Disarm, why so easy?

[Artoomis]

No feats are needed. Just preferred.

True enough. But one is needed to use it with the same skill as other weapons with which you are proficient.

 

[Felix]

But the point is you can do all those things with only one weapon.

Which does moderate base damage with a very poor crit threat and multiplier with the least desirable damage type. And all of those combat maneuvers it can do won't help against quite a few foes.

It's only when you can exploit the characteristics of the weapon that it becomes powerful.
10' reach: Combat Reflexes
10' reach: Cleave
2-handed: Power Attack

Et cetera. But if you invest feats it should become powerful.

As a weapon some guy is using with only the EWP feat, I don't get the attraction: other weapons are better at specific things. This thing can do all of them, but at a cost.

You can disarm quite well - +6 bonus to start with.

If you use a quarterstaff, you have a +4 to disarm. It's cheaper and doesn't require a feat. No, it doesn't have reach. That's the payoff for the feat. I don't see the problem.

By the way, do you think it's too powerful mechanically, since you did describe it as the premier weapon? Or are you saying you don't like the flavor? Frankly I've only seen it used a very few times; I don't think it rates "premier" much of anything.

 

[KarinsDad]

As a weapon some guy is using with only the EWP feat, I don't get the attraction: other weapons are better at specific things. This thing can do all of them, but at a cost.

Yes, it is a cost. And you are correct, this has to be combined with other feats to shine.

But, when combined with the proper feats, this weapon can become pretty awesome.

For example, combine it with Improved Trip, Combat Reflexes, and Karmic Strike (which requires Combat Expertise and Dodge as well).

Most any similar sized creature who moves within 10 feet of you or attacks you will give you an AoO Trip and if successful, an attack against them while prone.

You also get an attack against them when they try to get up from prone or try to move away.

With a high enough Str and Dex, a character can get a lot of attacks in this way per round. Granted, some of those attacks will be due to getting hit himself, but that's the balance of it.

Note: A PC doing this should be using his Combat Expertise (and even Improved Combat Expertise or Power Attack) so that he is the one doing most of the tripping and damaging. Tripping is a melee touch attack which is typically easy to make, even at minuses. And of course, this is even better for a Dwarf.


Then, cast Enlarge Person (and Shield Other) on the Spiked Chain wielding creature and the covered area increases, the damage increases, the chance of successfully tripping increases, etc.

This allows one PC to hold the line by himself against multiple foes and prevent many of them from getting past him (especially in smaller areas) to the other (especially spell casting) PCs (this assumes that opponents do not attempt to Tumble past him).

It's a synergy thing. It's not that this PC is doing so much damage himself (and he still is doing decent damage, only ~3 points less per hit than a Greatsword wielding combatant, 2 average on dice and 1 for 5% less chance to critical, or ~5 points less if Enlarged), it is that he is wasting the actions of multiple opponents. In DND, the number of productive actions per round per side are the lifeblood of winning combats.

A character who can Trip (and damage) multiple opponents per round and can control a significant area of the combat field is doing huge things for his team.

 

[MarkB]

Yep. Looks like two big pouches, one on each hip.

Plus two pockets beneath each of those pouches.
Plus eight pockets on her beltline.
Plus twenty-two more above her midriff.
Plus three on each bracrer.

That's quite a few.

 

[Dagger of Lath]

Nothing sounds wrong about the situation you've got there. A clever idea like a disarm really gets past the tedium of "I swing, I hit" and can really save a party from total destruction.

If you're having problem with defensive spells being bypassed, remember that there are spells which subtract from the opponents attack roll such as protection from evil, which may be more effective than a boost to AC. (and can assist with stacking problems).

 

[Dagger of Lath]

there are spells which subtract from the opponents attack roll such as protection from evil.

Whoops. That's a house rule there (easier to subtract from the attacks of evil opponents than an AC bonus against specific attackers). Still there are some other spells which inflict penalties against attackers rather than bonuses to AC, for example the glowing armour spells in BoED. There's probably more but my memory is being shocking today.

 

[MarkB]

Whoops. That's a house rule there (easier to subtract from the attacks of evil opponents than an AC bonus against specific attackers). Still there are some other spells which inflict penalties against attackers rather than bonuses to AC, for example the glowing armour spells in BoED. There's probably more but my memory is being shocking today.

Prayer reduces opponents' attacks while boosting those of allies, assuming everyone remembers it's active and who was caught in the effect. Nobody in our group has cast that one since one memorable session when we resorted to writing "Is that with the Prayer?" on a sheet of card and holding it up each time someone made a roll.

 

[Artoomis]

Plus two pockets beneath each of those pouches.
Plus eight pockets on her beltline.
Plus twenty-two more above her midriff.
Plus three on each bracrer.

That's quite a few.

Right you are. I had to pull out my magnifyng glass to see it all. Ah, the penalties of being almost 50...

So there is a fine example, but it is hardly universal.

Besdies A spell component pouch is what you can purchase. Nothing stops you from owning more than one, of course, but the game defines it as a single pouch. Allowing it to be immune from diarm/sunder is increasing the power (from a game balance persepctive) of spell casaters, which I striongly recommend against. They already start to take over the game at higher levels, it's GOOD for them to have weaknesses.

Remember, ONE spell component pouch is 5gp and weighs 2 lbs. For a low STR wizard, having lots of those will slow him down.

These are all good character design balancing factors.

 

[Pielorinho]

Remember, ONE spell component pouch is 5gp and weighs 2 lbs. For a low STR wizard, having lots of those will slow him down.

Common sense-wise, though, there's no reason why a person would need to fill every spell component pouch with all their spell components: they could easily distribute them over various locations in their body.

If you DM such that someone wanting to purchase a duck cannot do so because ducks are not listed under livestock, or such that someone can't purchase firewood, a cottage, or a funny hat with bells, then sure. But if you consider the equipment list to be a starting point, then I'd see no reason at all why someone couldn't have a bajillion tiny pouches, like Mialee or the other wizard depicted on the facing page.

Daniel

 

[RonYon]

Hey! How did the Monk find and reach the invisible, flying Wizard?
Just kidding, but this seems like a tactics failure on the bad guys part, one that was exploited with team work by the good guys.
Just wait until your wizard trys the same trick with a whip and TrueStrike!