I've always had a few problems with the normal combat maneuvers. First, they aren't well-balanced against one another. Trip is clearly the best, being the easiest to perform in most cases and having the best associated feat, while sunder and disarm languish. Second, they're a little hard to learn, as they're all similar, but work in subtly different ways that are hard to memorize (at least for me). What I've tried to do here is make the combat maneuvers more standardized so that they are more equal in utility. I've also written them up in a way that I hope highlights the differences between the maneuvers more clearly, so that they're easier to learn (or at least reference). What do people think?
Maneuver
A character may attempt a maneuver as a melee attack action. All standard maneuvers follow the same basic steps, as show below.
Step One: The character provokes an attack of opportunity from the target.
Step Two: The character and the target make opposed melee attack rolls. If the combatants are different sizes, the larger combatant gets a +4 bonus on the attack roll per difference in size category.
Step Three: If the character beats the target’s attack roll, the maneuver is a success. If the character does not beat the target’s attack roll, the maneuver is a failure.
Attack Object
You can attempt to attack an object other than a weapon carried by an opponent.
Attack roll type: The character makes an attack roll with his or her weapon, opposed by the target’s melee attack roll.
Attack roll modifiers: Light weapons and unarmed strikes impose a −4 penalty on the attack roll. Two-handed weapons grant a +4 bonus on the attack roll. The target suffers a −4 penalty on the attack roll.
Success: The character damages the carried object as though he or she had struck it with his or her weapon.
Failure: There is no consequence for failure.
Bull Rush
A character can attempt to push an opponent back.
Attack roll type: The opposed attack roll is an unarmed attack roll.
Attack roll modifiers: The target gets a +4 bonus the attack roll if he or she has more than two legs or is otherwise exceptionally stable.
Success: The character pushes the target back 5 feet. If the character moves with the target, the character can push the target back an additional 5 feet for each 5 points by which the character’s attack roll is greater than the target’s attack roll. The character cannot exceed his or her normal movement limit.
Failure: The target may immediately attempt to trip the character without provoking an attack of opportunity. The target suffers no consequence if he or she fails in the attempt.
Disarm
You can attempt to disarm an opponent of their weapon.
Attack roll type: The character and the target make the opposed melee attack roll with their respective weapons.
Attack roll modifiers: The target gets a +4 bonus on the attack roll if he or she is wielding his or her weapon in two hands. Treat ranged weapons as improvised melee weapons.
Success: The target’s weapon lands on the ground in the target’s square. If the character disarmed the target when not holding a weapon, the weapon instead ends up in the character’s hands.
Failure: The target may immediately attempt to disarm the character without provoking an attack of opportunity. The target suffers no consequence if he or she fails in the attempt.
Knock Away
You can attempt to knock away an object other than a weapon carried by an opponent.
Attack roll type: The character makes an attack roll with his or her weapon, opposed by the target’s melee attack roll.
Attack roll modifiers: If the object is well secured or otherwise difficult to knock away, the target gets a +4 bonus on the attack roll. If the object is poorly secured or otherwise easy to knock away, the target suffers a –4 penalty on the attack roll.
Success: The object lands on the ground in the target’s square. If the character grabbed the object when not holding a weapon, the object instead ends up in the character’s hands.
Failure: There is no consequence for failure.
Sunder
A character may attempt to damage an opponent’s weapon.
Attack roll type: The character and the target make the opposed melee attack roll with their respective weapons.
Attack roll modifiers: Light weapons and unarmed strikes impose a −4 penalty on the attack roll. Two-handed weapons grant a +4 bonus on the attack roll. Treat ranged weapons as improvised melee weapons.
Success: The character damages the opponent’s weapon as though he or she had struck it with his or her weapon.
Failure: The target may immediately attempt to sunder the character’s weapon without provoking an attack of opportunity. The target suffers no consequence if he or she fails in the attempt.
Trip
You can attempt to trip an opponent.
Attack roll type: The opposed attack roll is an unarmed attack roll. Some weapons can be used to make a trip attack. In that case, the character makes a melee attack roll with his or her weapon, opposed by the target’s unarmed attack roll.
Attack roll modifiers: The target gets a +4 bonus the attack roll if he or she has more than two legs or is otherwise exceptionally stable.
Success: The target is prone.
Failure: The target may immediately attempt to trip the character without provoking an attack of opportunity. The target suffers no consequence if he or she fails in the attempt. If a character using a weapon to trip is tripped during his or her trip attempt, the character can drop the weapon to avoid being tripped.
Improved Maneuver
Choose attack object, bull rush, disarm, knock away, sunder, or trip.
Prerequisites: Intelligence 13.
Benefit: The character does not provoke an attack of opportunity when attempting the selected maneuver. There is no consequence for failing in the attempt. The character gains a +4 bonus on his or her opposed attack roll.
Special: This feat can be selected multiple times, the effects do not stack. Each time, select a different maneuver.
This feat can be selected as a fighter bonus feat.
Ranged Maneuver
Choose attack object, disarm, knock away, or sunder. You must have the Improved Maneuver feat for the chosen maneuver.
Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Intelligence 13, Improved Maneuver.
