Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Amphoteric 03-18-08, 11:14 AM	With the introduction of every new supplement, magic users gain more and more effectiveness. This thread will (hopefully) shed some light on useful melee combinations to help boost a frontliners list of choices. This can be build combinations, weapon/feat combinations, feat/weapon/buff combinations, or just plain mundane usefull combinations. I'll start us off: 1. Feat: EWP (Spiked Chain), Weapon: Spiked Chain, Feat: Imp Trip -This one is obvious and classic. Uber trips at 5' and 10' 2. Marbles -buy bags of marbles and throw them into squares enemies may try to charge through. Different DM's give different reflex DC's to stay on their feet.
mvincent 03-18-08, 02:43 PM	3. Power attack + Ring of spell-storing loaded with True Strike: Full Power Attack that won't miss. 4. Lance + Spirited charge + smite: Triple damage smite attack. Great for Paladins. Combine this with Power attack & True Strike for ungodly damage. 5. Thrown weapons + Quick draw + Rapid shot + Two weapon fighting: Three ranged attacks. Especially good because it's easy to get a full attack action with ranged attacks. 6. Improved trip + Enlarge: High bonuses, and you can trip others w/ AoO's before they reach you (stopping their attack). Good for High Str characters 7. Reach weapon + Enlarge + combat reflexes: Covering a 50 wide area means a lot of AoO's. Combine with a tripping weapon for obscene battlefield control. 8. Improved disarm + spiked chain: Good for high Dex characters with Finesse. Not only does a Spiked chain give you +2 to disarms, it's a two-handed weapon (that can still be finessed), giving another +4. Its reach also allows you to AoO disarm someone before they reach you (stopping their attack). Especially good for monks (even without proficiency) as they can just hold it in their (otherwise unused) hands. 9. Scrub + Flank + Aid: low level followers (via leadership, etc.) can be good for both flanking and ‘Aiding’ your heavy hitters. This often gives better results than anything else they might do. 10. Caltrops + pursuing enemy: slows them down, maybe even splitting their forces. 11. Tanglefoot bag + fleeing enemy: Slows or stops them, preventing them from warning others. 12. Barbarian + 1st level: the barbarian class is front loaded and especially good for fighting characters to take as their initial level. 13. High AC + provoking AoO’s: Since most monsters only get one AoO, your highest AC character can (deliberately) provoke it rather than a fellow PC that plans to move through the threatened area. 14. Outdoor adventure + Warhorse: great mobility and it can cause decent damage all by itself. 15. Monk + permanent great magic fang + improved unarmed strike + monk's belt 16. Sunblade + bastard sword + TWF'ing + weapon focus/specialization (bastard sword): no penalty for non-light weapon in the off-hand. 17. Rogue + alchemical items: sneak touch attacks
1 ton ghost 03-18-08, 02:59 PM	-Disarm: don't bother w/ the weapon of various casters, go for the Holy Symbol or Spell Bag and they will be completely impotent. -"Reaching Enemies": we have prelaid attack formations for this and others. "alpha", our 1st stipulates a Spring Attacker go first while others Delay in a triangular staging (he spearheads). he deliberately draws an AoO from the reaching enemy using Mobility and extra defense if he's got it. provided the enemy doesn't have Combat Reflexes, this allows the other PCs to close w/out fear of AoO and get in melee reach while the Spring Attacker has pushed around enemy and effectively boxes them in next round w/ a normal Spring Attack and other PCs surrounding it. this is generally only recommend when you have HP to spare (Spring Attacker) and a rogue that needs to be in flank quickly. -Grapples: let dumb animals grapple the tank if they must (assuming HP to spare), this will cause Dex bonus loss, thusly, rogue sneaks attacks them -Tanglefoot Bags: this works very well vs. Flying Creatures (they will fall). True Strike one if you must given long range incremental penalties. -Door/Hallway Control: always keep the entry square occupied. It is easier to deal w/ 1 enemy at a time. Readied Actions allow a 5ft step. If all PCs go like clockwork in this fashion, they may keep up steady attacks and move to keep portal occupied so enemies cannot mass in room. Spring Attack facilitates this end excellent. Shot on the Run allows for Total Cover in this scenario (assuming you are shooting "down the hall"); stand in dead zone, spring or "run" out into open, shoot, hopscotch to other dead zone for total cover.
Amphoteric 03-18-08, 03:54 PM	23. Tie an alchemist fire to a vial (or two) of oil -Molotav cocktail, or just use it to shape the battle field to your advantage
Nathreet 03-18-08, 04:08 PM	24. Party cleric w/ inflict serious wounds, 4 spell storing weapons, improved two weapon fighting, quick draw, boots of speed (for extra haste attack). Hit twice, discharge 2x inflict serious wounds plus normal damage. Drop weapons, quick draw 2 more. Hit twice more, discharge 2x more inflict serious wounds. Damage = 4x normal damage + 12d8 + 4x cleric's level. So that gives you an extra 94 damage in a round at level 10. 25. 1 level of wizard or assasin, rod of lesser quicken, high BAB & strength, spell storing scythe, 2x improved critical, some other feats, multiple luckblades. Quickened true strike spring attack power attack with inflict serious wounds in the scythe. Use luckblades to reroll until you crit for 4x damage (inflict serious wounds only gets 2x). 148 damage + 6x your strength bonus at level 10. I'm just using level 10 for comparison. You'll probably need to be a higher level to afford all those luckblades, and you'll do more damage at higher levels (+8 per point of BAB).
