Opportunity attacks

[Rampant]

This is one of the most annoying things about pathfinder, and by extension 3.x which is where pathfinder inherited it.

It's a clever system that ideally allows the beat-sticks to defend the squishies. The problem is that unless you really specialize in trip/disarm/grapple/sunder it doesn't work, and against most high level monsters not even specializing will help you.

The problem stems from the fact that the fighter types don't deal enough damage on any single non-charge attack to dissuade a monster from rushing past them and chomping the wizard before said mage gets off a lightning bolt or something.

How does the barbarian or the paladin stop a hill-giant from walking past them and sitting on the sorcerer?

So I guess the question is is there a rule I'm over looking? or a good house-rule fix/concept from another game I can steal?

Our mages are getting really tired of the giant snakes just whipping past the fighters with a couple scratches and forcing the robe wearers into grapples.

 

[Bacris]

Try the Stand Still feat?

 

[Rampant]

Paladin vs. hill giant

Hill giant doesn't even notice the CMB check.

 

[Drowbane]

AoOs work for that at the low levels. At the higher levels your mages shouldn't need the protection from the meatshields.

Clerics: just as tanky as the tanks
Druids: Wildshape - flying + long range spells
Mages: Mirror Image, Displacement, etc
Psionicists: Vigor + Share Pain = "tanky mage"

That said, despite all the talk I have seen on the interwebs about how AoOs suck or are too difficult or slow down combat... they're really not that bad. If you don't like AoOs as DM, just don't use them. But thats no reason to lift them from the main ruleset.

 

[Rampant]

No my problem is that they're missing some crucial element. I like AoOs and want them to remain relevant at higher levels.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

The problem isn't the AoOs, the problem is PF's combat maneuvers system.

The answer to your question is to be an 11th level Fighter and take the Pin Down feat. It sucks that the 3E Stand Still got shunted off to level 11 class-exclusiveness, but that's what you're looking for.

The other answer to your question comes one level later (if you have full BAB) -- the Dazing Assault feat. Now for a -5 to hit, you can attach a fort save DC 10 + your BAB or be dazed for a round.

In short, the answer to making AoOs relevant is to find ways to ignore the stupid CMB/CMD subsystem entirely.

 

[Rampant]

Ok thanks I can work with those.

 

[Bacris]

Thanks, StreamOfTheSky. I didn't realize Stand Still got jacked quite the way it did...

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Yeah, compare PF's version to the 3E version and weep: Psionic Feats :: d20srd.org

Pin Down is basically the 3E Stand Still, except off-limits to 99% of the characters you'll ever play (both by being restricted to one class and being at such a high level you'll seldom get that far).

People really don't understand just how badly PF nerfed noncasters. If you start to really look, you'd be shocked and appalled.

 

[Rampant]

Well, since I have your attention and you seem to have a better handle on the feats than I do. Anything that can fix the full attack action without making rogues into damage gods?