Bull Rush-What's the Point?
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Saeviomagy
Adventurer
Fighter stands out front and readies a bullrush at the first enemy to charge.
At which point the charge is broken because it was not all straight line movement. The enemy doesn't get his attack, and the fighter is adjacent at the start of his go, and unloads a full attack.
At which point the charge is broken because it was not all straight line movement. The enemy doesn't get his attack, and the fighter is adjacent at the start of his go, and unloads a full attack.
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
Vrecknidj said:
Dimension Door is a short-range teleport, effectively. It doesn't actually create a doorway, and it can only transport willing creatures.
Gate creates a portal... but it transports 'anyone who chooses to step through'. If you bull rush someone into a Gate, but they don't 'choose to step through', it's not at all clear that they would be plane-shifted.
-Hyp.
Jeff Wilder
First Post
Don't you folks ever fight BBEGs with hordes of weenie minions?
It doesn't matter if the weenie horde can't hurt your 50-points-of-damage per round fighter ... if they surround him and effectively immobilize him. He's stuck for however many rounds dealing with meaningless threats (or maybe not so meaningless, if they make effective use of Aid Another and Grapple), while the BBEG unleashes hell on the other PCs.
Bull Rush can help a fighter get out of that situation.
It doesn't matter if the weenie horde can't hurt your 50-points-of-damage per round fighter ... if they surround him and effectively immobilize him. He's stuck for however many rounds dealing with meaningless threats (or maybe not so meaningless, if they make effective use of Aid Another and Grapple), while the BBEG unleashes hell on the other PCs.
Bull Rush can help a fighter get out of that situation.
LazarusLong42
First Post
Best use of Bull Rush I've seen was in my gameday scenario last year. The party cleric cast Blade Barrier, filling an area behind the (invisible, but position known) adversary. Party fighter-type then bull-rushed his own ally--who was forced into the adversary--who was forced into the barrier for ridiculous-d6 damage.
(I can't remember excatly how I rules it--something along the lines of "that's too cool an idea to worry about what the rules say exactly...")
(I can't remember excatly how I rules it--something along the lines of "that's too cool an idea to worry about what the rules say exactly...")
Darklone
Registered User
As shilsen mentioned, a barbarian bullrushing the enemies past his friends with polearms and combat reflexes is fun. Remember that any such movement provokes an AoO since it's not a 5ft step for the opponent.
Being the single real heavy hitpoint tank in a big group, I used Bull rush pretty often to get a monster away from a stunned or immobilized spellcaster before it could unleash its full attack action (at least on him/her...).
Being the single real heavy hitpoint tank in a big group, I used Bull rush pretty often to get a monster away from a stunned or immobilized spellcaster before it could unleash its full attack action (at least on him/her...).
UniversalMonster
Explorer
Bull Rush is a good team tactic in certain situations. You can bull rush enemies into an area prepared with a damaging or immobilizing spell such as web or entangle or something. Evn an area littered with caltrops. In the miniatures game you have spiked barriers every once in a while.
Bull rushing an enemy into a spot where he'll be hit by reach weapons is good too. Or to a pinned spot where the enemy can't move out without suffering attacks of opportunity.
It's useful in a tactical retreat if you have a badly wounded character that can't retreat with suffering attacks of opportunity from other bad guys. You can clear a path and allow the pinned character to escape.
The point is, there are situations when you want to determine where the enemy moves, even if it's just a 5' step.
Bull rushing an enemy into a spot where he'll be hit by reach weapons is good too. Or to a pinned spot where the enemy can't move out without suffering attacks of opportunity.
It's useful in a tactical retreat if you have a badly wounded character that can't retreat with suffering attacks of opportunity from other bad guys. You can clear a path and allow the pinned character to escape.
The point is, there are situations when you want to determine where the enemy moves, even if it's just a 5' step.
Shock Trooper Feat
You can also take Improved Bull Rush as a fighter (with all those extra feats, why not?
), and besides getting a +4 bonus on your bull rush attempt against a defender, you're set up for the tactical feat Shock Trooper, in Complete Warrior, which let's you do any of the three following things:
1.- Directed Bull-rush: When you start a bull-rush, for every 5 feet you move an opponent, you can move them an additional 5 feet to either side. This is good when you've got a wall and past that there's a cliff to one side, so you can push them forward and then towards the cliff.
2.- Bull-rush Tripping: You can push an opponent to a square occupied by another foe, and you get a free trip attempt against both of them, and they can't trip you if you fail the check. Coupled with Combat Reflexes it can be a deadly combination. You leave them prone, and then you get both AoO's against them, with a +4 to hit them.
3.- Heedless Charge: This is my favourite. When you charge, you must use at least 5 points of Power Attack, and subtract them from your AC instead of your base attack. Your great-sword or great-axe wielding fighter or barbarian would begin to maul all your enemies. Granted, he would be a sitting duck for a whole round, but he'd get a very high amount of damage if he hits, which is very likely, and that's the very function of the power-attacking barbarian, it's what they all seek .
Branok.
You can also take Improved Bull Rush as a fighter (with all those extra feats, why not?
), and besides getting a +4 bonus on your bull rush attempt against a defender, you're set up for the tactical feat Shock Trooper, in Complete Warrior, which let's you do any of the three following things:1.- Directed Bull-rush: When you start a bull-rush, for every 5 feet you move an opponent, you can move them an additional 5 feet to either side. This is good when you've got a wall and past that there's a cliff to one side, so you can push them forward and then towards the cliff.
2.- Bull-rush Tripping: You can push an opponent to a square occupied by another foe, and you get a free trip attempt against both of them, and they can't trip you if you fail the check. Coupled with Combat Reflexes it can be a deadly combination. You leave them prone, and then you get both AoO's against them, with a +4 to hit them.
3.- Heedless Charge: This is my favourite. When you charge, you must use at least 5 points of Power Attack, and subtract them from your AC instead of your base attack. Your great-sword or great-axe wielding fighter or barbarian would begin to maul all your enemies. Granted, he would be a sitting duck for a whole round, but he'd get a very high amount of damage if he hits, which is very likely, and that's the very function of the power-attacking barbarian, it's what they all seek
.Branok.
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