HARLEYDUDE 03-18-08, 08:38 PM	26. Quick Reconniter feat + max ranks in spot + Spot the Weak Point skill trick.---Use QR to make a spot check as a free action. DC of the check is vs. the AC of target. If successful that rounds attack is against the TOUCH AC of the target. EVERY ROUND !!!! (as per the OP the spell casters seem to get more power. Most spells, if they target the AC it is the Touch not normal AC. So here the melee fighter can strike against the touch as well!) As an addition to this- it opens up lots of space to apply Power Attack. HD
ragoftag 03-18-08, 08:43 PM	You people are so WRONG! But I am taking notes!
Firaeki 03-18-08, 09:14 PM	Ring of spell storing loaded with True Strike, of course, for maximum win potential here. In addition, take TWF, ITWF, and GTWF (Six attacks). Using a Rogue10/Assassin10, pile yourself with a pair of Assassin's Katar (+2 Enchanted, Treat as Assassin's Dagger but with a Punching Dagger), then give them the Keen (+1), Shocking Burst (+2), Thundering (+1) and Wounding (+2). This will total to 1d4+2+1d6E+1 Con, 19-20/x3+2d10E+2d8S+Deafness DC14 on your attack [9-12 standard / 8-56 crit]. Sneaking up on an opponent while invisible, but not noticed even if you had invisibility, will allow a full attack granting sneak attack damage (10d6) for all your attacks. This adds between 6 and 60 damage to your attacks [15-72 standard / 14-116 crit]. Using True Strike to at +20 to the first attack, maximizing chance to hit at least once. Waiting before you strike, Use your Death Attack to deal Sneak attack as well as the possible killing blow. In total, the damage you will deal is between 14 and 646. More than likely, with the assumption of 6 hits, you will deal closer to ~160 damage, and cause 1 to 6 Con drain damage depending on the number of successful hits.
mvincent 03-18-08, 10:35 PM	24. Party cleric w/ inflict serious wounds, 4 spell storing weaponsRules/optimization notes: Varies by DM, but spell-storing weapons typically follow the magic-item rules for minimum DC and inflict serious allows for a save. Also, many DM's will rule it to be at minimum caster level (as per the 'ring' of spell-storing description), meaning 3d8+5 damage, DC 14 save for half. However, an empowered shocking grasp in a spell-storing weapon can avoid both issues and deliver an average +26 points of damage (no save)
Amphoteric 03-19-08, 08:36 AM	28. Power attack + leap attack + battle jump + shocktrooper -I was just told about this one. For leap attack you need to jump 10 feet forward (DC 10) and for battle jump you need to fall 5'. Since jumping forward you are already 2.5 feet off the ground, my DM placed a DC5 to get the extra 2.5 feet (Thus a DC 15 in total). For sake of argument, you have a plain greatsword and an 18 strength. Thats an average of 13 damage. Now power attack for 5 (or more, your call) and use shock trouper to make the penalty count agaisnt your AC not your attack roll. So now you are doing 23 damage. Leap attack with a 2hander does x3 damage. Thats 69 damage. Battle jump does x2 damage. Now thats 138! For every point you can increase the original damage, you get 6 from the multipliers.
vlsigma 03-19-08, 10:05 AM	29. Spell-storing daggers + fireball + Double Toss + Palm Toss Double toss and palm toss are abilities you can pick from the Master Thrower prestige class. Double toss lets you throw 2 at a time, while palm toss allows you to throw 2 with one hand. Throw all for spell storing daggers with maxed out fireballs placed on them for an effect similar to the exploding kunai seen in Naruto.
Amphoteric 03-19-08, 10:52 AM	Spell-storing daggers + fireball + Double Toss + Palm Toss Double toss and palm toss are abilities you can pick from the Master Thrower prestige class. Double toss lets you throw 2 at a time, while palm toss allows you to throw 2 with one hand. Throw all for spell storing daggers with maxed out fireballs placed on them for an effect similar to the exploding kunai seen in Naruto. Why does no one number their posts? :(
HARLEYDUDE 03-19-08, 11:37 AM	Why does no one number their posts? :( I did! And always will on a 1001 thread :D :D :D but I dont know why some people dont.:confused: :confused: HD
Bloodsoul 03-19-08, 04:58 PM	30. This one's on the Epic scale and, oddly enough, turned a particular sorcerer/rogue/blackguard into a fairly good powerhouse when it came to melee; Divine Might for Charisma damage on weapon attacks, Epic Divine Might for twice the Charisma damage (which stacks >_>), and Battle Dance for an insight bonus towards AC, Reflex, and attack rolls while in melee equal to Charisma. Certainly makes Power Attack extra useful, eh?