This feature supersedes and replaces Combat Tactic.
{table=head]Style|Bonus|Penalty
Agressive | Attack Roll +2, Damage Roll +1 | Armor Class -1
Tactician | Armor Class +2, Attack Roll +1 | Damage Roll -1
Counter | Damage Roll +2, Armor Class +1 | Attack Roll -1[/table]

Greater Combat Tactic (Ex)
Same as Combat Tactic, only with bigger bonuses, and penalties no longer applies. This feature supersedes and replaces Improved Combat Tactic.
{table=head]Style|Bonus|Penalty
Expert Attacker | Attack Roll +2, Damage Roll +2 | None
Expert Battler | Armor Class +2, Attack Roll +2 | None
Expert Guard | Damage Roll +2, Armor Class +2 | None[/table]

Supreme Combat Tactic (ex)
This feat gives the benefit indicated here, without any penalty. This feature supersedes and replaces Greater Combat Tactic.
{table=head]Style|Bonus|Penalty
Supreme Style | Attack Roll +3, Armor Class +3, Damage Roll +3 | None[/table]

Necromas
2006-12-26, 11:46 PM
Looks pretty fair for all the feats you have to spend to get it. Makes taking a fighter past level 4 a bit more appealing.

Proven_Paradox
2006-12-27, 01:26 AM
I'm tempted to take these and make them class features for fighters on a couple of those dead levels, actually... Certainly worth investing in.

ArmorArmadillo
2006-12-27, 02:32 AM
As bonus class features for fighters they are too much, but it seems like they would make good substitution levels in exchange for feats; they seem to be in the flavor of an expert combatant with superior focus and training.

Roderick_BR
2006-12-27, 04:57 AM
Thanks. Actually, I had first devised them for a prestige class, but since I couldn't make a good one that would use all these, I tried to make them into Feats. If anyone has a PrC that could use them, go ahead, just lemme know how it turns out.

danielf
2006-12-27, 06:10 AM
I think that fighters are too weak if you compare with wizards, barbarians and clerics. So any feats they got to improve are welcome

Duke of URL
2006-12-27, 09:13 AM
I wonder if this is slightly over-generic... should it, like Weapon Focus, et. al., require you to choose a specific weapon to use the styles with?

I can argue it either way... on the one hand, learning defensive fighting, for example, should be thought of as a "transferable" skill; on the other hand, each weapon has it's own fighting style associated with it based on weapon type, reach, weight, etc.

Maybe a nice balance, considering this is a chain of feats, is to require the selection of a specific weapon, and then any other weapon used gets the benefit of one feat earlier in the chain. For example, Greater Combat Style (Longsword) would allow for (up to) the Greater Combat Style when using a Longsword, and (up to) the Improved Combat Style when using any other weapon.

Two other minor suggestions:

1) You may want to include rules on dual-wielding, specifically, can each hand use a separate style or does each have to use the same style?

2) Isn't "Combat Style" the name the the Ranger 2nd level class ability? Consider changing the name to something else to avoid confusion.

Lord Iames Osari
2006-12-27, 09:57 AM
Perhaps "Combat Tactics"?

Roderick_BR
2006-12-27, 10:14 AM
I didn't really think about making it weapon specific, although it could do. You have a good point on different styles for different weapons.
Thing is, as you mentioned, that if you change your weapon, a lot of feats will get useless. I have some ideas to avoid that.

As for the name: oops...

magic8BALL
2006-12-29, 10:35 PM
Could one take the "improved" combat tactic's presented as feats, making a chain?

Combat Expertise --> Combat Tactics --> Improved Combat Tactics --> Greater Combat Tactics --> Supreme Combat Tactics

It is a bit ambiguous in your presentation.

Is there anything stoping a lvl 3 human fighter having all these feats? That is, should there be additional prereq's for the "improved" combat tactic feats?

Suggestion:
Improved Combat Tactic: BAB +2
Greater Combat Tactic: BAB +6
Supreme Combat Tactic: BAB +11

Also, is the AC bonus a dodge bonus, a shield bonus, a nameles bonus, an insite bonus or what? Seeing as there is no name mentioned, I asume a nameless bonus, but that seems overpowering, as namless bonuses still apply when flat footed. I suggest a dodge bonus.

Roderick_BR
2006-12-29, 11:31 PM
At first, it was a chain feat, but I changed all but the first to class features. I think I forgot to add, they are all competence bonuses, since they came from extra training. The CA one could be a Dodge bonus.