[d20r, Investing Feat] Defender's Gambit

[Fax Celestis]

Defender's Gambit [Investing]
Prerequisites: Dexterity 13

Benefit: When an ally of yours is targeted by a ranged attack (including a spell that must make an attack roll), you may move up to 5' into an attacker's line of sight or line of effect as an immediate action, such that your new position would rest on the attacker's line of sight or line of effect upon your ally. If you do, the attacker must treat you as the target of the attack or effect, making attack rolls and checks against you instead of your ally. However, he makes any attack rolls against your touch AC. If his attack roll hits your touch AC but not your full AC, the attack bounces off harmlessly. If it hits both AC values, or if the original attack is a ranged touch attack, you are affected as if you were the original target.

Should the attack miss you completely, your opponent makes a second attack roll at the original target; however, you provide soft cover when determining the results of such attacks (even if the original attack is not one that typically allows for soft cover).

If your attacker willingly fails the attack roll against you, they also forfeit their ability to make a follow-up attack roll on the ally you are protecting.

Investiture: For each five prowess you invest in this feat, increase the range you may move by 5' and increase the AC bonus provided by your soft cover when using this ability by 1.

Special: When using this ability, you cannot willingly accept an attack.

[pyrefiend]

The problem with this is that if you have a better AC, you'll be less likely to block the attack, so if you rush in front of an incoming attack wearing full plate and a tower shield, you'll actually be less likely to defend against it. I don't think the attacker should make an attack roll against the interceptor, since they aren't actually aiming at him. It should probably be some check on the part of the character using the feat.

[Fax Celestis]

You are forgetting that you can willingly accept a blow.

[Temotei]

Nice. I've been wanting to do a d20r campaign on the PbP boards for a while, but my one effort at creating a game ended fairly quickly.

Anyway, I like it. Maybe it could also apply to reach weapons (step in front of ally)?

[Fax Celestis]

Another edit to make it a bit more straightforward.

[Krazddndfreek]

There's actually a similar feat in Drow of the Underdark, called Dutiful Guardian, only it actually allows you to switch places with the ally.

[Mythestopheles]

I'm not sure. Truth be told, I don't really like this execution. It seems a bit, well overcomplicated. As for power, it seems a bit underpowered to me, it lets you have a chance to take the damage from a ranged attack. It's flavorful, I'll give it that. However, it combats ranged attacks (not terribly common, and a bit specific) and doesn't have a 100% chance of succeeding. I like the idea though.

[Knaight]

I would also have the attack hit you if it hits Touch AC, and simply fizzle out unless it also beats AC. If it misses Touch AC, then have it go at the other guy.

[Fax Celestis]

Good idea, Knaight. EDITZ

[Morty]

Hm, interesting. A form of ranged tanking, as it were. I prefer this sort of thing to somehow provoking enemies into attacking you.

[Knaight]

Good idea, Knaight. EDITZ

Between this and one aspect (wind), do I have enough to get my name in the credits somewhere?

For that matter, may I sig this?

[Fax Celestis]

You're on my list of "people to thank", don't worry. And go ahead, sig it.

I'm thinking about expanding this into a larger style feat, but I'm short on ideas for abilities. Right now I've got this ability, a melee version of this ability, and a counterattack for striking one of your allies. I'd like about four to seven more powers to put into the tree. Ideas?

[Gralamin]

Defender's Gambit [Investing]
Prerequisites: Dexterity 13

Benefit: When an ally of yours is targeted by a ranged attack (including a spell that must make an attack roll), you may move up to 5' into an attacker's line of sight or line of effect as an immediate action, such that your new position would rest on the attacker's line of sight or line of effect upon your ally. If you do, the attacker must treat you as the target of the attack or effect, making attack rolls and checks against you instead of your ally. However, he makes any attack rolls against your touch AC. If his attack roll hits your touch AC but not your full AC, the attack bounces off harmlessly. If it hits both AC values, or if the original attack is a ranged touch attack, you are affected as if you were the original target.

Should the attack miss you completely, your opponent makes a second attack roll at the original target; however, you provide soft cover when determining the results of such attacks (even if the original attack is not one that typically allows for soft cover).

If your attacker willingly fails the attack roll against you, they also forfeit their ability to make a follow-up attack roll on the ally you are protecting.

Investiture: For each five prowess you invest in this feat, increase the range you may move by 5' and increase the AC bonus provided by your soft cover when using this ability by 1.

Special: When using this ability, you cannot willingly accept an attack.

So it's kinda like !cover from final fantasy? Neat. The main issue I have with it is it seems more like a class feature then a feat. But I play a lot of 4e these days

The whole touch attack thing is bloated, and the ability itself is unintuitive. You currently have it so that:
Enemy hits your Full AC, or is using a touch attack: BAD you take damage
Enemy hits your touch AC: Good, no one takes damage.
Enemy Misses you: Bad, you take no damage but your ally might.
This does have the nice effect of low touch AC, high AC fighter being the best at it though.

I'd be inclined to arrange it like such instead:
The enemy makes an attack roll against your Flat-footed AC. If he misses, the attack is deflected away harmlessly. If the attack hits, you take the damage instead. If the attack roll exceeds your AC by at least 5, he attacks the original target as normal.

Alternatively, you could take the attack out of the opponents hands:
You may make a reflex save, with a DC of the original attack roll - 10. If you succeed on the save, you take the damage instead. If you fail, the attack hits the original target. If you succeed on the check by at least 5, you may deflect the attack away harmlessly.

Also, you might as well say that the enemy cannot willingly fail the attack. There is only one situation when anyone would use that (When the protector needs to be taken in alive and unhurt, but their allies are disposable... which seems like a niche situation).

You're on my list of "people to thank", don't worry. And go ahead, sig it.

I'm thinking about expanding this into a larger style feat, but I'm short on ideas for abilities. Right now I've got this ability, a melee version of this ability, and a counterattack for striking one of your allies. I'd like about four to seven more powers to put into the tree. Ideas?

Currently I have no ideas, but I may have some later.

[theinnerdevil]

this is great i'd love to use it. it also puts alot of roleplaying possabilities out there which my DM loves! Great job!