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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Staffan" data-source="post: 2780029" data-attributes="member: 907">Combat Expertise is useful, especially when you're low on hp or are fighting things you really don't want to hit you (like various undead). However, the stereotypical big burly fighter might not have the brains necessary to take it - you do need Int 13.Many, possibly most, opponents you'll be fighting in D&D don't use weapons. Also, many of the ones who do are much larger than you are, which means they'll get big bonuses to resist being disarmed.Also, I think disarming is pretty redundant with trip, really. A disarmed opponent has to use a move action, which might give an AoO, to return to his former fighting capability. However, if they have Quickdraw, they can draw another weapon instead and still full-attack you. If you trip (with Improved) an opponent, you get a free attack - not so with disarm. And trip can be used on pretty much everyone, while disarm is limited to opponents that use weapons.You only deny them Dex bonuses against your next attack. This one is mostly useful for rogues, who use it to set their opponent up for a sneak attack - rogues tend to do wimpy damage when not getting sneak attack damage, so giving up your full attack routine in exchange for one hit with sneak attack damage isn't a bad option (especially at low levels when you don't get multiple attacks anyway).Improved Trip is a very, very good feat. In fact, it might be too good with the rule change in 3.5 (in 3.0, standing up from prone didn't provoke an AoO), as it does three things: negate AoO, +4 to attempt, and free attack if it succeeds.I mostly see this on characters who use reach weapons, and thus tend to focus a lot on AoOs. For a regular sword&board fella, this has limited utility. Especially considering that many fighters tend not to have very high Dex scores in the first place, given that using heavy armor won't let you add most of it to your AC.This is a "cool" feat, but not very powerful. It does give you a non-disarmable 1d3 weapon, and IMO most serious fighters should know how to handle a brawl, but they just seem to care more about other feats.In my campaign, I have a monk/fighter who focuses on grappling attacks. Against those opponents it works against (humanoids, mostly), it works VERY well - incapacitate the opponent and then hurt him (it doesn't hurt that he gets monk damage on the grapple either instead of the normal 1d3). Against opponents that have lots of things going for them in a grapple (most Large+ creatures, which there are a lot of), it's not so hot.Both of these are very situational feats. Wanting to push people around on the battlefield doesn't happen that often. But the warforged fighter in my campaign seems to like his Improved Overrun, so...The main problem with this, from a metagame perspective, is that if you break the opponent's weapon, you don't get to have it after the fight.</blockquote>

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