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.
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.