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View Full Version : Overrun Redone (3.5) + New Feats!



Talanic
2008-09-08, 12:33 PM
A thread on the main game board got me to look at Overrun and the feats related to it. Bleh. The idea behind it is moving through an enemy square, knocking the enemy down in the process without attempting to deal damage. It has three problems right off the top of my head:

1. Only one overrun per turn. Defies the image of the mighty warrior ploughing his way through a goblin horde.

2. Still capped on size of overrun target. One size category larger than you only, regardless of opposed strength check results.

3. No way of negating the attack of opportunity exists, and if it hits, your overrun fails completely.

4. On top of everything else, it costs a move action AND a standard action to complete. So you can move to your target and potentially knock it down, but not attack.

Here's what I'd say might be an improvement:

An overrun attempt is a special move action that allows you to attempt to move through squares occupied by enemies, knocking them prone in your wake. There are restrictions in how you can move during an overrun.

To attempt an overrun, follow these steps.

1. Determine your full movement path beforehand. Multiple overrun attempts can be made in a round, but they must be made in a straight line from where the player started. You can move at full speed during the overrun, minus five feet for every size category larger than himself that he attempts to overrun. For example, if a human overruns three orcs and succeeds in all checks, his speed is not diminished. If the human overruns two orcs and an ogre, his maximum distance traveled that round is reduced by 5'. If a human successfully overruns a titan, the human's speed is reduced by 10'. You must end your round in an unoccupied square.

Repeat the next steps for all creatures being overrun, as long as the attempts do not fail:

2. Does the opponent avoid or block? An avoiding opponent must make a reflex save (dc 5 + overrunner's BAB; if you are also attacking this round and applying power attack, BAB is to be adjusted accordingly) to move 5' into an unoccupied square. Failure forfeits the attack of opportunity the opponent would receive in step 3 and subjects them to the effects of step 4.

3. Characters who chose to block or succeeded in the save receive an attack of opportunity. If the attack hits, you can choose to abort the overrun and take only half damage. See step 6 for failure. Continuing the overrun imposes a -4 penalty on your opposed checks versus this opponent only.

4. Opponents who have chosen to block or have failed their reflex save must make an opposed strength check. A combatant gets a +4 bonus on the check for every size category he is larger than Medium or a -4 penalty for every size category he is smaller than Medium. The defender gets a +4 bonus on his check if he has more than two legs or is otherwise more stable than a normal humanoid. If you win, you knock the defender prone. If you lose, the defender may immediately react and make a Strength check opposed by your Dexterity or Strength check (including the size modifiers noted above, but no other modifiers) to try to knock you prone.

5. If you succeed in these checks, you knock your opponent prone and continue with your movement.

6. If your overrun fails, you fail to enter your enemy's square. If you are currently in a square occupied by an enemy you have already overrun, you move back 5', provoking no further attacks of opportunity. If the square you would stop in by moving back 5' is not empty, continue back along the route until you reach one that is. If your opponent successfully knocked you prone, you are prone in that square.


I've added in a bunch of feats as the fourth post.

AstralFire
2008-09-08, 01:26 PM
I'd prefer something a little bit simpler, but it's definitely much better than the system currently in place. Though I have beaten enemy armies with Forgery and frequently make use of Autohypnosis, I have never seen anyone use Overrun. Ever.

Lappy9000
2008-09-08, 03:48 PM
I'd prefer something a little bit simpler, but it's definitely much better than the system currently in place. Though I have beaten enemy armies with Forgery and frequently make use of Autohypnosis, I have never seen anyone use Overrun. Ever.

Perusing over my Player's Handbook the other day, I noticed the Overrun entry in the combat section. Odd thing was that I had never noticed before, despite my penchant of playing burly fighters who plow their way through hordes of enemies (usually through Great Cleave).

Yours is way cooler, but I do agree that it could use some simplifing. Just picture when the rogue nimbly tumbles over an opponent (with a smirk knowing you, in your heavy armor, could never move like that), you simple mow down the next line of enemies, yelling "SNEAK ATTACK" the whole time.

Talanic
2008-09-08, 08:46 PM
Hmm. I agree, now that I've had time, that it seems verbose...but I don't think it'd be very hard to implement, and I suspect it would be good enough to be worth it.

I think I should add feats for it. I've got some ideas...but, later.

Talanic
2008-09-14, 04:34 PM
Okay, here's a bunch of feats of possibly varying quality. Note that the regular Improved Overrun should be completely thrown out if using these alternate rules.

