Feinting for another PC

[Allegro]

I’m looking for a way to feint for another PC in combat. In my head, I imagined my bard snapping a whip right in front of the orcs eyes distracting the orc from the rogue who is about to slide a dagger between his ribs. Is it possible?

 

[blargney the second]

One way to interpret that is as an Aid Another action, for +2 to hit.
-blarg

 

[hornedturtle]

But that wouldn't give the rogue his sneak attack damage. It would probably have to be a house rule with the person to benefit from your feint named before you even make the attempt. There may even need to be a penanalty to the check.

 

[Derro]

A generous DM might allow you to design a skill trick from Complete Scoundrel. Looking something like this maybe.

Deadly Distraction [Interaction]
The character is able to use their skills at feinting to create openings for other attackers.
Prerequisite: Bluff 8 Ranks
Benefit: The character may make a feint attempt as a standard action against a single opponent. If successful the target is considered flat-footed against the next melee attack from any source. Once this attack is resolved the target is immune to any further uses of Deadly Distraction from this character during this encounter.

 

[irdeggman]

But that wouldn't give the rogue his sneak attack damage. It would probably have to be a house rule with the person to benefit from your feint named before you even make the attempt. There may even need to be a penanalty to the check.

But you are on one side of the foe and an ally rogue is on the other then he gets the flanking bonus (and thus can do a sneak attack).

There is a feat in PHB II called Adaptable Flanker which might do the trick. As a swift action you can choose to count any other square for purposes of flanking for you and allies.

 

[Hypersmurf]

But you are on one side of the foe and an ally rogue is on the other then he gets the flanking bonus (and thus can do a sneak attack).

Not if you're the bard with a whip, he doesn't - the whip doesn't threaten, and in order for your ally to get the flanking bonus, you must threaten the opponent.

-Hyp.

 

[Kristian Serrano]

Not if you're the bard with a whip, he doesn't - the whip doesn't threaten, and in order for your ally to get the flanking bonus, you must threaten the opponent.

-Hyp.

Huh/ I never realized that you couldn't flank with a whip in v3.5. You learn something new every day.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

I don't know how you should adapt it to your needs but there's a Ranger variant from PHII where you give up your Animal Companion for the Distracting Attack ability (When you hit an enemy with a melee or ranged weapon attack, the enemy is considered Flanked by you for the purpose of adjudicating your allies’ attacks. This allows you to grant a Rogue his/her Sneak Attack with a ranged attack or a Spring Attack. The effect lasts until one of your allies attacks or the start of your next turn. Does not affect creatures that cannot be Flanked.).

Maybe do something similar for the character? Make a substitution level where they lose some existing class ability in place of Distracting Attack.

 

[Allegro]

[FONT=&quot]Thanks, I’ll just use the +2 aid another action in the short run. On the question of whether or not the whip threatens I believe this hinges on the fact of the whip against an armored opponent can do no damage. A kitten flanking an iron golem would threaten. But an epic bard wielding a whip in an anti-magic area would not. In normal circumstances adding 1 point of elemental damage to a whip ends the debate on this.[/FONT]

I believe this is relevant text on threatening:

Threatened Squares: You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your action. Generally, that means everything in all squares adjacent to your space (including diagonally). An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If you’re unarmed, you don’t normally threaten any squares and thus can’t make attacks of opportunity.
Reach Weapons: Most creatures of Medium or smaller size have a reach of only 5 feet. This means that they can make melee attacks only against creatures up to 5 feet (1 square) away. However, Small and Medium creatures wielding reach weapons threaten more squares than a typical creature. In addition, most creatures larger than Medium have a natural reach of 10 feet or more.

 

[Kristian Serrano]

[FONT=&quot]Thanks, I’ll just use the +2 aid another action in the short run. On the question of whether or not the whip threatens I believe this hinges on the fact of the whip against an armored opponent can do no damage. A kitten flanking an iron golem would threaten. But an epic bard wielding a whip in an anti-magic area would not. In normal circumstances adding 1 point of elemental damage to a whip ends the debate on this.[/FONT]

I believe this is relevant text on threatening:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#whip

A whip deals nonlethal damage. It deals no damage to any creature with an armor bonus of +1 or higher or a natural armor bonus of +3 or higher. The whip is treated as a melee weapon with 15-foot reach, though you don’t threaten the area into which you can make an attack. In addition, unlike most other weapons with reach, you can use it against foes anywhere within your reach (including adjacent foes).