David-vs-Goliath tactics

[hong]

As mentioned, there's nothing forbidding you or the player to declare they are doing exactly that when they attack normally. It's like declaring they are aiming for the creture's vital points: you are always aiming for the vital points, there's no need to house rule called shots.

Well, the same could be said of "I wind up and make a powerful swing for maximum damage!" And yet Power Attack exists as a feat... one which a number of people have observed could be turned into a combat option, like fighting defensively.

 

[Elethiomel]

There's the Tome of Battle "Wolf Climbs the Mountain" strike, that lets you enter a larger opponent's space without provoking attacks of opportunity, gain a cover bonus as long as you remain within that opponent's space, and get extra damage against that opponent.

 

[Someone]

Well, the same could be said of "I wind up and make a powerful swing for maximum damage!" And yet Power Attack exists as a feat... one which a number of people have observed could be turned into a combat option, like fighting defensively.

Very true, but if PA didn't exist (and even it existing) you'd not forbid a player for claiming "I wind up and make a powerful swing for maximum damage!" when he scores a good swing with his greataxe. Perhaps I should have said that it's not obligatory to have new rules for the back-climbing maneuver to happen in play; I'm not suggesting that in no circumstances should these new rules (comat options or new feat for fighting larger opponents) be implemented.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Is there any support for tactics like this in sourcebooks?

How about the DMG suggestion of 'DMs friend' +2 modifier (p30) - although that suggestion is about skills, we also have the example on p25 where the monk wants to swing on the chandelier to attack foes and the DM gives him +2 to hit.

i.e. you could give a blanket +2 to hit for clever or flavourful tactics.

 

[hong]

Very true, but if PA didn't exist (and even it existing) you'd not forbid a player for claiming "I wind up and make a powerful swing for maximum damage!" when he scores a good swing with his greataxe.

I wouldn't forbid it, but I think you've got it back to front. The question is what to do if he _does_ say it: just treat it as flavour, or give some sort of mechanical benefit.

 

[Someone]

The question is what to do if he _does_ say it: just treat it as flavour, or give some sort of mechanical benefit.

My point, more or less: he has the option to go either way. Without playing in his (the opening poster's) game I don't know if he'd perfer to keep it as flavor or introduce some new rules.

 

[Felon]

So I can either have a meaningful option or a meaningless one? Hmm....Yeah, I think I"ll go with the useful one this time.

With all due respect to descriptiveness, flanking isn't being on top of or under your enemy or otherwise in its space. It's flanking.