Compensating for Low Str/Dex

[Lord Pendragon]

Is this 3E or 3.5?

In 3.5, you don't need to threaten to Sneak Attack with a whip via flanking.

But how can you flank without being able to threaten? I thought flanking was defined by two foes threatening a single opponent from opposite sides....?

Plus, with the 1 level of lasher, he can threaten with the whip, so can stand behind the more combat-oritented people and still get in sneak attacks.

Actually, this isn't possible, 3e or 3.5. The Lasher PrC only allows a Lasher to threaten with a whip within 5'. So if you stand behind an ally, it puts you further than 5' away, and you're not flanking again.

 

[Hypersmurf]

But how can you flank without being able to threaten? I thought flanking was defined by two foes threatening a single opponent from opposite sides....?

Read flanking again, and then explain it to me once you've got it

-Hyp.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Read flanking again, and then explain it to me once you've got it

From the 3.5 SRD (bold mine)

FLANKING
When making a melee attack, you get a +2 flanking bonus if your opponent is threatened by a character or creature friendly to you on the opponent’s opposite border or opposite corner.

When in doubt about whether two friendly characters flank an opponent in the middle, trace an imaginary line between the two friendly characters’ centers. If the line passes through opposite borders of the opponent’s space (including corners of those borders), then the opponent is flanked.

Exception: If a flanker takes up more than 1 square, it gets the flanking bonus if any square it occupies counts for flanking.

Only a creature or character that threatens the defender can help an attacker get a flanking bonus.

Creatures with a reach of 0 feet can’t flank an opponent.

So.

You can get your sneak attack if there's an opponent on the other side of your target, even if you aren't threatening (by using a whip) but your ally on the other side is SOL?

 

[Hypersmurf]

You can get your sneak attack if there's an opponent on the other side of your target, even if you aren't threatening (by using a whip) but your ally on the other side is SOL?

Bingo.

It's the same with an unarmed strike - without a feat or a level in monk, you don't threaten... but you're still flanking if you're making a melee attack and a creature friendly to you and in the right place threatens.

-Hyp.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

It's the same with an unarmed strike - without a feat or a level in monk, you don't threaten... but you're still flanking if you're making a melee attack and a creature friendly to you and in the right place threatens.

The things you learn on this board. I had always thought of flanking as applying to both attackers, or neither. I don't think it's ever come up in a game I've played in or DM'd, but if it had, I'd have ruled it incorrectly.

Once again, Hyp, you prove you are the Master.

 

[Nightfall]

Hire other guys to frontline for you. Take Leadership, hire mercs, whatever.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The things you learn on this board. I had always thought of flanking as applying to both attackers, or neither.

Now tell me what's wrong with the rules for Formians

-Hyp.

 

[Nightfall]

Foromians suck! Give me Modrons or Inevitables any day of the week!

 

[pawsplay]

My suggestion would be to forget about the whip as your basic combat tool. Your bonuses suck, your attacks suck, your disarm sucks. On the other hand, how about a +1 wounding whip of spell storing? That's something, at least.

It seems to me that what you need, what you really need, if you want to turn the tide of battle, is the Summon Monster series of spells and the Feat Augment Summoning. You personally should depend on mirror image and/or various forms of invisibility.

 

[rowport]

Since you are already seriously multiclassed, I am reluctant to suggest it, but have you thought about taking other classes that would leverage your other (hopefully higher) ability scores? For instance, a high Wisdom score with Monk could give you an AC bonus to balance your low Dexterity somewhat, or perhaps Swashbuckler leveraging your (presumably) high Charisma score for AC?

Overall, though, I agree with most of the posters here: with those physical stats, I would sure stick to ranged spellcasting...