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ShortQuests -- individual adventure modules! An all-new collection of digest-sized D&D adventures designed to plug in to your game.

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hawken" data-source="post: 2194823" data-attributes="member: 23619">Grapple prevents it, or it should depending on your DM's interpretation of the rule. Grappling is not an attack as such, it is just grabbing on to the person. The grapple check is not an attack roll but a grapple check using the same mechanic as a melee touch attack. Even if the DM decides that the grapple attempt qualifies as an actual melee touch attack, the grapple still gets resolved first. So, while grappling, you pin the subject and once pinned, he is immobile and thus unable to make the AoO. There are some downsides to this as well. Taken by Monks, Rogues or other "lightweight" fighters, they are going to lose while standing there trading blows with the power attacking fighter or barbarian, or even if its a sneak attacking rogue or whatever. The feat is a good idea in theory, and in a one-on-one duel, its fine, but in a battle with multiple enemies, the person with that feat isn't going to want to take the penalty to AC just to trade blows when multiple enemies may be attacking him--he'll go down fast while inflicting minimal damage to several targets. Also, for the grapple, even if he gets one AoO on the guy grappling him, once the grapple is made, his feat is useless. Establishing a pin right off negates the feat by immobilizing him, leaving you free to use the rest of your attacks to automatically damage him without retaliation. Get that boy grappled and pinned by someone with armor spikes and that's D6 + Str + whatever else damage per attack automatically, no attack roll needed. Then when his turn comes around he has to spend his attacks trying to break the grapple instead of attacking you. And if he keeps the feat "on", it doesn't help since once you've got him grappled, you can automatically inflict damage without having to make an attack roll.And the Improved Grapple feat negates this feat anyway. Very first sentence in the description, "You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when you make an attack roll to start a grapple." So, the Karmic Strike may work on a regular grapple attack, but if you have Improved Grapple, he won't get to pop you when you grab him. Improved Trip and Improved Bull Rush work the same way. The feat you mention with the free trip on the missed attack is Defensive Throw. You have to have Dex 13+, Improved Unarmed STrike, Dodge, Improved Trip and Combat Reflexes. And it is only useful against the focus of your Dodge feat. So, against one opponent, fine; but against two or more, it's not going to help you. And like you mentioned, reach weapons, ranged attacks and spells overcome that feat no problem. So, it is a potent feat, but its a far sight from being the best feat.</blockquote>

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