True Strike and Disarm.

Elder-Basilisk said:


Try it on a single classed fighter or barbarian whose attack bonus is probably 5 to ten points (after strength, weapon focus, levels, enhancement bonusses on the weapon, etc) higher than yours wielding a greatsword two handed with a locked gauntlet on one hand and suregrip (Tome and Blood) applied to the other. Even with true strike on your side, odds are he'll still win the opposed attack roll. Plus, he'll unload on you with two full attack actions while you're trying the combo. End result: you take lots of damage and he still has the sword.

I think this is a pretty extreme case you're putting forward here, E-B !
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Onto the original topic. How about making those Kobolds into Fighter 1/Sorcerer 1 instead? Now they can use reach weapons. They can take Exotic Weapon Proficiency and Weapon Finesse for Spiked Chain if you want. Or Expertise + Improved Disarm if they have 13+ Int.

And let them cast Shield spell first. Shield spell + Reach weapon is a very effective combo.

Edit: My bad. Kobolds are small creatures. So they cannot use large reach weapons.
 
Last edited:

Plane Sailing said:

I think this is a pretty extreme case you're putting forward here, E-B !

Not really. Those measures are for hedging your bets against Stun and Panic as well. If you have spent the specialized feats and gold for that awesome sword attack losing your weapon and fighting with a dagger is a real bummer.

BTW, real life knights in full plate wielding zweihander swords (great swords) often had a chain attached from the pommel to the waist. This is exactly so they do not have to fumble on the ground for their sword if it gets knocked out of their hands.

True Strike + Disarm is a clever tactic is you have numbers on your side and choose your targets carefully. It will fail a lot against true grunts.
 

The only unusual thing about the tactic is the Suregrip. Locked gauntlets are cheap and easy to come by and should be a staple of single-classed fighter types. (after all, people are likely to try to disarm them and they're not likely to need the hand for anything else. . . .) Similarly, greatswords are one of the most popular weapons (although any large, two handed weapon is equally difficult to disarm).

And your typical single classed fighter type does have an AB 5 to 10 points higher than a wizard or multiclassed fighter/wizard (with the emphasis on wizard). Typically, strength will account for 1 or 2 points of the difference, BAB will account for 2 to 3 (at level 5+), the more focussed nature of the character allows for a better magic weapon (another 1 or 2 points of attack bonus) because he doesn't buy things like pearls of power or wands, and if the character is a barbarian rage adds another 2 to 3 points to the attack bonus. The single classed character is also sure to have weapon focus but the wizard or fighter/wizard might not. Total difference: 7 to 11 (assuming all the differences I named here apply).

Ridley's Cohort is right about the chains as well but in reality it went far beyond greatswords. Several images of English knights on their gravestones depict chains attaching not only the knight's longsword but also their mace and dagger to their belt or breastplate.

He's also right about it being a good tactic to keep people from losing their weapons when stunned. I'll have to give my NPCs a lot of locked gauntlets from now on and it'll make Sound Burst a lot more bearable.

Plane Sailing said:


I think this is a pretty extreme case you're putting forward here, E-B !
 

Well, the PC in question has quick-draw and often switches between the longspear and a katana/short sword combo. I plan on making him pay by making his weapon go by-by. Make it have some drawback...
 

Ah, if you want to annoy him instead of a group of 6 sorc2 kobolds and 2 sorc6 use the following:


2 Kobold Sorceror 6
6 Kobold Monk1/Rogue1

Grapple with a the first two monks and stunning fist with the next 4. Then your sorcerors can freely pepper the party. After all, Kobolds are lawful evil.
 

It'll probably be an outdoor battle too. I was thinking of a decent sized pit trap in front of the Kobold... :) Maybe some flaming oil. Hehe. The party is all 3rd level, most have a +2 or +1 flaming or something weapon with no other magic items so they're fairly weak in that regard.

I want it to be tactically challenging, and as a party we've never really ran into the sunder/disarm rules at all and I want to see how they react. IE whip out dagger and grapple sorceror, or will they try picking it up and then fighting the bait while the sorceror casts shield, then spectral hand, etc and gets ready to open up a can of vampiric touch whoopass. Since the Sorceror is 3 levels higher I'm going to give them time to react, give him 12 con, etc so he's fairly vulnerable. One of the 3rd level spells will be fly, which should help him escape to plague them again.
 

FYI, how I do sorcerors is probably considerably more powerful then normal sorcerors from the PHB. More spells, earlier high level ones.

1st 2
2nd 4
3rd 5 1
4th 5 3
5th 5 4 1
6th 5 4 3
7th 5 4 4 1

Basically you get your level worth of spell's to learn. Spells per day is same as a normal sorceror, and if you have a 3rd level spell at 5th level you need a 3rd level bonus spell to cast one that day. More powerful then the PHB one, but not overly so since once you get your 4 you never really get any more. You could also sub a 3rd level spell for 3 1st level spells if you wanted, or a 2nd and a 3rd. At high levels it ends up the same, at low levels you know more.
 

rampant insanity said:
... For more fun, try taking Orcus' Wand. Asmodeus' Scepter. Nerull's staff. Of course there are repurcussions to this legedermain against such notables, but hey, what's life without some risk?

I am willing to bet that a True Strike will not help you much against the BABs of THOSE guys. No way would I ever try it. If you do, well then you are aptly named. ;)
 
Last edited:

Remove ads

Top