After writing these, I realize I might've gone a teensy bit overboard as far as volume. Heck. I had fun!

Improved Overrun

Prerequisites: Power Attack

Benefit: When performing an overrun, you gain a +2 bonus to applicable strength or dexterity checks made during the overrun. For the purpose of calculating the reflex save DC to avoid your overrun, your base attack bonus is no longer reduced by use of power attack.


Throwing Your Weight Around

Prerequisites: Str 15+, Improved Overrun

Benefit: Your movement restrictions are eased slightly, restoring 5' of movement per round that was lost due to wearing heavy armor or carrying too much. This does not restore movement past your normal maximum for your race, e.g. movement past 30' per round for a human barbarian wearing heavy armor. When performing an Overrun action while carrying a medium or heavy load or wearing armor that restricts movement, you add +4 to your strength check to knock down your opponent.


Rapid Lurch

Prerequisites: (Tumble 5 Ranks or Dexterity 15+), Rapid Reflexes, Improved Overrun

Benefit: When performing your overrun, you're just a bit faster than your opponent expects you to be. Add a +4 dodge bonus--this stacks with Mobility, if you have this feat also--to your armor class for the purpose of avoiding attacks of opportunity during the overrun.


Stubborn Assault

Prerequisites: Con 15+, Great Fortitude, Improved Overrun

Benefit: Damage from attacks of opportunity that hit you during your overrun attempt are halved. If you abort the overrun, you take no damage. If you continue, you take a -2 penalty to your remaining checks versus this opponent instead of -4.


Sudden Lunge

Prerequisites: Cha 15+, BAB +9, Rapid Lurch

Benefit: When you attempt to overrun a target, before it can can attempt to evade it must make a will save at DC 5 + your BAB + your Charisma modifier. On failure, the target is rendered flatfooted until the end of your round and does not get to attempt attacks of opportunity. A flatfooted opponent can not attempt to trip you if you fail to trip them.

Reaping Charge

Prerequisities: Str 19+, Dex 13+, Improved Overrun, Great Cleave, Improved Trip, BAB +12

Benefit: This type of overrun must be declared in advance. It is a full-round action. On successfully overrunning an opponent, you receive a free attack against them with any one weapon you have readied, at your highest base attack bonus. All enemies whom you threaten at any point during the overrun but whom you are not attempting to overrun are subject to an attack of opportunity from you. You do not receive extra attacks from Cleave or any other, similar source for the rest of this round.


Overwhelming

Prerequisities: Str 15+ before racial/size modifiers, Con 15+, Improved Overrun

Benefit: When performing an overrun OR when an opponent attempts to overrun you, you are considered one size category larger than you actually are. This stacks with all other modifiers to effective creature size except those that explicitly forbid it.

Special: This feat can be taken multiple times and stacks with itself. Each time, the Str and Con prerequisites raise by +2 each.


Nimble Dodger

Prerequisities: Dodge, Tumble 5 Ranks

Benefit: When attempting an overrun, you can pass through an ally's square with a DC 15 reflex save or tumble check. On success, you pass through the square without affecting your ally. You also gain +4 to reflex saves to avoid an enemy who is attempting to overrun you.


Artful Dodger

Prerequisities: Nimble Dodger, Caster Level 3+, BAB 3+

Benefit: When overrunning opponents, you may choose to deliver touch spells that you have been holding the charge for to any opponent you successfully overrun. You may also deliver touch spells to any ally you overrun with Nimble Dodger. You gain a +4 bonus to reflex saves or tumble checks to dodge through an ally's square in an overrun.

Grasped Spell [Metamagic]

Benefit: Any Melee Touch spell with no other components can be cast as a Grasped spell. A grasped spell can not be discharged accidentally by touching a friend or object. The spell's charge can be held for up to one hour per level longer than it normally could--typically, this means that you can use other spells and not immediately lose the charge. A grasped spell uses a spell slot one level higher than normal.

Clutched Spell [Metamagic]

Prerequisities: Grasped Spell

Benefit: Any Grasped Spell can have Clutched Spell applied to it. A Clutched spell can be discharged one extra time. You may hold the charge for one Grasped Spell and one Clutched Spell at the same time, though one touch can only discharge one spell. A Clutched Spell uses a spell slot one level higher than the Grasped spell that it is applied to. It can be applied multiple times to the same spell, increasing level and maximum number of targets by one each time.