Finally, an use for the ride skill! [feat]

[CthulhuM]

Ever seen a fantasy movie, or read a fantasy novel, where the plucky protagonist climbs onto the back of a hulking monster and plunges his sword into it, bringing it down even as it flails about, trying desperately to crush him against the walls or fling him away?

If you've ever seen any fantasy movies, or read any fantasy novels, chances are you have, because it happens all the damn time. Why, then, is your only option in DnD to just stand in front of the giant monster, repeatedly poking it in the foot with your sword? No more I say!

Climb Aboard
You have perfected a dangerous, but highly effective, combat maneuver for use against larger foes.
Prerequisite: Climb 5 ranks, base attack bonus +3
Benefit: While adjacent to a corporeal enemy at least two size categories larger than you, you may take a standard action to attempt to activate this feat.

First, you provoke an attack of opportunity from the target creature (against which you have a +4 dodge bonus to AC). If the attack hits, your action is wasted. If it misses, you may then proceed to make a climb check (DC = 10 + target creature’s base attack bonus + 4 for each size category larger than you the creature is).

If you succeed on this climb check, you climb onto the creature’s back (or another hard-to-reach part of its body). You enter the creature’s space, much as if you had successfully grappled it. You are not considered to be grappling the creature, though you may be affected by abilities triggered by contact with the creature (such as a remorhaz’s heat ability). While you remain on the creature, it is considered to grant you improved cover (+8 AC, +4 to reflex saves) versus its own attacks, and normal cover (+4 AC, +2 to reflex saves) versus the attacks of other creatures. Additionally, the creature is considered flatfooted versus any attacks you make against it, you gain a +4 bonus on attack rolls to hit the creature, and any attack the creature makes against you provokes an attack of opportunity from you.

While using this feat, you must use 1 hand to hold on to the creature you are riding, and cannot use this hand for anything else while you remain on it. Also, you may not attack any creatures other than the one you are riding. You may cast spells, but doing so requires a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level).

A creature you are riding may take a full round action to attempt to throw you off. It makes an attack roll opposed by your climb check. If the creature beats you, you are thrown off of its back, and land prone in an adjacent space of its choosing (possibly taking falling damage if the creature is in the air, or manages to throw you off a cliff).

Alternative, the creature may take a full round action to attempt to crush you against a nearby wall or ceiling. It makes a single attack roll with a +8 bonus, opposed by your climb check. If it succeeds, it slams you against the nearest surface, dealing twice its strength bonus plus (1d8 for medium, 1d10 for large, 2d8 for huge, 3d8 for gargantuan, 4d8 for colossal) bludgeoning damage to you.
Special: A fighter may select Climb Aboard as one of his bonus feats.

Improved Climb Aboard
Your have had more experience mounting creatures against their will than is probably healthy.
Prerequisite: Climb Aboard, climb 12 ranks, base attack bonus +6
Benefit: You no longer provoke an attack of opportunity when activating the climb aboard feat, and you gain a +4 bonus on climb checks made in conjunction with the feat.
Special: A fighter may select Improved Climb Aboard as one of his bonus feats.

[Umarth]

Shouldn't this feat use the climb skill rather than ride? Just seems much more climby than ridey to me.

Also the mechanics for throwing someone off and crushing someone seem a bit clunky. Maybe use the grapple rules and allow someone using this feat to substitute climb checks rather than grapple/escape artist checks.

[Mewtarthio]

Hmm... variant kobolds with Slight Build count as Tiny. Somewhere, far off in the distance, a cruel smirk is playing across Tucker's face.

As for making this use Climb instead of Ride: Bear in mind that Rogues get Climb as a class skill but not Ride.

[CthulhuM]

It could go either way, though I think it makes a bit more sense to use ride since it's dex-based.

But, yeah, considering that rogues won't really be able to access it if it's ride, I think I'll switch it to climb - no real reason to exclude them.

Also the mechanics for throwing someone off and crushing someone seem a bit clunky. Maybe use the grapple rules and allow someone using this feat to substitute climb checks rather than grapple/escape artist checks.

The reason I didn't use grapple checks is because it gives the monster too much of an advantage. Yes, you can boost skill checks pretty high, but if the monster gets to add its base attack, its (almost certainly very high) strength modifier and its size bonus to the roll? That just makes using the feat far too difficult to use against the big high-HD monsters you often fight at higher levels.

[Orzel]

Neat but I like my climb on special action better 'cause I made it. There are way too many words to make a feat for this action.

Spoiler

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Climb On
As a move action, you may attempt to jump on a opponent at least 2 sizes larger than you, in an attempt to get in a better position to strike.

First, you move into the defender’s space. Doing this provokes an attack of opportunity from each opponent that threatens you, including the defender. (If you have the Improved Climb On feat, you don’t incur an attack of opportunity for making a climb on attempt) If the defender’s attack of opportunity deals any damage, your climb on attempt fails.

To climb on, make a Climb check opposed by an Escape Artist check by your target. The target may add his base attack bonus to this Escape Artist check. If your opponent is not denied his Dexterity bonus to AC, he gets a +8 to this roll. If your Climb check result exceeds your target’s Escape Artist check result, The attacks you make against the target does not allow him to use his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). Additionally, you gain a +4 bonus to Reflex saves against spells, breath weapons, and gaze attacks for each size you are smaller that the target. You can only use light one handed weapons on the target unless he is at least 3 sizes larger than you.

Holding on
At the beginning of a climbed on opponent's turn, you must make a grapple check opposed by an Escape Artist check by your opponent. The target may add his Strength modifier (if any) to this Escape Artist check. If the defender wins the check, you fall off the defender.

Alternatively, the opponent may try to pick off enemies climbing on him. He makes a grapple check versus your touch AC as a standard action. If the defender wins the check, you fall off the defender

[Stycotl]

what about a mechanic in the feat that forces the monster (large, strong, and usually low dex) to make his grapple check with a dex check instead of a str check, and give it a special negative dex-based grapple size modifier for the burly monstrosities. use 15 dex, dodge, and mobility as prereqs. now that i'm thinkin', you could just make this a separate feat all together.

[Umarth]

You could allow the skill ranks in climb as a bonus to the players grapple check. That should make it tough for even big/strong monsters to toss them off.

[WrstDmEvr]

If you want to add the ride skill, maybe when the creature you are riding tries to throw you off, you use a ride check.

[Paragon Badger]

If you want to add the ride skill, maybe when the creature you are riding tries to throw you off, you use a ride check.

I can imagine it being used in a session now...

DM: Make a ride check.
Player: I go, "Yeeeeeeee-haw!" and slap the frost giant's ass.

[CthulhuM]

Heh, possibly - it would make more sense than climb, certainly. But, again, it would screw over rogues, so for game-balance reasons it's best to keep it as climb.

[Sledge_bro]

This feat reminds me of the game "Shadows of the collossus"

great work, well done :D