Building Mister Tripper

[Scion]

steadfast boots are at least an order of magnitude too cheap

Dont forget to check out the marshal, one of his abilities would work out incredibly well for tripping! and bull rushing, and disarm, and grapple.

 

[Darklone]

Basically for a trip based build, str, size and reach are all good. So however you can get those is the way to go. Barb levels for rage is nice, getting a race that is large and has a str boost. Half dragon is pretty nice for a trip build. Jotunbrud isnt bad, but if you have a way of getting your size increased(via magic or whatever) then it's wasted. Also in unapproachable east there is a barb feat for wolf lodge that gives a bonus to trip attempts and also allows you to take improved trip without expertise.

Another nice magic item from the Arms and Equipment guide is Steadfast boost, make you immune to trip and I think bullrush. IE you don't have to worry about counter trip attempts.

Jotunbrud isn't wasted if your DM would interpret it "as one size larger"...

Which would make sense IMHO.

 

[Plane Sailing]

OK, I've often read how one of the best builds is a tripping fighter. However, what feats do you take for this? Obviously, Improved Trip, but generally that's still only going to give you a +4 bonus against other fighter-types and rogues. It would seem to me that there's still a good chance of loosing your weapon. What am I missing here?

Here is a completely serious answer.

Assuming that you are not looking for twinked out, but just effective, it needs as little as

A reach weapon with trip ability
Improved Trip
Expertise (prereq for improved trip)
Combat reflexes

So you could have a first level human fighter with a guisarme who is able to make multiple improved trip attacks against anyone who moves through his threatened area - each trip attempt is a touch attack, you get +4 on your opposed check and if you get them down then you get a free extra attack at +4 to hit.

At 2nd level it would probably be wise to take quickdraw, so that you can instantly draw your backup weapon if you lose your guisarme.

As you can see, this is an effective build for even a 1st level human fighter.

Cheers

 

[Darklone]

Here is a completely serious answer.

Assuming that you are not looking for twinked out, but just effective, it needs as little as

A reach weapon with trip ability
Improved Trip
Expertise (prereq for improved trip)
Combat reflexes
...
At 2nd level it would probably be wise to take quickdraw, so that you can instantly draw your backup weapon if you lose your guisarme.

Do we need to mark serious answers now ?

At 2nd Fighter level, you might choose Prone Attack instead of Quickdraw (take it at 3rd level or later, you'll only have one attack per round anyway and you are able to move, draw a weapon and attack anyhow).

 

[Rashak Mani]

+20 without the BAB included ? Wow, its a monster !

 

[Plane Sailing]

Do we need to mark serious answers now ?

At 2nd Fighter level, you might choose Prone Attack instead of Quickdraw (take it at 3rd level or later, you'll only have one attack per round anyway and you are able to move, draw a weapon and attack anyhow).

I mean serious as against twinked out

The weapon I've chosen (guisarme) is a trip-capable weapon, so should the trip backfire you can drop the weapon rather than be tripped yourself. Prone Attack would never be needed in this scenario.

Quickdraw is useful in those situations where you've moved, tripped but it backfired and you have to drop your weapon... so quickdraw your backup weapon as a free action and avoid standing around unarmed. (great for throwing knives etc too)

Cheers

 

[Darklone]

Hmm. But with Prone Attack, you simply hold on tight to your weapon, go prone and if someone except the dude you attacked comes near, you hit him with an AoO and get up again while suffering no consequences for being prone ?

But you're right, your scenario sounds less silly than mine does.

 

[Black Knight Irios]

Maybe both of you are right, I think I would take both feats, because if I always do that the DM is likely sending me a counter attack in the same way, so better have both feats at hand.

 

[shadowlight]

I've got a related, but different question here:
http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=80299
if any of you trip experts could help out.

Reading this thread, most of the answers involve choice of weapons, race, spells, etc., but it looks to me like there's no real mechanic for a person to get better at making trip attacks (because it all comes down to opposed ability checks). Say you have a 20th level fighter vs. a 1st level fighter. They both have all 10s for their ability scores. Assuming their melee touch attacks hit, they would both have the same chance of tripping each other.

Other than Improved Trip (which still doesn't help the opposed ability check), is there any way to get better (through training, not spells, races, etc) at tripping?

 

[Darklone]

Other than Improved Trip (which still doesn't help the opposed ability check), is there any way to get better (through training, not spells, races, etc) at tripping?

As said in the other thread: It's a typical D&D problem. And looks like you play 3.0.

Items are a substantial part of a character, especially in high level D&D. Spellcasters are less defined by them than fighters... but it's one of the most important things (besides class choice) for any high level char.