What's the conventional wisdom on CV's version of Expert Tactician?

[Elder-Basilisk]

50/50 isn't bad against a larger opponent; use your lower iterative attacks for Trip. They aren't as likely to hit normally (especially if you're Power Attacking), but you only need a touch attack to make the trip attempt.

50/50 with improved trip means something like a 50% chance of success, a 30% chance of backfiring (since the Imp Trip +4 doesn't apply to opposing a foe's trip attempt), and a 20% chance of doing nothing. It will sometimes be a good idea, but isn't a good idea in general--even with iterative attacks.

Ring of Spell Storing with Righteous Might would still enlarge you, wouldn't it? You wouldn't be totally self-contained, but unlike the polymorph approach your ability scores would remain (but adjusted).

Not much that I know of boosts the offensive side of Trip attempts; there's the feat, size, and Str. This is probably a good thing.

There are a number of other ways to boost tripping potential: prayer, enervation, ray of exaustion, waves of fatigue/exhaustion, and ray of enfeeblement all spring to mind.

 

[Wish]

Things that boost trip attacks: luckstone (adds to ability checks), armbands of might (adds to strength checks), pale green prism ioun stone (ability checks), sweeping weapon enhancement (trip checks), art of war Marshall minor aura (trip checks), motivate strength Marshall aura (strength checks), prayer (ability checks). All of those stack except for the two Marshall auras with each other and the luckstone with prayer.

One other thing a trip fighter should look into, unless he's going thief-acrobat, is steadfast boots. Those let you ignore the downside of failing a trip attempt.

 

[Brother MacLaren]

The Str-affecting spells fell under "Strength" in my mind, but I see your point. I hadn't even considered that Trip is considered an ability check (rather than just a check modified by an ability score the way attack rolls are). Duh. Okay, that does open up a few more options.

Not sure it's a good design idea to have a lot of class abilities or obscure splatbook effects specifically improving Trip checks, though, because the straightforward by-the-book trip-monster is already very effective against those not so designed.

 

[Stalker0]

50/50 with improved trip means something like a 50% chance of success, a 30% chance of backfiring (since the Imp Trip +4 doesn't apply to opposing a foe's trip attempt), and a 20% chance of doing nothing. It will sometimes be a good idea, but isn't a good idea in general--even with iterative attacks.

This is something people forget a lot. Improved Trip does not prevent an opponent from counter tripping you. If you blow it, you could go down on the ground.