Knight with Spiked Chain. Broken?

[IcyCool]

If he gets an attack off the enemy is stopped there, and next turn has to deal with the threatened area.

Not unless I misread the Knight's abilities. Provoking an AOO doesn't stop your movement. Now if the knight has the Stand Still feat, or trips the opponent on the AOO, sure, but not just because he gets the AOO.

And none of the above is because of the Bulwark ability.

 

[Bagpuss]

Not if they make their Tumble checks, they can Tumble right past him w/o provoking.

Don't forget the tumble DC is increase by the Knight's class level.

 

[BASHMAN]

Don't forget the tumble DC is increase by the Knight's class level.

Yeah, that is a nice ability, but it could have been better. They way I have seen it done before by a DM who hated PCs tumbling past the ogre's reach was the DC of the tumble check is the enemy's attack roll.

 

[wildstarsreach]

How far do you take this?

If your party cleric casts Doom on your opponent, do you call a truce until the duration expires?

If that same cleric dispels the enemy's buff spells, do you give him time to recast them?

Which feats are 'honorable' to use, and which are dishonorable? If pure skill, and not trickery or guile, puts you in a position where you can use a missile weapon but your opponent cannot close to melee range, is it honorable to avail yourself of the opportunity? (Posit a besieged fortress, with the attackers bringing up a ram to attack the gates. Can the knight shoot the men manning the ram?)

-Hyp.

Remember, it is the knight in his fight against the NPC. His code doesn't fall over on them but their actions may fall over to him. That is the intent I'm reading. Of course I find that it is too restrictive for me to want to play.

 

[BASHMAN]

I wonder, what use is this ability without a reach weapon? It doesn't stop foes from charging the Knight (it's only difficult terrain if you start your turn being threatened by the knight), it doesn't stop foes from leaving the threatened area with a 5' step (apparently, difficult terrain only matters if you are stepping into it, not leaving it). So it stops a foe from 5' stepping around inside a knights threatened area, and makes it cost more movement to move past him.

Ah, I see your point, What use is this if the enemy must start his turn in the knight's threatened area?. Test of Mettle allows you to essentially pull all nearby melee fighters INTO your threatened area, unless a munchkin says he drops his greatsword and throws his dagger at the knight to essentially ignore it.

That is one of the weaknesses of the knight using a reach weapon + improved unarmed strike, or the spiked chain. You lose your ability to use Test of metal, as enemies do not have to attack you if doing so will incure an AOO that turn.

When I think about it, maybe THAT is the balancing factor. To use this combo, the knight is giving up 2 major abilities-- shield block and test of mettle.

In this case, I think that this won't be too broken. It becomes a defensive tactic in narrow quarters, rather than a character concept. Likely, the knight would use his sword and shield (or lance if mounted) most of the time, so he could make use of Test of Mettle and Shield Block.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Remember, it is the knight in his fight against the NPC. His code doesn't fall over on them but their actions may fall over to him.

So if someone else casts Doom on his opponent, doesn't that make his fight with that opponent unfair and therefore dishonorable?

-Hyp.

 

[Bagpuss]

Likely, the knight would use his sword and shield (or lance if mounted) most of the time, so he could make use of Test of Mettle and Shield Block.

Flail and Shield work nice for a knight, because you key abilities are about battlefield control, you are never going to be doing as much damage as a fighter or barbarian with a two handed weapon, so you might as well be tripping and disarming, and clever stuff like that.

 

[Egres]

This tactic becomes interesting if there are two or more knights involved, each one with the Iron Guard stance.

Every time an opponent moves in their threatened area provokes an AoO from them, and every attack he makes has a penalty of -4 x (the number of knights -1). (for example, if there are 3 knights the opponent would take a-8 penalty to his attack rolls)

 

[pawsplay]

The PHBII includes Defense Sweep (AoO for not moving), plus a feet that gives you a +4 to hit (I believe) if your opponent moves. The knights abilities cause someone to provoke an AoO for moving, and the spiked chain kills the 5' step option. Their abilities make it hard to Tumble past them. If you throw in Cleave, a knight can become the ultimate melee tar baby.

Next, throw in Deft Opportunist (+4 with attacks of opportunity), plus Stand Still. Nasty. Feat intensive, but nasty.

 

[James McMurray]

You forgot Power Attack to convert the +4 to hit to +8 damage, and therefor +8 to the Stand Still DC.