Is a whip with Combat Reflexes the uber-comination that my player thinks it is?

[Taurren]

Spiked Chain as a weapon, along with the feats, Combat Expertise, Exotic Wpn & Improved Trip and a high strength ... is a tripping monster.

With those feats, a Fighter at 3rd lv gets a +4 to his Trip attempts, can attack adjacent foes, has a 10' reach and when paired with another PC who has a reach weapon like a pole arm ... <shudder>

When combined with the changes to AoO's it makes a deadly ... and IMHO totally BROKEN combat advantage.

When you add Combat Reflexes to that combination ... <shrug>

 

[Pax]

Whips are all well and good until you meet the Dwarven Monk with an amulet of natural armor +2.

That's why they invented the Whip-Dagger. ^_^

 

[Spatula]

Because of this, I've seen many combat encounters where the ranger gets to use his maximum number of AoO's (which is 4, due to his Dex 18)

5, actually. Combat Reflexes gives you extra AoOs equal to your dex bonus.

 

[Silverglass]

Your player is making the combination more powerful than it should be by an outrageous amount, so its not surprising you feel its an uber combination.

Firstly, as many have said, you only get 1 AoO from the targets movement as they close the distance.

Secondly there is no AoO against someone drawing a weapon, only for picking one up.

Also this Ranger should often be attracting the -2 for TWF on his attack rolls, if he doesn't he can't make any attacks with the rapier.

But most importantly you do not threaten the area in which you can make an attack with a whip. Therefore the Ranger cannot make AoO's at further than 5ft (which the Rapier gives him).

 

[Azlan]

Secondly there is no AoO against someone drawing a weapon, only for picking one up.

Ach! You're right. I just re-checked the rules on that, and drawing a weapon does NOT provoke an AoO. (However, sheathing a weapon does.)

Sigh. So many pedantic rules! I still haven't gotten them all, down pat. And to think: I've been DM'ing this game system, on and off, for nearly 3 years now. (That is, D&D 3.0/3.5 system. I've been DM'ing D&D itself for over 10 years. But, of course, in the past, the rules -- and the players, themselves -- were not so pedantic.)

 

[Bauglir]

So many pedantic rules!

I'm sure you meant to say 'detailed'

 

[Camarath]

Also this Ranger should often be attracting the -2 for TWF on his attack rolls, if he doesn't he can't make any attacks with the rapier.

The Whip and the Rapier are both One-Handed Weapons so the penalties for TWF with a Whip and a Rapier should be -4 with the TWF feat.

 

[Silverglass]

The Whip and the Rapier are both One-Handed Weapons so the penalties for TWF with a Whip and a Rapier should be -4 with the TWF feat.

How very true - smacks self on head for not looking things up properly