A few questions about reach weapons/builds.

[walfulninja]

Hello everyone! I'm planning on making a reach weapon build after seeing this https://youtu.be/hzcDH-MXAWM. I need help on a few things however. First off, is there anyway to stop someone from moving after making a AOO on them, so that they can get trapped in choke points/kept off of squishy allies. Second, what's a good weapon to use. I'm not very familiar with them.

[Deophaun]

Well, you could trip them with a guisarme. Use Improved Trip to get a free attack after a successful trip.

Knockback will give you a free bulrush on a successful hit. Requires either the Powerful Build racial feature or size Large or Larger (Races of Stone). Couple that with Improved Trip for more fun.

[Draconium]

First, your link's broken.

Second, the feat Stand Still, in the SRD, allows you to give up an AoO in order to stop an opponent from leaving your threatened area.

Third, the Spiked Chain is an excellent weapon, as it gives you reach, but allows you to hit opponents in your normal range too. And you can use it to try and trip people! And you can Finesse it! And it's two-handed, so Power Attacks with it give you 2 points of damage for every 1 BaB point you give up, instead of only one.

[walfulninja]

First, your link's broken.

Second, the feat Stand Still, in the SRD, allows you to give up an AoO in order to stop an opponent from leaving your threatened area.

Third, the Spiked Chain is an excellent weapon, as it gives you reach, but allows you to hit opponents in your normal range too. And you can use it to try and trip people! And you can Finesse it! And it's two-handed, so Power Attacks with it give you 2 points of damage for every 1 BaB point you give up, instead of only one.

Oops! Will fix when I get home!

[Flickerdart]

Get Knockdown as soon as you can - it's much better than just tripping people and hoping for the best, since you still get to deal damage even when your trip fails (as will often be the case with large, strong creatures).

If you have a casting buddy, see if they'll prepare the spell halt from PHBII.

[BowStreetRunner]

A common principle of builds like this is to lock down your enemies inside the area of your reach by using things like the Thicket of Blades stance, Defensive Rebuke maneuver, Defensive Sweep feat, and Mage Slayer feat to make it very hard for anyone to do anything within your reach without provoking an attack of opportunity. Then you use things like the Stand Still feat, Entangling Blade maneuver, or Improved Trip feat to more or less trap them inside the area you threaten. Of course you need the Combat Reflexes feat and perhaps the Rapid Counter maneuver for lots of Attacks of Opportunity. You are also going to need to make sure both your normal attacks and attacks of opporunity are able to both hit and do significant damage, so all the usual sorts of bonuses to attack and damage remain important.

Look for a weapon that has both reach and allows you to use it to make trip attacks, like a spiked chain or guisarme.

[OldTrees1]

How to stop people via an AoO:

Combat Reflexes(without this you can only stop a person, not people)

Trip(standing up would cost a move action)
Steps: None but Improved Trip and Knock-down help increase your profit

Standstill Feat(cannot move via move actions for the rest of the round)
Steps: The Standstill Feat

Daze(no actions = no movement)
Long feat chain: TWF, ITWF, Double Hit, Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Weapon Focus(Dire Flail), Dire Flail Smash


Personally I love combining Dire Flail Smash, Knock-down and Knockback on the same character (approaching enemies will be deposited Dazed, Prone, and 20ft away). However this takes enough feats to require either a Martial Rogue or a Fighter.

[walfulninja]

Oops! Will fix when I get home!

OK, the link works now!

[BowStreetRunner]

...Daze(no actions = no movement)
Long feat chain: TWF, ITWF, Double Hit, Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Weapon Focus(Dire Flail), Dire Flail Smash


Personally I love combining Dire Flail Smash, Knock-down and Knockback on the same character (approaching enemies will be deposited Dazed, Prone, and 20ft away). However this takes enough feats to require either a Martial Rogue or a Fighter.

Keep in mind that Dire Flail does not have reach so you would still need to achieve reach through some other means (size increase, aberrant feats, etc.).

[Doc_Maynot]

For my reach builds, I prefer to use the Duom (Martial reach weapon, threatens inner and outer squares) along with the Standstill and Aberrant Reach feats. Typically on a Crusader or Warblade. As a two handed Martial weapon, the Duom can be used in conjunction with PA. Mix any other things you find accordingly.

[OldTrees1]

Keep in mind that Dire Flail does not have reach so you would still need to achieve reach through some other means (size increase, aberrant feats, etc.).

Yup (one of the reasons Dazing out of turn is easier for Martial Rogues than other Martials). Here is a short list.
Size:
Large Race
Half Minotaur/Half Ogre Template
Goliath Barbarian 1 + Extra Rage feat
Ring of Enlarge Person(savage species IIRC)
Expansion Psionic Power
Enlarge Person spell

Reach:
Aberrant Blood, Inhuman Reach, (Starspawn optional for Flight)
Willing Deformity, Deformity Tall