Trip attack counter trip.

[Greythax]

Is anyone aware of a feat or item that prevents the counter-trip on a failed (unarmed) trip attack?

Failing that, what would be your best suggestions on putting some serious smack into a trip attack (monk-centric please) to lessen the chances of it failing.


Greythax

 

[Epametheus]

Improved Trip (which monks get for free at 6th level) takes care of that, actually. No counter-trip is possible against you, and if you manage to trip someone you get a additional attack against the victim.

Aside from that, whips, spiked chains, and assorted pole-arms have built into them a quasi-anti-counter feature -- if the other person wins on their counter-trip, you can simply drop the weapon instead of being tripped.

If you don't want your trip attempts to fail, you'll have to beef up your strength score, and hopefully find ways to make yourself a size category or more larger than your target. I haven't had much luck with trip attacks, myself -- they're pretty well weighted in the defender's favor, I think.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Besides high Str, you could pick up Prone Attack (S&F); if you have iterative attacks being knocked prone is very a minor inconvenience.

 

[nameless]

Actually, Improved Trip doesn't negate the counter trip. It only gives you the extra attack if you succeed.

By far the best way to maximize tripping is the Thief-Acrobat PrC from Song and Silence. At level 1, they get the Kip Up(ex) ability, which allows them to stand from prone as a free action. Now, when they fail to trip, it doesn't matter if they get counter tripped... they stand up for free immediately. At level 2, they gain the Improved Trip feat as a bonus feat as well. The Knockdown feat complements this, so you don't have to waste an attack before provoking a trip attempt.

For effectiveness, it is very useful to turn your monk into something large with Polymorph Other. The ever-popular Annis Hag is large, giving a bonus to the trip, and strong, for more bonuses. Your AC will drastically improve, and your unarmed damage die will even scale for the larger size. Your speed also scales due to your greater base speed. Troll is also good, for the higher Con and the Rake

-nameless

 

[Dimwhit]

My Fighter has a great solution. He uses a Halberd. It's a trip weapon. If he's tripped in return, he can drop it to avoid falling. Then, with the Quick Draw feat he just took, he can pull out his Falchion and, if he still has his second attack, take a swing or another Trip attempt.