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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Remathilis" data-source="post: 5931965" data-attributes="member: 7635">I'd like to start a conversation to see how common combat maneuvers (bull rush, trip, grapple, disarm, sunder, etc) should be done. A couple of ideas...1.) In AD&D 2nd edition, they were called shots. Basically, you took a penalty to your roll and if you hit, instead of doing damage you inflicted the maneuver. Later, Combat and Tactics set individual ACs to each stunt AND forced opposed attack rolls. 2.) In Basic/BECMI, some of these attacks (parry, disarm, smash) were fighter (or demi-human) only maneuvers. A fighter could take a penalty to hit to add his whole strength score to damage (proto power attack). Thieves, clerics, and Magic-users need not apply.3.) 3e treated them as modified attacks with specific opposed rolls and penalties, augmentable by feats. They were very realistic, but cumbersome to use.4.) 4e treated them as powers, some do-able at-will (grab), or as part of encounter or daily powers (3[w] + trip). The trick here is to balance out usefulness vs. repetition. In a perfect game world, disarm, sunder, trip and a basic attack are all equal choices. In reality, they are rarely equal, either being too good (trip monkeys) or poor (sunder) and lead to a lot of "ah, F* it, I attack!" scenarios. All of this leads to a couple of universal questions...1.) How should combat maneuvers be resolved? Should they be modified attacks, a unique stat (something like CMB/CMD in Pathfinder), or some form of power/feat/ability?2.) Should they be limited to fighters, fightery-types, or open to all? If the latter, should fighters get bonuses to be the "best" at them?3.) Should they be part of an attack (do damage + trip) or replace the damage? 4.) How is the best way to resist the effects? Contests? Checks? Saving Throws? or something else?5.) Should they be a managed resource (you can use X combat maneuvers per day), be encounter-based (you can trip a foe once per encounter) or be spammable at-will? Any and all suggestions welcomed.</blockquote>

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