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<blockquote data-quote="Ridley's Cohort" data-source="post: 1397830" data-attributes="member: 545">There are other ways to avoid AoOs .&nbsp; An optimized spike chain specialist will have spent 3 feats on that weapon style which could have been used for the Spring Attack chain.&nbsp; If you have room and good movement, you can even avoid the full attack with Spring Attack.The is also a strategic element here: If you are a specialized melee grunt what is your primary job in the party?&nbsp; Now this will vary by party composition and campaign style, but in most parties I have played in the job of the grunt is to take the fight to the BBEG.&nbsp; So you are a spiked chain specialist and you are a mook's worst nightmare.&nbsp; Who cares?&nbsp; That's not your job!&nbsp; We have sorcerors and/or rogues and/or bards and/or rangers who can neutralize the mooks.The spiked chain wielder is likely to be inferior in two respects: (1) ~10%-15% less damage once Improved Critical is available, and (2) a softer defense because you have a slightly lower Con or Wis in order to get the necessary Int for Trip.&nbsp; The spiked chain style is pretty good, but it is not overpowered unless the DM consistently throws Medium biped melee BBEGs at you.&nbsp; Against other kinds of BBEGs the style is measurably inferior.Now I am not saying that the spiked chain is a poor style at all, but its particular forte is dealing with mooks.&nbsp; Is that a good thing?&nbsp; Yes.&nbsp; Is that a great thing?&nbsp; Probably not.&nbsp; YMMV.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ridley's Cohort, post: 1397830, member: 545"] There are other ways to avoid AoOs . An optimized spike chain specialist will have spent 3 feats on that weapon style which could have been used for the Spring Attack chain. If you have room and good movement, you can even avoid the full attack with Spring Attack. The is also a strategic element here: If you are a specialized melee grunt [b]what is your primary job in the party?[/b] Now this will vary by party composition and campaign style, but in most parties I have played in the job of the grunt is to take the fight to the BBEG. So you are a spiked chain specialist and you are a mook's worst nightmare. Who cares? That's not your job! We have sorcerors and/or rogues and/or bards and/or rangers who can neutralize the mooks. The spiked chain wielder is likely to be inferior in two respects: (1) ~10%-15% less damage once Improved Critical is available, and (2) a softer defense because you have a slightly lower Con or Wis in order to get the necessary Int for Trip. The spiked chain style is pretty good, but it is not overpowered unless the DM consistently throws Medium biped [i]melee[/i] BBEGs at you. Against other kinds of BBEGs the style is measurably inferior. Now I am not saying that the spiked chain is a poor style at all, but its particular forte is dealing with mooks. Is that a good thing? Yes. Is that a great thing? Probably not. YMMV. [/QUOTE]

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