Balance and Trip

[Nim]

So, occured to me while reading a different thread...much as ranks in Escape Artist are helpful in escaping a grapple, it'd make sense if ranks in Balance made you harder to trip. Unfortunately, there's a balance issue (so to speak): Grapple is Strength + BAB versus (Strength + BAB) or (Dex + Escape Artist), which works fine. Obviously, though, Trip can't be Strength versus (Strength) or (Dex + Balance) - that'd be broken.

My best thought right now is to give characters with 5 ranks of Balance a +2 on rolls to avoid being tripped, as something like a synergy bonus. Opinions?

 

[Magus Coeruleus]

If you use Escape Artist vs. a grapple you don't get Dex mod + Escape Artist because Escape Artist = Dex mod + ranks already. Similarly, if you want to House Rule using Balance vs. Trip it wouldn't be Dex mod + Balance, but just Balance, which basically means Dex mod + ranks in Balance. That still may be too much for you, but at least you're not double counting Dex mod.

 

[Nim]

By Dex + Balance, I meant 'Dex + Balance ranks' Yes, it'd also include other misc bonuses to Balance, but writing it that way made it easier to show the problem - namely, that a straight stat check isn't on par with a skill check.

 

[Thondor]

If you wanted to get fancy add a +1 "synergy" bonus to the dex check to resist trip for every 5 ranks someone has in balance.
It certainly wouldn't be unbalancing
a +2 for every 5 (or just the first 5 might)

 

[Thondor]

If you wanted to get fancy add a +1 "synergy" bonus to the dex check to resist trip for every 5 ranks someone has in balance.
It certainly wouldn't be unbalancing
a +2 for every 5 (or just the first 5) might

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Funny, I was thinking about the samething the other day. I was going to give people with ranks in balance a synergy bonus vs. trip attacks. At 5 ranks +2 and for every 5 ranks there after +1 more (like with all other synergys in my game).
I didn't want to use straight balance ranks because trip attacks are generally only strength bonus nor str+BAB like grapples.

I think it would ass more utility to an otherwise under used skill.

 

[FireLance]

There's a rule in Complete Adventurer that allows a character with 10 ranks of Balance to make a Balance check with a -10 penalty to resist a trip. However, if he uses this option, he cannot react to trip the original tripper if the trip attempt fails.

 

[melon-neko]

You could make the balance check DC equal to the attackers to hit roll. That way you have something that scales (although not equally) with lvl and it can be justified that with balance, you avoid being tripped by moving with the tripping attack or dodging at the last minute etc, instead of simply resisting the strength of the tripper.

I guess the problem with this method is the attacker would always have at least a 3 point disadvantage against someone with maxed out dodge. Also, you should definately not get a trip back option with this.

Melon