Is there a new standard for the "Large and In Charge" feat?

[hong]

I really dislike this feat. It allows any creature with greater reach than its opponent to pretty much automatically win.

...

Now I appreciate that the fighter may have other options such as ranged attacks, but if he's specialised for melee (as many fighters are) then this will negate a great deal of his class abilities (also his melee weapon will likely be far more powerful magically than his ranged weapon).

Compared to say, Weapon Focus, or even better Spell Focus, which was apparently seen as too powerful, this seems to me way over the top.

Ditto. Life is already hard enough if you're a melee guy and having to deal with brutes trying to eat your face. The brutes don't need more feats that make them even more brutal.

 

[Sonofapreacherman]

Actually, there is fairly big loophole.

If the fighter advances 5 feet at a time (using the 5 foot step rule) then no attack of opportunity is provoked. During the first round against an ogre, it behooves the fighter to use the fighting defensively option, and during the second round the fighter closes with a second 5 foot step and starts melee attacking.

This tactic negates the Large and In Charge feat completely.

 

[Bauglir]

Unless of course the ogre retreats 5' after taking its full attack when the fighter first moves into range...

 

[RigaMortus]

Now I appreciate that the fighter may have other options such as ranged attacks, but if he's specialised for melee (as many fighters are) then this will negate a great deal of his class abilities (also his melee weapon will likely be far more powerful magically than his ranged weapon).

Well, that IS the nature of D&D. Player's don't always (and shouldn't always) get to use their most beneficial aspects all the time. The same could be said for the Ranger (or any other class for that matter). That it isn't "fair" if they aren't fighting againt their Favored Enemy.

 

[Dregan Varokin]

Unless of course the ogre retreats 5' after taking its full attack when the fighter first moves into range...

Even if this is the case you still have an option.

DC 15 Tumble chk

3.0 PHB pg 75
"DC 15" - "Tumble up to 20 feet (as part of normal movement), suffering NO attacks of opportunity while doing so. Failure means you tumble 20 feet but suffer attacks of opportunity normally."

And granted that it is a cross class skill for a straight fighter but no the less the option exists.
Dregan Varokin

 

[Bauglir]

Spring attack is also an option.

Still, this seems to me about as effective vs fighter types as sayy SR 7+HD would be vs casters. Would you allow a feat that grants that?

 

[Victim]

Well, monsters often already get this without spending a feat.

 

[Bauglir]

Powerful special abilities like SR are factored into the monster's CR.

Breath weapons for example are also relatively common, but I'm not about to make a feat that allows one.

Feats on the other hand are all assumed roughly balanced. (Some feats are stronger than others certainly but I really can't think of one other feat with no prerequisites that could make or break a fight like this one could)

Yet a large creature with LaiC seems significantly more powerful than one without.

As an extraordinary ability I don't think I would have a problem with it, but as a feat it seems that any large creature would be mad NOT to take it..

Besides, it's not necessarily limited to monsters - many large races, such as the half-ogre are readily available to PCs too.

 

[Derulbaskul]

Don't forget though: how many of these Large critters have high Dex and Combat Reflexes?

IMC, this feat gets used once and that's fine: the party then work out new tactics and go from there. Usually, the rogue or monk will tumble in and start smacking away, unless of course the spellcasters simply nail the critter.

 

[Sir Brennen]

While the larger creature does have an advantage due to size for the STR check, it's by no means "automatic". It also still has to hit the fighter with the AoO in the first place. A well-armored fighter using defensive fighting could probably get inside the reach without being smacked back out.

Also, unless the creature also has combat reflexes, the fighter should attack the thing with his buddies; the person with the highest AC (and the Mobility feat, and possibly even using full defense, or anything else to boost AC) could draw the AoO first, then everyone else rushes in.

With these plus other suggestions offered here, I don't think this feat is over-powered.

This feat with Combat Reflexes, though... a DM would have to be just evil to do that