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Message: <blockquote data-quote="StreamOfTheSky" data-source="post: 5291104" data-attributes="member: 35909">Short summation: Agree completely with the OP.  Full attacks are quick and easy to resolve for me and most non-newbie players I've seen, I seldom take more than a minute full attacking, even when mixing in trips and stuf with them.  And no, it's not hard to track the bonuses.  You know the first one you swung with?  Take 5 off of that.  Got another attack.  Another 5 off.  Not very hard mental gymnastics...People often note that 3E advances attack bonus but not AC, and gripe that it's a clear fault of the system.  In actuality, it's like that on purpose, for the very reason you stated.  At higher levels, AC just simply doesn't (usually, it can be twinked, of course) keep up with primary attack bonuses.  Boosting AC at later levels isn't to avoid gettig hit entirely.  It's to avoid iterative attacks and not make yourself easy bait to use Power Attack or Combat Expertise on.  And 3E has plenty of beefy low AC monsters at most levels of play, it's not nearly as regimented as 4E in that regard.  Plus...touch attack combat maneuvers (or ones with no attack at all, like bull rush).  So yes, iteratives CAN be useful, in many circumstances.1. Barring Rapid Shot, a feat only dedicated archers will have at all, let alone early on, Crossbow isn't an issue till level 6+.  Also, it's a simple weapon and costs much less, making it available to many more classes.  Also, it can be fired while prone, so in an archery shoot out, the crossbowman has +4 AC.  Also, the Rapid Reload feat.2. That's what Dervish is for.  And as far as "imagining" things, two weapon fighting is not very practical in real life, and I don't think running around flailing your arms would make the situation much better.Yay, internet claims not supported by many people's game experiences!Yes you can.  Yes you can.  And yes you can, again.  Dandu, put up the Obama poster, please?Or you can obtain pounce...Reminds me of a bodyguard character I had.  He was a very cautious lawful type, didn't like to act rashly.  Refused to ever take the charge action (if it was necessary to save a comrade, he would have, but it never came up), and often held back from approaching the enemy first.  He'd sometimes ready attacks for when someone came near, so he could hit their (charging) AC, get put just before them in initiative from then on, and then next round unload a full attack on their (still lowered by charging) AC to punish them for their brashness.  Buffing AC with total defense and similar was also common before the enemy went for the first strike on him.  Anything to make it more frustrating for the other side if they acted aggressively first.  Fun to roleplay.On a more serious note, winning in 3e is often most efficient when you eliminate enemies as fast as possible.  So I like that there's a built in drawback to being the first to engage.Do I really need to post links to mid and high CR monsters with low ACs?  Or again mention combat maneuvers, as others have?You make some good arguments, won't disagree with most of it.  But I don't think everything is so feat intensive.  Plenty of weapons let you trip without provoking, and barring a big monster or someone optimized to using that maneuver, str checks aren't easy to get a lot of variance with, so you have decent odds of winning.  With disarm and sunder it's attack rolls, so anything like aid another or flanking that'd help to hit helps them, too.  I personally enjoy tripping someone and then disarming them.  They have -4 on their melee attack, you have +4.  There's lots of cool synergies you can find to help with maneuvers.  Bolas don't require a proficiency, -4 to hit on a ranged touch attack isn't too bad, and proficiency does nothing for the actual tripping check.As far as provoking AoOs, first of all if the enemy's already used one in the round you may as well have at it with combat maneuvers unless he has Combat Reflexes.  Secondly, if you manage a superior reach (like say...a reach weapon), you can use maneuvers without the Improved feats without fear of reprisal.  My current Guisarme user disarms people from a safe distance on a semi-regular basis w/o the feat.</blockquote>

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