Optimizing Difficult Terrain Advantages

[cartejos]

Step of the Wind is a Setting Sun stance that lets you ignore difficult terrain and get advantages for opponents who are in difficult terrain. Specifically, +2 to attack, and +4 for bull rush/trip/(something else maybe?)

Knight 3 makes your enemies treat your threatened area as difficult terrain

LA/Knight 3/Barbarian 1/Swordsage 1/(Barbarian+1 with LA buyoff) seems like a good launching point with these benefits:

Threatened Area=Difficult Terrain
Pounce
Whirling Frenzy
Improved Trip Bonus Feat
2nd level maneuvers and stances from swordsage disciplines

Tossing in one of my favorite feat chains/combos
Power Attack
Improved Bull Rush
Knockback
Improved Trip
Shock Trooper

Start Half-Minotaur Human for
(Hum) Power Attack
(1) Improved Bull Rush
(3) Knockback
(Barb) Improved Trip
(6) Shock Trooper

But, I am uncertain as to where to take it from there, load up on the bull rush/trip bonuses to toss people around like a salad.

With LA buyoff getting Barbarian 2 at 6 really improves the power level at the earliest level I believe, even making it effective for an e6 game I believe, without LA buyoff... sheesh, that's harsh, but will still do by taking a level of Fighter instead of Barbarian, and losing out on Rage and Pounce. You'll likely be focusing more on your maneuvers if you're forced to take fighter levels.

[BowStreetRunner]

At some point as you face increasingly more powerful opponents, you are going to have to deal with various forms of flight. So anything that allows you to bring them to ground is eventually going to be a must-have for this kind of build.

[Saintheart]

At some point as you face increasingly more powerful opponents, you are going to have to deal with various forms of flight. So anything that allows you to bring them to ground is eventually going to be a must-have for this kind of build.

Stupid question, but does Trip work against a flying opponent, assuming that you can get your DM to assume that he's in a threatened space if he's hovering next to you?

Spell-based (via Wand or similar) solutions: Sticky Floor, Races of the Dragon. Grease. As for flying opponents, Downdraft.

[darkdragoon]

Deepstone Sentinel is limited, but has the whole ground and even doing your Juggernaut impression.

[heavyfuel]

Stupid question, but does Trip work against a flying opponent, assuming that you can get your DM to assume that he's in a threatened space if he's hovering next to you?

You can trip winged flyers to make them fall.

[Uncle Pine]

At some point as you face increasingly more powerful opponents, you are going to have to deal with various forms of flight. So anything that allows you to bring them to ground is eventually going to be a must-have for this kind of build.

This may be a completely ridiculous suggestion, but is there anything that would prevent Bulwark of Defense from working on flying enemies, as long as they begin their turn within your threathened area (let's disregard for a moment that most decent flying enemies will have Fly-by Attack)?

Bulwark of Defense (Ex): When you reach 3rd level, an opponent that begins its turn in your threatened area treats all the squares that you threaten as difficult terrain. Your strict vigilance and active defensive maneuvers force your opponents to move with care.

[BowStreetRunner]

This may be a completely ridiculous suggestion, but is there anything that would prevent Bulwark of Defense from working on flying enemies, as long as they begin their turn within your threathened area (let's disregard for a moment that most decent flying enemies will have Fly-by Attack)?

Player's Handbook page 148: "Flying and incorporeal creatures are not hampered by difficult terrain."

[Mike Miller]

You can trip winged flyers to make them fall.

Is this RAW? I am curious if there is actually precedent for it.

[BowStreetRunner]

Is this RAW? I am curious if there is actually precedent for it.
Rules Compendium page 145: "Tripping a Flying Defender A winged creature can be tripped, and if it is, it falls as if it didn’t maintain its minimum forward speed."

Of course, by citing the RC I have invoked the wrath of the gods of optimization. There will now commence a series of posts from angry players who insist that the Rules Compendium does not actually count and anything not explicitly stated in the Player's Handbook or DMG cannot become a rule in the RC even if the developers originally considered it to be implied and merely stated it clearly in the RC to clear up any confusion. Commence flaming.

[ShurikVch]

Darkrunner PrC (Lords of Madness) Improved Cavefighting - 8th level CF - gives +Int bonus to melee damage and ranged damage up to 30' (also, "can take 10, even if threatened or distracted" on Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Jump, and Swim)

[Mike Miller]

Rules Compendium page 145: "Tripping a Flying Defender A winged creature can be tripped, and if it is, it falls as if it didn’t maintain its minimum forward speed."

Of course, by citing the RC I have invoked the wrath of the gods of optimization. There will now commence a series of posts from angry players who insist that the Rules Compendium does not actually count and anything not explicitly stated in the Player's Handbook or DMG cannot become a rule in the RC even if the developers originally considered it to be implied and merely stated it clearly in the RC to clear up any confusion. Commence flaming.

I am possibly in the minority of the forum with regards to RC, as I like it. I didn't remember that mention! Thanks

[heavyfuel]

Of course, by citing the RC I have invoked the wrath of the gods of optimization. There will now commence a series of posts from angry players who insist that the Rules Compendium does not actually count and anything not explicitly stated in the Player's Handbook or DMG cannot become a rule in the RC even if the developers originally considered it to be implied and merely stated it clearly in the RC to clear up any confusion. Commence flaming.

Worry not! Rules Compendium controversies only happen when the book disagrees with the core books. This rule is an addition to those and - just like any other splat book rule - doesn't violate primary source errata. All is well! :smallsmile:

[Malimar]

I find any build that requires an alignment shift halfway through to be inelegant at best. Knight doesn't lose the 3rd-level class feature you want from it, and technically you don't lose anything Knight 2 gives you, either, but it does turn Knight 1 into a dead level. Which it almost was anyway, because Knight is garbage. Nevertheless!