Kerrick
First Post
Based on feedback I've been getting, I'm going to overhaul the combat system. The following are among the rules I'm planning to include; I want to get other opinions.
Swift actions: Combat stride, counterspell, and a few other things (not sure yet) will be swift actions.
Grapple: Grapple will require a touch attack to hit; instead of basing degree of the hold off degree of success (each +5 over the DC = a better hold), degree of the hold is capped by the target's size. For example, a human fighter can grapple a hill giant (Large), but the best he can do is Held (DC +0), as it's one size larger. Each round thereafter, though, he can make another check to improve the hold he already has (to grabbed, grappled, and pinned). I'm also thinking of reinstating the Legendary Wrestler feat, which would let you be treated as one size larger for purposes of grappling. Finally, you can grapple something four sizes smaller, not three.
Sunder: Sunder is a waste of time, and it needs to go. I've never seen or heard of a player use it, in 7 years of playing 3.5, and I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen a DM use it. If someone wants to attempt to destroy a weapon or armor, they can simply refer to the Smashing an Object rules (this will also eliminate one appearance of that table - it only needs to be listed once, IMO). If the item is reduced to 0 hit points, it is broken, but can be fixed (usually). If it's reduced to 0 minus hardness, it's destroyed. Objects with 0 hardness are destroyed when reduced to 0 hp. Repairing an item costs 10% of its value if its hit points are 50% or more, or 20% if 0-49%.
Two-weapon fighting: TWF will now be one feat, folded into Multiweapon Fighting. MWF will cover all instances of using more than one weapon, from 2 to 200. You take it once for each extra limb, and that's it - every time you gain a new attack with the main hand, you gain a new attack with the offhand, BUT the number of attacks with the offhand is capped at attacks -1 (that is, a Ftr 20 gets 4 main attacks and 3 offhand).
Combat Expertise and Power Attack: I've seen this suggested on several forums and thought it was a good idea, but it's only after gathering a whole bunch of other stuff together that I actually considered adding it. CE and PA will be options available to all PCs, without having to take a feat. The way this works is that you can subtract a number equal to your Int bonus (CE) or Str bonus (PA) from your AB and add it to your AC or damage, as applicable. The CE and PA feats (renamed Imp. CE and PA) will grant an additional 5 points. Imp. CE and PA will become Greater CE and PA, and add 10 points.
For example, a Ftr 15 with Str 17 and IPA can subtract up to 8 points from his AB and add it to damage.
Swift actions: Combat stride, counterspell, and a few other things (not sure yet) will be swift actions.
Grapple: Grapple will require a touch attack to hit; instead of basing degree of the hold off degree of success (each +5 over the DC = a better hold), degree of the hold is capped by the target's size. For example, a human fighter can grapple a hill giant (Large), but the best he can do is Held (DC +0), as it's one size larger. Each round thereafter, though, he can make another check to improve the hold he already has (to grabbed, grappled, and pinned). I'm also thinking of reinstating the Legendary Wrestler feat, which would let you be treated as one size larger for purposes of grappling. Finally, you can grapple something four sizes smaller, not three.
Sunder: Sunder is a waste of time, and it needs to go. I've never seen or heard of a player use it, in 7 years of playing 3.5, and I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen a DM use it. If someone wants to attempt to destroy a weapon or armor, they can simply refer to the Smashing an Object rules (this will also eliminate one appearance of that table - it only needs to be listed once, IMO). If the item is reduced to 0 hit points, it is broken, but can be fixed (usually). If it's reduced to 0 minus hardness, it's destroyed. Objects with 0 hardness are destroyed when reduced to 0 hp. Repairing an item costs 10% of its value if its hit points are 50% or more, or 20% if 0-49%.
Two-weapon fighting: TWF will now be one feat, folded into Multiweapon Fighting. MWF will cover all instances of using more than one weapon, from 2 to 200. You take it once for each extra limb, and that's it - every time you gain a new attack with the main hand, you gain a new attack with the offhand, BUT the number of attacks with the offhand is capped at attacks -1 (that is, a Ftr 20 gets 4 main attacks and 3 offhand).
Combat Expertise and Power Attack: I've seen this suggested on several forums and thought it was a good idea, but it's only after gathering a whole bunch of other stuff together that I actually considered adding it. CE and PA will be options available to all PCs, without having to take a feat. The way this works is that you can subtract a number equal to your Int bonus (CE) or Str bonus (PA) from your AB and add it to your AC or damage, as applicable. The CE and PA feats (renamed Imp. CE and PA) will grant an additional 5 points. Imp. CE and PA will become Greater CE and PA, and add 10 points.
For example, a Ftr 15 with Str 17 and IPA can subtract up to 8 points from his AB and add it to damage.