Spiked Chain using Rogue

[RigaMortus2]

dont forget these two feats:
Combat Reflexes (prereq to vexing flanker) &
Combat Expertise (prereq to imp. trip)

opps... I did forget them... thx!

 

[RigaMortus2]

concerning "self-flanking" (maybe solo or lone is a better term)
if you count the description of a feat as "rules" (as opposed to just the "benefits" and "special" sections) then it wouldnt work. "When you and an ally team up against a foe"

Actually, it WOULD work...

ally

A creature friendly to you. In most cases, references to "allies" include yourself.

 

[drexes]

Except that the Sage just answered this recently and said no you can't flank an opponent in this way by yourself. It's been in one of the last three issues of dragon magazine, I think. But if you're house ruling it, then why would it matter what other people say, you're house ruling it. The adaptable flanker allows you to threaten from your square and one other square within reach as a swift action, you still don't become two people. And trust me, we have a rogue in the party with this feat, it's nasty enough as is.

Drexes

 

[RigaMortus2]

Except that the Sage just answered this recently and said no you can't flank an opponent in this way by yourself. It's been in one of the last three issues of dragon magazine, I think. But if you're house ruling it, then why would it matter what other people say, you're house ruling it. The adaptable flanker allows you to threaten from your square and one other square within reach as a swift action, you still don't become two people. And trust me, we have a rogue in the party with this feat, it's nasty enough as is.

Drexes

I am just pointing to the RAW which supports my interpretation. If the FAQ, Sage, errata or RotG override this, so be it. But using purely the RAW, it works...

 

[bestone]

Isnt there a tome of battle stance that makes it so you flank anyone your fighting or something like that? maybey a dip in swordsage would be better

edit: ahh here it is, my bad, you and an ally have to be adjacent...get a friend? muah

 

[Machiavelli]

This discussion is similar to the thoughts I had about a Ranger 4/ Rogue x using the Unearthed Arcana varient rules called "Distracting Attack", which allow you to count your target as flanked after you hit. The trouble is that the Ranger's ability specifically states that the flanked condition applies to allies. Unless using the dubious "you are an ally of yourself" logic, it wouldnt work.

It's a very attractive idea, being able to flank so consistently, because the lengths to which one must go (normally) to acchieve Sneak Attacks make them unreliable.

 

[William_2]

Actually, it WOULD work...

One example where the term ally would not include yourself would be a situation where the minimum number of people to accomplish something is two. “You and an ally” is such an example; I find it hard to envision any case where that phrase could be interpreted as referring to a single person. Threatening from two squares is cool, but flanking requires two actual people, not multiple threats from one.

 

[starwed]

The FAQ touches this:

Can a character with the Adaptive Flanker feat
(Player’s Handbook II, 73) and a spiked chain flank an
enemy all by himself (since he can choose to count as
occupying the square opposite the enemy as well as his own
square)?
No. This feat doesn’t let you get around the basic rule of
flanking, which is that you need an ally to accomplish it—it
just lets you pretend to occupy an extra space when figuring out
if you’re actually flanking an enemy with your ally.