the Pain of Prone

[Melkantur]

3.5 makes being prone a bumber.

I made a trip monkey, not fully a twink, but let's look at what's between him and a ridiculous opposed strength check.

(incidentally he's a dwarf, so an additional +4 stability bonus if ever counter-tripped)

Strength 16 to 18 at 8th level.
Feat: Improved Trip (costs 13 int for combat expertise).
Gauntlets of Ogre power, soon to be belt +4.

ok, now let's leave reality behind for a second and look at Tripper in a few levels with 3 expensive potions.

Strength 22, raging 26 (BBn rage).
Potion of Good Hope +2 MORALE bonus to ability checks.
Luckstone +1 LUCK bonus to ability checks.
Potion of Enlarge +2 size bonus to strength, (+4 size mod to trip)
Potion of Rage +2 Morale bonus to strength. (silly I know)
Level of Exotic Wpnmaster with SPiked chain (TRIP trick) +2
Pale Green Ioun stone +1 Competence bonus on ability checks.
Living Chain (MHB) +4.

ok here goes:
Str +10, morale +2, size +4, luck +1, feat +4, competence +1, Exotic WpnMstr +2, Living Chain +4= Grand Total +28 on straight (no BAB) opposed strength check!!
and this is reasonable without even a Belt +6 or a Ring of spell storing with a Righteous Might in it (+8 size to strength).

now being prone isn't the end of the world, but against an average stone giant +4 size, +8 strength, total +12, you'll trip him on a 5 or better regardless of his roll, and will succeed on a nat 1 if he rolls 16 or lower.

my dwarf tripped a stone giant at 7th level, not enlarged, with gaunts +2 and a heavy flail (no living chain, no exotic wpn master bonus, no good hope, no luck stone, no 'rage' spell).

then again, you can't trip a ghost

 

[S'mon]

IMC PCs who get tripped tend to fight from prone, it's usually better than standing up (now provoking AoO), thus losing your full-round attack and probably even getting tripped again by the AoO! *eek*

 

[Evilhalfling]

I am having the same problems - as a DM, rememeber gaints - sunder is your friend!

According to one reading of the rules that was suggested here http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=87775
if you stand from prone the AoO happens while you are still prone, thus impossible to retrip.

Logicaly this makes no sense. I HR that attempting to stand is a single provoking event, thus it only gives 1 AoO even if it takes 2 move actions.
likewise crawling away - opponent still gets to move even if tripped once.

 

[Darklone]

Eeks? The rage spell and the Rage ability stack? Funny.

Luckstone? How much money does this char have ?

Most of the PCs in my case who get tripped go invisible and stand up then. Or waste the tripper with a spell and stand up afterwards.

 

[Thanee]

We have included the option of making a prone 5' step, which costs a move action in addition to the 5' step.

Bye
Thanee

 

[hong]

I allow a DC 15 Tumble check (or a DC 15 Dex check if you don't have Tumble) to stand up as a move action, without an AoO. We keep forgetting about it, though.

 

[DreamChaser]

We have included the option of making a prone 5' step, which costs a move action in addition to the 5' step.

Bye
Thanee

We do the same thing. We call it "Scramble"

Not that this would help agains Mr. Uber Trip since he's using a Spiked Chain but *shrug* usually it helps.

DC

 

[Thanee]

We don't use the Spiked Chain, it's too 'silly'.

I would probably allow it, if it would remove the threatened area, much like the whip.

Bye
Thanee

 

[MarauderX]

Gotta tell about the monk build with Great Throw, the addendum feat to OA. Using it in combo with Combat Reflexes is fun as he gets to try to Great Throw for his AoOs, tossing baddies into each other, over balconies, cliffs, etc. Add enlarge to that and his threatening area is that much bigger. Along with his fast movement and maxed tumble he can go anywhere without a problem - look out peons and casters!