I think I just broke the system (or: My Dirty Little Secret)

[DDK]

After just travelling for an hour to get to a game, I find out hardly anyone is going to turn up so it's cancelled. So, off back home I go, lamenting the fact that I didn't get to play my monk character: Graz Hober (say it with a pseudo monk-like asian accent...).

Anyway, so I'm flipping through Sword & Fist, thinking about the feats I would've given him and I hit upon a combination.

Now... umm... this might've already occured to people, so if I'm late to the party, just tell me and I'll walk away with my tail between my legs, but for two years it hasn't occured to me or any of my players and I haven't seen it on any message board.

It's simple really. Stunning Attack + Expert Tactician + Death Blow. I can get that with a Human Fighter 1/Monk 2. Let's assume standard point-buy for the character given him a Strength and Wisdom of roughly 14 each making the Stun DC only 12 but the average Fort save against a coup de grace about DC 21 ([3.5 + 2] x 2).

All in one round and doable twice a day.

Umm... BROKEN!

 

[hong]

1. A stunned character is not helpless; thus you cannot coup de grace him.

2. Much like the polymorph spells, Expert Tactician has been errata'ed to hell and back; the (current) official version is in Song & Silence. In particular, it now grants an extra attack, not an extra partial action.

 

[DDK]

1. A stunned character is not helpless; thus you cannot coup de grace him.

See, that's what being awake for 32 hours does... you forget the rules!

 

[Gaiden]

The concept has already been used:

Combat Reflexes
Expert Tactician
Stunning Attack
Freeze the Life Blood

FtLB is from OA and renders the opponent immobile - effectively helpless. I believe there were a few other choice feats (II, D, M, SA, etc.) that enhanced this combo, but the basics are above. If you are allowed to take Ability Focus (or some equivalent) that increases the DC of the stunning attacks/freezing attacks, take that with Wis boosters and ki straps and you have quite an effective combo. Go psychic warrior and take the unarmed touch attack feat chain as well as the armor feat and you have a really dangerous character.

 

[Roland Delacroix]

Against Humanoids, the only thing Freeze the Life Blood works on.

 

[Victim]

IIRC, Freezing the Life blood works differently than Stunning Attack. I thought it's uses per day and DCs were seperate.

Either way, the Freezing attack does no damage. It's the same thing as Hold Person, essentially.

 

[Saepiroth]

Either way, the Freezing attack does no damage. It's the same thing as Hold Person, essentially.

but you CAN coup the frozen target!

 

[hammymchamham]

but you CAN coup the frozen target!

down with the frozen targets!

 

[Endur]

Death Blow

Death Blow is a suprisingly good feat for a monk. His ability to move fast means that he can leap into the rear of a melee and coup a helpless opponent. With Spring Attack, it'll be awesome.

 

[Saepiroth]

down with the frozen targets!

viva la revolucion!