Are fighters that specialize in spiked chain viable/survivable at most/all levels?

[Nail]

At 2d4/20 x2, the spiked chain is less effective than any two-handed martial weapon at dealing damage.

If the spike chain were 1d6 (instead of the bell-curve inducing 2d4), there would be lots fewer complaints about the weapon.

 

[Storm Raven]

If the spike chain were 1d6 (instead of the bell-curve inducing 2d4), there would be lots fewer complaints about the weapon.

The bell curve is a double edged blade (or bell, as it were). You are less likely to end up at the low end of the damage scale, but also less likely to top out.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

The Guisarme is the closest martial weapon to the spike chain.
Guisarme: 2d4/x3 10ft reach (can't strike adjacent, no big deal just 5ft step every round), can be used to trip.

Spike Chain: Cost an exotic weapon proficiency, 2d4/x2 10ft reach (can strike adjacent), can be used to trip, +2 on disarm checks can be weapon finesed.

Spike chain cost a feat and it's citical multiplier is one less but it can strike adjacent targets, gains +2 to disarm and can be weapon finesed.
Seems about a fair trade. I like the guisarme better personally (that 1 extra feat I won't have to spend lets me get the other feats I want faster) but they seem about equal.
If the spike chain is broken the guisarme certainly is also.

From a purely mechanical view the spiked chain is fine. From a historical/realistic view, it's not fine. Just rename it to a historical chain weapon and change how it looks appropriately and you'll be fine.

 

[Joker]

The damage isn't really important if you can keep several opponents busy before it's your turn.

Bear with me, we may be entering Contrivedville.

A fighter built for a Spiked Chain with Combat Reflexes, Improved Disarm And Trip and a 16+ Dex can in the first round (even before it's his turn thanks to Wombat Reflexes) trip up to 4 charging opponents, disarm with the free the attack and then smack em when it's his turn. As they try to get up he trips em again and smacks/disarms as he sees fit.

Granted, this situation doesn't come up a lot but...well, I'm just padding my postcount at 02:30 in the morning.

 

[Arkhandus]

....Wombat Reflexes? {8^D

Anyway, yeah, the spiked chain is absurd if the DM goes with the mindset that you can trip someone with an attack of opportunity as they're getting up from prone. So far as I know, the rules don't really specify if that's viable; if the DM judges that it's not, then Improved Trip and the Spiked Chain aren't quite as overpowered, but still powerful. Normally, getting up from prone provokes an AoO, and Improved Trip in 3.5 is absurd; even in 3.0 it's almost as nasty, though not quite as sure-fire as in 3.5.

The only effective counter is a really big enemy, or a kinda big quadruped. I.E. centaurs, dragons, titans, huge elementals, dire bears, remorhazes, etc. Improved Trip and the Spiked Chain make for a nasty combo, especially with Combat Reflexes and stuff.

Anyway, the spiked chain is an excellent weapon in D&D, even if you don't bother with the Improved Trip feat or Combat Reflexes feat (though they optimize its capabilities). Improved Disarm is more reasonable with it, but still a bit overly strong in 3.5. Combining all of these can be ridiculous though. Trip someone, attack them a few times, disarm them, trip them again as they get up and hit them again, hit them or disarm them as they try to pick their weapon back up, hit them a few more times on your own turn, rinse and repeat....... As with tripping and AoOs, the matter of disarming someone with an AoO as they pick up or draw a weapon is debatable as to its validity. IIRC.

From a realism standpoint, the spiked chain is as suicidal a concept as the dire flail. But D&D and realism are rather different beasts. :^D

 

[Joker]

Weird, the "W" isn't even next to the "C." I'll chalk it up to having thick fingers and it being 02:45 AM.

I suppose I could edit, but that would require effort. I would rather finish this day off with a favorite quote of mine from BG2:

"You have been charged with tax evasion and the illegal sale of illegal items in an illegal manner."

 

[Storm Raven]

....Wombat Reflexes? {8^D

Anyway, yeah, the spiked chain is absurd if the DM goes with the mindset that you can trip someone with an attack of opportunity as they're getting up from prone. So far as I know, the rules don't really specify if that's viable;

Actually, they do. An AoO takes place immediately before the action that provokes it is resolved. Since the AoO in question is being drawn by the "standing from prone" action, the attacked character is still prone when the AoO takes place. You cannot trip a character that is already prone.

 

[Storm Raven]

The damage isn't really important if you can keep several opponents busy before it's your turn.

Bear with me, we may be entering Contrivedville.

A fighter built for a Spiked Chain with Combat Reflexes, Improved Disarm And Trip and a 16+ Dex can in the first round (even before it's his turn thanks to Wombat Reflexes) trip up to 4 charging opponents, disarm with the free the attack and then smack em when it's his turn. As they try to get up he trips em again and smacks/disarms as he sees fit.

This won't work.

First, you can't trip characters who are already prone (as I have pointed out in an earlier post). Second, the Improved Trip feat no longer grants a free attack when you trip someone. Finally, you only get to attack one of them on your turn (unless you have a BAB high enough to grant you extra attacks), although you can still get them with AoOs when (or if) they try to stand, although you can't try to trip them when they try to stand.

 

[Joker]

IMPROVED TRIP [GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Int 13, Combat Expertise.
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when you attempt to trip an opponent while you are unarmed. You also gain a +4 bonus on your Strength check to trip your opponent.
If you trip an opponent in melee combat, you immediately get a melee attack against that opponent as if you hadn’t used your attack for the trip attempt.
Normal: Without this feat, you provoke an attack of opportunity when you attempt to trip an opponent while you are unarmed.
Special: At 6th level, a monk may select Improved Trip as a bonus feat, even if she does not have the prerequisites.
A fighter may select Improved Trip as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Emphesize not mine, it was actually there when I was reading it .

I don't consider someone trying to stand up being prone. This may or may not be supported by the rules, doesn't matter to me. They have to do something to stand up and provoke an AoO. By tripping them, you can "undo" whatever they're doing.

Screw this, it's late, stop bothering me .

 

[CRGreathouse]

I see people complaining a lot about the power of the spiked chain and it always strikes me as odd. In just about every way it is a poor excuse for a weapon, except you are able to attack in 5' and 10'. A benefit that can be gotten by a simple first level spell or potion or a few higher level spells or by having a reach weapon and being able to take a 5' step or who knows what else, there are tons of possibilities.

I agree that in general the spiked chain is fine powerwise. I am more than a bit concerned with the power of Improved Trip in 3.5, though, and the combination of the two may well prove too much. What do you think about the feat?