Countering Improved Trip

[Elder-Basilisk]

1) Improved Trip adds +4 when the character initiates a Trip. It doesn't help when that character is tripped by a foe. Only Strength and things like Stability and having a few extra legs help avoid being Tripped.

Interesting, I hadn't noticed that.

2) Characters that make use of the special combat manuevers pretty much demand opponents who also use them. Someone already mentioned Sundering and Disarming. Add to that opponents who use teamwork, and reach weapons... An Enlarged, Bull-Strengthed Ogre or Troll with a few Feats would do wonders to knock the trip-monkey down a few pegs...

True. OTOH, you can't actually enlarge an ogre or troll since enlarge person only works on humanoids. Still, an ogre or troll barbarian is definitely on the "not likely to get better than 50/50 odds unless you ray of enfeeblement it first" list of things to trip.

6) For strong characters who get Tripped, consider tripping back [that -4 isn't so bad in a touch attack situation].

I hadn't thought of that. Beautiful. . . being prone doesn't effect the strength check.

 

[Grog]

Simple answer - flight. Do all your fighting from 5' off the ground. You might also get the bonus from attacking from a higher elevation, depending on your DM.

 

[smetzger]

This is debatable... but I allow a 5 ft step even if your prone.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I don't see how it's debatable. In 3.0 it's a 5 ft. step and never provokes. In 3.5, it's specifically listed as provoking. It shouldn't be but it is.

This is debatable... but I allow a 5 ft step even if your prone.

 

[smetzger]

I don't see how it's debatable. In 3.0 it's a 5 ft. step and never provokes. In 3.5, it's specifically listed as provoking. It shouldn't be but it is.

Uhm a 5 ft step doesn't provoke an AoO. Thats the whole point of taking a 5 ft step before getting up.

 

[Halma]

Balance and Tumble vs triping

I don't see how it's debatable. In 3.0 it's a 5 ft. step and never provokes. In 3.5, it's specifically listed as provoking. It shouldn't be but it is.

I have started to give characters (NPC's and PC's) a synergy of +2 to there Trip defense, if they have 5 or more ranks in Balance. Also I allow characters to make a Tumble check DC 15 to avoid the AoO from standing up, only if they have spent ranks in Tumble (Class or Cross-Class). It is still considered a move action to tumble up to a standing position. The character would still have the attack action or another move action left.


Just my two cents.


Halma

 

[Mallus]

Uhm a 5 ft step doesn't provoke an AoO. Thats the whole point of taking a 5 ft step before getting up.

The question is: can you take a 5' step while Prone?

While Prone, you can 1) stand up [and take an AoO], or Crawl [note: this isn't normal movement]. Crawling itself provokes an AoO.

Normally, you can forgo your normal movement [avg. 40'] in order to take a 5' tactical step. While Crawling, your max movement rate is now 5'. I don't see how that can be 'traded in' for a AoO beating 5' step.

 

[Norfleet]

Remember: The bigger they are, the louder the squish you make when they step on you.

Even more so in the ToEE computer game. The first thing any prone creature does on its initiative is to stand up. So if your Enlarge Person'd, Bull's Strength'd, Improved Trip monkey knocks someone over, and you rush all your characters to stand next to them, they provoke lots and lots of AoOs as soon as their initiative comes up...

That is not one of the parts of the game I'm terribly fond of. You should be able to stay down, and not provoke an AOO, ruleswise.....on the other hand, you'd think lying there like a log and doing nothing is just as much an opportunity as trying to get up, and realistically asks for somebody to perform a CDG on you. This, of course, is why in real life, you roll out of the way (5' move while prone), before attempting to get up. This point comes up later. The lack of DEATH FROM ABOVE is another peeve. It's classic: Fly or levitate above your unsuspecting opponent, then dismiss the spell and plummet at him pointy-thing down in an attempt to skewer him like a kebab and land on him. If he hasn't looked up, he'll have no idea you're there.

This may sound weird, but if you're grapple specialist, you can grapple your opponent (if he has not more reach) after he knocked you prone...

That's not weird. I can happily demonstrate this for you by grabbing you by the ankles and hauling you over.

Normally, you can forgo your normal movement [avg. 40'] in order to take a 5' tactical step. While Crawling, your max movement rate is now 5'. I don't see how that can be 'traded in' for a AoO beating 5' step.

I somehow think the rules for how far one can crawl in 6 seconds may be a little overly harsh. Has anyone actually tried to time this with a stopwatch, keeping in mind that you are, by no means, an Olympic crawling champion? If you can get further than 5 feet in 6 seconds crawling, I think it's safe to say that the rules might be a little bit harsh on that. Logically, it follows that the way one would make a 5' move while prone is to roll. This is carried about from personal experience: When you fall over in a fight in real life, you roll the hell away from your opponent and then try and get up.

 

[Hypersmurf]

If you can get further than 5 feet in 6 seconds crawling, I think it's safe to say that the rules might be a little bit harsh on that.

Crawl five feet as a Move Action. So you can get ten feet in six seconds.

Of course, doing so might provoke two AoOs...

-Hyp.

 

[hong]

I hadn't thought of that. Beautiful. . . being prone doesn't effect the strength check.

+ transmute rock to mud = whee, it's D&D mud wrestling!