Opposed Strength checks - Disarm, Grappling, etc

[IceBear]

Situation:

My 5th level fighter with 18 strength tried unsuccessfully for two round to disarm a commoner with 8 strength last night. That seemed wrong to me - what I thought should have been a simple maneuver started to get ugly.

Question:

What are some common house rules for situations where there are opposed checks like this? I see the main problem as being the HUGE variance the d20 roll adds to these checks, so I was thinking of doubling the ability score modifer. This would keep everything relative but might help offset the person with the higher state who rolls poorly. Another thought was to add the entire ability score to the roll. Also, with the case of disarm I would have thought it would be easier for an experienced combatant to disarm his opponent so I was thinking of adding the BAB to the rolls.

Again, what are some common house rules and what's your experience been like with them?

IceBear

 

[Crothian]

Disarm is an opposed attack roll.

As a 5th level fighter with 18 str, you should be getting +9. THe commoner with an 8 str should be getting -1. Then the person using the bigger weapons get +4 per size catagory bigger. The defender also get +4 if he is holding his weapon with two hands.

So, assuming the weapons are both the same size and one handed, you have a tatal of +10 better then him. That's pretty good. Granted, bad luck happenes. i don't think rules should be made to eliminate bad luck.

 

[IceBear]

Wow, you're right (at least according to the SRD). I could have SWORN that when we looked it up in the PHB last night it said to use opposed STR checks (or the defender could use DEX if it was better).

IceBear

 

[Crothian]

Wow, you're right (at least according to the SRD). I could have SWORN that when we looked it up in the PHB last night it said to use opposed STR checks (or the defender could use DEX if it was better).

IceBear

That's Trip.

 

[IceBear]

Hehehehe - I guess I had one too many "refreshment beverages" last night before I tried to read the PHB

Still though, with trip, does it make sense that someone with 18 STR is far from assured of tripping someone with 8 STR?

It's probably a balance thing to keep people from tripping ALL the time, so I guess it's ok.

IceBear

 

[kramis]

tripping

We housed ruled Trip to use BAB since it didn't seem right that a 20th level monk might have trouble tripping a commoner. Seems to work ok.

 

[Crothian]

I use a Feat called Superior Trip.

Prerequite: Improved TRip
Benefit: You get +6 to all your oppossed rolls to trip someone.

 

[chilibean]

On a related note, I think trip checks, tumble checks, disarm, combat casting, and all those kinds of things should have full modified attack bonuses from both sides added to their opposed rolls.

It is rediculous to think that a wizard has just as much chance of provoking an AOO from a drunk, half-dead, crippled commoner as he does from a fencing master with a 25 dex and a +5 rapier.

Doubling everyones dex modifier for this roll might also help make things more believable.

Besides, allowing someone to get an AOO doesn't guarantee them a hit, it just gives them a chance.

My 2 cents ....

 

[bloodymage]

New Formula

On opposed checks: Rank+Modifier+1d20-DC
Each opposing check may not have the same DC as in the case of, say, an arm wrestling contest between a fighter of 18 strength and a commoner of 8 strength. A straight opposed roll could end in a ridiculous result. Factoring in relative DC's fixes this.

Thanks to James L. R. Beach-it's his rule