Bonus damage against Prone people?

[SadisticFishing]

Yeah, hi, simple-ish question that I hope has a lot of answers..

I need a way to do damage to prone people. Lots of it.

My campaign (well, FAR in the future) has a (CR15) Kusari-Gama dual wielding BBEG. The idea is to trip, disarm, attack. I have most of the AoO feats (and two levels of Crusader for Thicket of Blades). Now all I need is a way to do some actual damage, as we all know Two Weapon Fighting is underpowered in that category.

So far all my plan has for damage is +1 Vicious Kusari Gamas. Woopie, 2d6 extra damage, at the cost of hurting himself too, hrm.

Any ideas? I still have many class levels left to use, so even if it's the AntiProne Fighter of Tiamat in random book X, it'd be good to know about.

[Nebo_]

Get something you can power attack with. -4 AC means +8 damage with power attack and a spiked chain.

[playswithfire]

one or more swordsage levels and Shadow Blade gets dex to damage with the spiked chain too. More levels will get better setting sun maneuvers too

[SadisticFishing]

I'm using Kasari-Gamas, so the Power Attack doesn't work.

I'm already using Thicket of Blades (Devoted Spirit), so Shadow Blade doesn't work.

[Ascension]

Can't you just switch to a chain? Or something homebrewed that would be mechanically similar? Why does he have to have dual-wielded kursari-gamas?

[WrathOfLife]

Have you tried a wounding weapon?

Look for ways to do ablitiy damamge. Like say, Justicar? or Posions (which can be pretty over powering).

[Starbuck_II]

Yeah, hi, simple-ish question that I hope has a lot of answers..

I need a way to do damage to prone people. Lots of it.

My campaign (well, FAR in the future) has a (CR15) Kusari-Gama dual wielding BBEG. The idea is to trip, disarm, attack. I have most of the AoO feats (and two levels of Crusader for Thicket of Blades). Now all I need is a way to do some actual damage, as we all know Two Weapon Fighting is underpowered in that category.

So far all my plan has for damage is +1 Vicious Kusari Gamas. Woopie, 2d6 extra damage, at the cost of hurting himself too, hrm.

Any ideas? I still have many class levels left to use, so even if it's the AntiProne Fighter of Tiamat in random book X, it'd be good to know about.

Any energy upgrades work: +1d6.
Vicious is good, but taking 1/2 (2d6 for 1d6) can hurt. Get yourself a vampiric (lifedrinking?) weapon crystal so you hurt less.

[senrath]

Out of curiosity, how would you efficiently dual wield kusari gamas anyway?

[Zincorium]

Out of curiosity, how would you efficiently dual wield kusari gamas anyway?

Game mechanics or realism? Game-wise there's no problem, they're light weapons and all that.

Realistically? You stroll up to the laws of physics, punch them in the gut, knock them down, and begin kicking them. I think it has something to do with hanging onto the chain towards the weighted end and whirling around the kama-ish end like a particularly odd flail.

Just take a look at the picture of the dire flail in the PHB and you'll know all you need to regarding weapon accuracy and D&D.

[senrath]

Game mechanics or realism? Game-wise there's no problem, they're light weapons and all that.

Realistically? You stroll up to the laws of physics, punch them in the gut, knock them down, and begin kicking them. I think it has something to do with hanging onto the chain towards the weighted end and whirling around the kama-ish end like a particularly odd flail.

Just take a look at the picture of the dire flail in the PHB and you'll know all you need to regarding weapon accuracy and D&D.

Right, right, I forgot about that thing. Who on earth thought that making a dire flail look like that would be a good idea? I'm still trying to figure out who that would hurt more, me or my enemies.

[Tsotha-lanti]

I'm using Kasari-Gamas, so the Power Attack doesn't work.

I'm already using Thicket of Blades (Devoted Spirit), so Shadow Blade doesn't work.

Then you're screwed. I don't recall any special abilities that increase damage against someone who's prone, much less anything available to anyone. There might be an obscure feat somewhere, but Power Attack is your only sure option.

That said, if you're the one doing the tripping, why do you think you'd also be the one doing the damage? It's a tactical maneuver that relies on team effort to capitalize on it. If you trip someone, they're generally going to get up before you do much else (except an AoO); you need someone else to gang up on them (like a Fighter/Barbarian with Power Attack and a Rogue to flank).

[AslanCross]

I'm pretty sure the kusari-gama can be wielded as a two-handed weapon. That allows you to Power Attack more effectively.

EDIT: My bad. The OA Kusari-gama does not specify that it's two-handed when you use it as a reach weapon. It would make sense if it's houseruled as such, though.

[Person_Man]

Well, if its a BBEG, you can just up his levels and give him superior maneuvers.

Also, what are the stats on Kusari-Gama?

[Tsotha-lanti]

Oh, there's one way... fight opponents on a lattice of narrow footholds of some sort (branches of trees, whatever), where everyone has to Balance all the time, suspended 200 feet above ground - that's an extra 20d6 damage for each trip...

[Starbuck_II]

Well, if its a BBEG, you can just up his levels and give him superior maneuvers.

Also, what are the stats on Kusari-Gama?

DMG says 1d6 meduim, x2 crit, slashing light melee reach weapon that can it close up like the spiked chain. Has all spiked chain bonuses to trip/disarm, etc.

[Ascension]

Oh, there's one way... fight opponents on a lattice of narrow footholds of some sort (branches of trees, whatever), where everyone has to Balance all the time, suspended 200 feet above ground - that's an extra 20d6 damage for each trip...

That's actually not a bad idea if he's supposed to be a threatening BBEG. 'course, at 15th level there'd probably be too much flight and feather-falling to really bring the pain, but an evil lair full of pits or similar falling hazards would have a very Star Wars-esque feel.

My suggestion would be to avoid a humanoid melee-based BBEG at that level, but if you think your party won't just cheese him to death with magic before he can even reach them, go for it.

[RandomLunatic]

You can try Deadly Defense (CScoun). If you fight defensively (or use Combat Expertise), you add 1d6 with any light weapon (as well any any other weapon that you can use Weapon Finesse with)-and it is not precision damage either, so it works on Constructs, Undead, Fighters with Armor of Heavy Fortification, etc. Since you are only making touch attacks, or attacks against prone opponents, you can afford the to-hit penalty.

Alternatively, you can try wielding Large Kusari-Gamas, which will upgrade them to One-Handed weapons and therefore power-attackable. However, you will be eating -6s to hit; -2 for the inapproriate size, -4 for dual-wielding one-handers-even with the lowered ACs you will be going after, you will not be able to power attack too much.

And bear in mind that your Furious Counterstrike bonuses apply with both weapons, so that gives you a bit of extra oomph. I am not well-versed in the ToB, but you can probably find some good boosts as well (Strikes are less good, as only Tiger Claw has strikes that mesh well with TWF, and the Crusader does not get that discipline).

[SofS]

You could make something up. It might spice things up for an unusual element to be present. Maybe this character can have a feat that does extra precision damage on prone opponents. Maybe this character wields the Chains of Gravity, a made-up +1 enchantment that does 1d8 extra damage on every hit against a prone opponent.

[SadisticFishing]

Haha, I think you guys misunderstand the point - if every attack is a trip/disarm, and you attack twice as much per round, and twice per AoO... no one will have weapons, and everyone will be on the ground, and no one in range will be casting spells/etc.

Fly kind of gets in the way, but I can definately think of something. My main problem is that he just isn't doing enough damage per swing.