Benefit: You can perform the selected maneuver with a ranged weapon, so long as you are within one range increment of the target. When performing the maneuver with a ranged weapon, the character always makes the opposed attack roll using the ranged weapon.
This feat can be selected as a fighter bonus feat.
Maneuver
A character may attempt a maneuver as a melee attack action. All standard maneuvers follow the same basic steps, as show below.
Step One: The character provokes an attack of opportunity from the target.
Step Two: The character and the target make opposed melee attack rolls. If the combatants are different sizes, the larger combatant gets a +4 bonus on the attack roll per difference in size category.
Step Three: If the character beats the target’s attack roll, the maneuver is a success. If the character does not beat the target’s attack roll, the maneuver is a failure.
Attack Object
You can attempt to attack an object other than a weapon carried by an opponent.
Attack roll type: The character makes an attack roll with his or her weapon, opposed by the target’s melee attack roll.
Attack roll modifiers: Light weapons and unarmed strikes impose a −4 penalty on the attack roll. Two-handed weapons grant a +4 bonus on the attack roll. The target suffers a −4 penalty on the attack roll.
Success: The character damages the carried object as though he or she had struck it with his or her weapon.
Failure: There is no consequence for failure.
Bull Rush
A character can attempt to push an opponent back.
Attack roll type: The opposed attack roll is an unarmed attack roll.
Attack roll modifiers: The target gets a +4 bonus the attack roll if he or she has more than two legs or is otherwise exceptionally stable.
Success: The character pushes the target back 5 feet. If the character moves with the target, the character can push the target back an additional 5 feet for each 5 points by which the character’s attack roll is greater than the target’s attack roll. The character cannot exceed his or her normal movement limit.
Failure: The target may immediately attempt to trip the character without provoking an attack of opportunity. The target suffers no consequence if he or she fails in the attempt.
Disarm
You can attempt to disarm an opponent of their weapon.
Attack roll type: The character and the target make the opposed melee attack roll with their respective weapons.
Attack roll modifiers: The target gets a +4 bonus on the attack roll if he or she is wielding his or her weapon in two hands. Treat ranged weapons as improvised melee weapons.
Success: The target’s weapon lands on the ground in the target’s square. If the character disarmed the target when not holding a weapon, the weapon instead ends up in the character’s hands.
Failure: The target may immediately attempt to disarm the character without provoking an attack of opportunity. The target suffers no consequence if he or she fails in the attempt.
Knock Away
You can attempt to knock away an object other than a weapon carried by an opponent.
Attack roll type: The character makes an attack roll with his or her weapon, opposed by the target’s melee attack roll.
Attack roll modifiers: If the object is well secured or otherwise difficult to knock away, the target gets a +4 bonus on the attack roll. If the object is poorly secured or otherwise easy to knock away, the target suffers a –4 penalty on the attack roll.
Success: The object lands on the ground in the target’s square. If the character grabbed the object when not holding a weapon, the object instead ends up in the character’s hands.
Failure: There is no consequence for failure.
Sunder
A character may attempt to damage an opponent’s weapon.
Attack roll type: The character and the target make the opposed melee attack roll with their respective weapons.
Attack roll modifiers: Light weapons and unarmed strikes impose a −4 penalty on the attack roll. Two-handed weapons grant a +4 bonus on the attack roll. Treat ranged weapons as improvised melee weapons.
Success: The character damages the opponent’s weapon as though he or she had struck it with his or her weapon.
Failure: The target may immediately attempt to sunder the character’s weapon without provoking an attack of opportunity. The target suffers no consequence if he or she fails in the attempt.
Trip
You can attempt to trip an opponent.
Attack roll type: The opposed attack roll is an unarmed attack roll. Some weapons can be used to make a trip attack. In that case, the character makes a melee attack roll with his or her weapon, opposed by the target’s unarmed attack roll.
Attack roll modifiers: The target gets a +4 bonus the attack roll if he or she has more than two legs or is otherwise exceptionally stable.
Success: The target is prone.
Failure: The target may immediately attempt to trip the character without provoking an attack of opportunity. The target suffers no consequence if he or she fails in the attempt. If a character using a weapon to trip is tripped during his or her trip attempt, the character can drop the weapon to avoid being tripped.
Improved Maneuver
Choose attack object, bull rush, disarm, knock away, sunder, or trip.
Prerequisites: Intelligence 13.
Benefit: The character does not provoke an attack of opportunity when attempting the selected maneuver. There is no consequence for failing in the attempt. The character gains a +4 bonus on his or her opposed attack roll.
Special: This feat can be selected multiple times, the effects do not stack. Each time, select a different maneuver.
This feat can be selected as a fighter bonus feat.
Ranged Maneuver
Choose attack object, disarm, knock away, or sunder. You must have the Improved Maneuver feat for the chosen maneuver.
Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Intelligence 13, Improved Maneuver.
Benefit: You can perform the selected maneuver with a ranged weapon, so long as you are within one range increment of the target. When performing the maneuver with a ranged weapon, the character always makes the opposed attack roll using the ranged weapon.
This feat can be selected as a fighter bonus feat.
