Am I breaking any rules with this tactic?

[Denaes]

Alright, here's a pretty simple fix.

Bushwacker General

Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1

During a surprise round, when you surprise an opponent, you may take a move action in addition to the standard action granted by the surprise round.

Normal: During a surprise round, you may only take a standard action.

There, problem solved.

It's better, but looking at the other pre-reqs for effects in the game, you need a stronger pre-req for offering up a free move action which it can put someone into melee so that they can attack.

I'd probobly say BAB +3 & Improved Iniative. Maybe a dex of 12 or 13.

 

[Hussar]

That makes sense. Thanks.

Really, the free move is all I wanted in the first place.

Perhaps Combat Expertise would be an idea for a pre-req. With the BAB:+3. Seems like a Combat Expertise type feat anyway.

 

[Errant]

Even attentive guards on duty arn't "at the ready" for hours straight. I don't think it's humanly possible to keep your attention on nothing for hours at a time... just waiting.

As a police officer and former soldier who has done my fair share of scene guards and sentry duty I have to say this is only sometimes true. Guarding a scene in a "safe" area with no known threats, absolutely, your attention is going to wander a lot, but even then at times you'll be focused and attentive. On sentry duty in the army, out in the field or somewhere that there is actually reason to suspect an attack (or being sprung by your commander) your attention will by a lot higher.

Sure, individuals will vary. Guards with a professional attitude will be more attentive than slackers just killing time until next pay.

Good DMs will take into account how secure the guards feel when considering circumstance bonuses to your opposed Hide/Spot & Listen/Move Silently checks, but DMs have a lot to think about so sometimes they forget these little details.

IMHO if you think it fits, it never hurts (if you do it nicely) to ask the DM "any chance I get a circumstances bonus to my check since the guard thinks he's in safe territory?"

By the same token, if you've come up with a good room-entry tactic you could just ask for a circumstance bonus to your subsequent initiative roll.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

IMHO if you think it fits, it never hurts (if you do it nicely) to ask the DM "any chance I get a circumstances bonus to my check since the guard thinks he's in safe territory?"

To which a forward thinking DM will reply, "No - but he'll probably get a penalty on his Spot and Listen checks."

 

[Storm Raven]

Is it just me or does all this jumping through hoops to get an extra move action in the surprise round seem like something that would be better handled just by several of the PCs taking the Improved Initiative feat?

I mean, the description given for what is desired is room clearing tactics similar to those used by teams of military and/or police forces. Those guys train to get to the point where they react to the start of hostilties rapidly and effectivley, but they are never perfect at it to the exclusion of their targets even being capable of potentially reacting. That sort of training sounds to me like something that would be easily reflected by the Improved Initative feat.

 

[Hussar]

Heh, probably.