Combat Maneuvers, and how to make them more attractive.

[EisenKreutzer]

I've gathered from perusing this forum that Combat Maneuvers and the CMB/CMD system aren't exactly popular around these parts.

I understand that as monsters rise in CR their CMB/CMD goes through the roof, making it difficult to keep up without totally specialising in Combat Maneuvers. As I understand it this has mostly to do with size, so it's less of an issue against humanoid opponents, but it's still an issue.

Is there any way to make Combat Maneuvers a more attractive option for players and GMs without moving too far into house-rule territory?

And another thing:
In real world history, a sword (or other melee weapon) wasn't just a heavy pointy stabby thing for beating your opponent to death. In battle, using the sword as a lever, crowbar and grappling instrument was common practice. Pommel strikes were used in close quarters, but the sword was also used to hook an opponent and wrench him to the ground, and gripping the blade and levering, tripping or pulling an opponent to the ground was as natural a part of swordsmanship as parrying, thrusting and striking. An opponent in heavy armor was a formidable foe when standing on two feet with a weapon readied, but if you could tip him over using force and your sword as a lever he was much more vulnerable.
So, Pathfinder doesn't exactly model this kind of swordfighting very well. It's stuck in the cinematic idea of the sword as a weapon you swing wildly while bouncing and leaping and parrying your opponents blade with your own. Not terribly realistic.
If I wanted to put a greater emphasis on combat maneuvers to more accurately portray a realistic medieval swordfight, what steps could I take to make sure fighting this way as a viable option?

[Glimbur]

You could give out feats that improve Combat Maneuvers for free. Likewise items. You could try to use more opponents who are more vulnerable to combat maneuvers: more fighters, fewer ogres. Make fights happen in unusual environments: being tripped matters more if you're on a ship as it rolls in the waves, or if you're standing on netting rather than solid floor. Having things to push over might also encourage your PCs towards a bit more variety in their actions, though it's not quite what you asked for. Don't forget the power of an example: have some opponents use these things against the PCs to show how powerful they can be, but also don't TPK them or get them too upset. You'll have to know your players to know how that will work.

As for house rules, you could add a penalty to CMD in medium or heavy armor. I'm not sure what the penalty should be, but it sounds like it would be relatively simple. That also makes PC's more vulnerable to these maneuvers.

You could also switch to Riddle of Steel, which has a more realistic combat system, but I suspect if you wanted to switch systems you would have mentioned that.

[Snowbluff]

Revert Improved Trip to the 3.5 version.

Use the Warlord class from DSP, because they get a luck bonus equal to their charisma to the CMB roll and an extra attack if they use a gambit.

Please don't use your sword as a crowbar. They are bendy, but they have to be hard enough to hold an edge, so they would be awful for prying open crates.