Combat/Tactics handbook?

[Deeds]

Hello Playground. My google-fu is weak and I was wondering if a combat/tactics handbook exists or if it's even feasible to make one considering the number of party roles and combinations.

I bring this up because about half a year ago I decided to try out a melee tripping build. Spiked chain, combat reflexes, the whole nine yards. When I put it into practice, I found out that my party were all ranged combatants. Suddenly, my opponents didn't mind being prone when they got a +4 AC bonus. :smallfrown:

[Necroticplague]

Person_man had a melee combo handbook, and I think I've seen a systemless optimization guide that gives some advice on the topic.

[OldTrees1]

The majority of combat tactics are mostly game independent. Pick up Sun Tzu's Art of War then look at your party in the abstract.

You have a bunch of archers and 1 harsh terrain(the combat reflexes melee character) you can move. In general the archers would want to rain down on the enemy with concentrated fire while the enemy is slowed by the harsh terrain. The archers and terrain want to move in a manner that maximizes the time it takes for the enemies to cross the terrain.

Translated into D&D, Standstill(no damage) or Knockback(best option since they take the longest to cross with no downside) would have been better choices but Improved Trip(+4 AC vs ranged) was still a fine choice since it preformed its job of slowing down the enemies.

[Darrin]

As Necroticplague mentioned:

Person Man's Guide to Melee Combos (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?127026-3-X-Person-Man-s-Guide-to-Melee-Combos)

[Triskavanski]

I've had one I was developing for Dirty Tactics. Small little tricks and the like I've found that could be fairly effective. like using a 5 foot wide hall to 'flank' an enemy using Push to the Wall and Gang Up

[Deeds]

Person_man had a melee combo handbook, and I think I've seen a systemless optimization guide that gives some advice on the topic.
The melee combo book was very informative. I'll have to ask my DM if Knockdown is an ok feat to take: it's 3.0 material, right?


The majority of combat tactics are mostly game independent. Pick up Sun Tzu's Art of War then look at your party in the abstract.

Great book choice, but I was hoping to find a compilation for using mechanics to aid allies.

An example might include helping a rogue guarantee sneak attack damage. Fighters could engage a foe in a grapple (which denies the foe's DEX bonus and thus a sneak atk,) druids could order their animal companion to flank, clerics could summon a flanking buddy, wizard could cast Invisibility on the rogue during or prior to combat, etc.

[Darrin]

The melee combo book was very informative. I'll have to ask my DM if Knockdown is an ok feat to take: it's 3.0 material, right?


Technically, no... it's 3.5, because it was published in the Divine section of the 3.5 SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#knockDown). There's still some debate on whether the 3.5 version should still follow the errata from the 3.0 Sword & Fist, which says you can't combine Knock-Down with the free attack from Improved Trip. The 3.5 version makes no mention of the errata, and it's difficult to tell if the designers just weren't aware of the errata or if they intentionally decided to ignore it.

[Kira_the_5th]

There's The Forge of Combat (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i5hWkHXHOetRlpLOmxbpoEWod77psN0JcwFvxClNrGc/edit), for one. It mostly applies to PF, but it covers things in wide enough strokes to be still useful in 3.5 and other systems. As for your specific problem, I'd recommend having your group build characters together in the future. It does a lot to avoid anyone making a character who's detrimental to the rest of the party.