Maneuver Finesse feat [3.5]

[SilverLeaf167]

Just a little fix to make Dex-based melee characters slightly better.

Maneuver Finesse
You can move your weapon with surprising agility to change the course of a battle.
Prerequisites: Weapon Finesse
Benefit: While wielding a weapon combatible with Weapon Finesse that you are proficient with, you may add your Dexterity modifier to bull rush and trip checks instead of your Strength modifier. You also do not take the usual -4 penalty on disarm and sunder checks for using a light weapon.
Special: A fighter may select Maneuver Finesse as one of his fighter bonus feats.

[Morph Bark]

Uh, if I recall right, you already can use your Dex mod for trip and disarm attempts.

[SilverLeaf167]

I checked. In disarm's case, you're right, as it only takes one normal attack roll. trip also takes an attack roll, but this feat allows you to apply your Dex to the opposed Strength check.

I'll edit out the disarm and sunder.

EDIT: Modified the feat to remove the penalty for disarming or sundering with a light weapon.

[Yora]

Disarm and Sunder require an opposed attack roll, so if you have Weapon Finesse you may already use your Dex bonus instead of your Str modifier. But not for damage in the case of sunder.
Trip explicitly calls for an opposed Strength check.

Disarming and tripping with Dex seems sensible to me, but bull rush is all about shoving your opponent away. A dexterity check seems inappropriate to me in this case.

[Temotei]

Disarm and Sunder require an opposed attack roll, so if you have Weapon Finesse you may already use your Dex bonus instead of your Str modifier. But not for damage in the case of sunder.
Trip explicitly calls for an opposed Strength check.

Disarming and tripping with Dex seems sensible to me, but bull rush is all about shoving your opponent away. A dexterity check seems inappropriate to me in this case.

I think it could work if you look at it like working hard at shoving on the right spots rather than just shoving hard.

Then again, I usually thought of good rolls being pushes on the right spots. Whatever works, though.

[SilverLeaf167]

That's what I thought. Instead of just pushing as hard as you can, you might include some precise, well-timed arm and leg movements/placements.