What use is overrun?

[The Souljourner]

I'm creating a character for City of the Spider Queen, a dwarf werebear barbarian 1. I'm planning on having him take advantage of his size against smaller opponents by using bullrush and overruns to muck around with the field of battle.

So here's the question.... with the "errata" that you can't overrun during a charge... what good *is* it? Just to get past walls of mooks?

Does anyone think it's overpowered to be able to overrun someone during a charge (on the assumption you get to make an attack at someone behind the guy you overrun if it's successful)?

It's exactly the type of tactics I'd like to use, but I don't know if I really want to waste one of my 3 feats getting it.

-The Souljourner

 

[Ottergame]

Other than fighting or tumbling, there's no real way to move past front line fighters without magic.

 

[Rashak Mani]

I too think overun stinks... at best its a "disguised" trip if you push foes onto one another.

Going onto the other side of enemy lines whilst taking multiple AOOs sucks... let monks and rogues tumble past I say.

 

[Amal Shukup]

I concur that Overrun as written in the book is slightly inadequate.

I had no problem with it provoking AOOs or being easy to avoid, my problem was that after sucking up an AOO (and potentially several) to move through a greeble who can then simply step out of the way to avoid being knocked down, the attacker no longer has an action left to hit the BBEG...

A smart BBEG can foil attackers simply by having his greebles ready actions to interpose themselves between an attacker and their boss when the attacker moved - forcing overrun checks that sucked up the Standard Action the attacker hoped to use on the BBEG...

After much deliberation I felt compelled to House Rule it:

Works exactly as it is written with respect to AOOs, opposed checks and so forth EXCEPT that it is 'Not an Action' instead of a 'Special Standard Action'. It becomes an event that can occur (and be resolved) as part of a move action, or during the move portion of a charge.

This allows one to charge through greebles to deliver an attack on the BBEG. Of course, if they're well prepared greebles with reach, combat reflexes, and readied actions, one is probably toast. But I'm comfortable with that.

Interposing greebles is still a valid tactic of course - lots of AOOs and if they win an opposed check, the attacker has to stop, but at least it's possible to blow past them and get into the backfield.

A'Mal