Alternate weapon style feats [Archive] - Wizards Community

Alternate weapon style feats [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
boggler65
02-27-07, 03:53 AM I've noticed that WotC puts a lot of emphasis on certain styles of fighting, mainly two weapon fighting and ranged combat, while ignoring others. They occasionally seem to rectify this, such as the different combat styles found in the BG2 video game for pc, like sword and shield style etc. Or in supplements such as complete warrior. Even in complete warrior though there is no actual progression of these feats as there is in the ranged style/two weapon fighting style, nor are they really anything more than fluff, since all but two of the style feats in complete warrior are basically just variations on two weapon fighting made to give options for unconventional weapon combinations.
I've developed a style progression based on the common ancient greek combination of (in dnd terms) a short spear and a tower shield. The point of this progression is to give you some cool options without requiring you to take a ridiculous number of feats before being able to access the options. It needs some work, since I don't really have certain elements. Here it is, i'd like your opinions and it would be great to see some of your own feats similar to these.

Raging Bull Style:
Seeking to emulate an animal sacred to your people you have mastered the brutal and powerful art of fighting wielding a shortspear in conjunction with a tower shield.
Prerequisites: Strength 15, Shield proficiency(tower), weapon focus(short spear).
Benefits: Following a successful bull rush attempt the attacker can make an attack of opportunity against the defender.
Normal: The defender provokes an attack of opportunity if he is moved, but not from the attacker who has moved him.

Improved Raging Bull Style:
You progress further along the path to mastery of wielding a short spear while carrying a tower shield.
Prerequites: Strength 17, Raging Bull Style, shield proficiency(tower shield), weapon focus(short spear), Improved Shield Bash, Dodge.
Benefits: A character carrying a tower shield may use it to make a shield bash attack. Additionally a character with this feat who fails his bull rush attempt may attempt a reflex save at dc 15 (+2 for each five feet of movement during the bull rush attempt) to avoid being pushed back five feet, success indicicates that the attacker and defender are locked in a grapple attempt. Failure of the reflex save indicates that the character is pushed back, flat footed and provokes an attack of opportunity.
Normal: A tower shield cannot be used to make a shield bash attack. A failed bull rush attempt indicates that the character is pushed back five feet, or knocked prone.

Greater Raging Bull Style:
Prerequisites: Strength 19, Raging Bull Style, Improved Raging Bull Style, shield proficiency(tower shield), Improved shield bash, Weapon Focus(short spear), Weapon Specialization(short spear), Dodge, Mobility.
Benefits: After a successful bull rush attempt you are able to make an attack of opportunity against the defender or any adjacent foes within reach as if they were flat footed. After a failed bull rush attempt the attacker recieves a +2 to the save made to avoid being pushed back. A failed reflex save does not provoke an attack of opportunity against the attacker, but does leave him flat footed against the first attack made in the next round. Success on the reflex save allows the attacker to move to an adjacent square rather than initiate grapple, this action provokes an attack of opportunity.
Normal: A failed reflex save provokes an attack of opportunity as well as leaves the character flat footed for the start of the next round. A successful reflex save automatically initiates a grapple.

The final logical progression =)

Perfect Raging Bull Style: (Epic Feat)
Your years of battle field experience allow you to use your chosen weapons to the greatest possible advantage.
Prerequisites: Strength 21, Raging Bull Style, Improved Raging Bull Style, Greater Raging Bull Style, Shield Proficiency(tower), Improved Shield Bash, Weapon Focus(short spear), Weapon Specialization(short spear), Greater Weapon Focus(short spear), Dode, Mobility, Spring Attack.
Benefits: During a successful bull rush the attacker simultaneously makes a shield bash attack as a free action, failure of the shield bash attack has no effect on the overall attack. Immediately after this the attacker may make an attack of opportunity against the defender. Following a failed bull rush attempt the attacker makes his reflex save with a +4 bonus. A failed reflex save does not provoke an attack of opportunity, but leaves the character flat footed against the first attack of the following round. A successful reflex save allows the character to initiate grapple, or to move to an adjacent square to avoid grappling, moving to an adjacent square does not provoke an attack of opportunity, nor does it leave the character flat footed at the beginning of the following round.
Normal: Bull rush and shield bash attacks must be made seperately, shield bash attacks cannot be made with a tower shield, an attacker cannot initiate an attack of opportunity against a defender, and there is no save against being pushed backward following a failed bull rush attempt.

Ok, so there it is, the style progression for someone who fights using a shield and spear. I feel that they are appropriately powerful options for a fighter with decent strength and dexterity who wears medium armor.
This kind of fighting was common among the people of the ancient mediterranean and the near east, as well as most of africa excluding the regions of tropical rain forest. So I think that it would fit well among such forgotten realms cultures as those of the old empires and the vilhon reach.

I'll try to develope a similar progression for something like a sword and shield, and two handed weapons, etc. I have other things to do right now though.
bitter thorn
02-28-07, 12:33 AM Cool! I'd like to play test these at at various levels if I can find the time.
redmagefish
03-26-07, 04:58 PM hold the blade and hit with the hilt see how that works out for you :fight!: dead
Burningspear
04-10-07, 10:13 PM I would put the requirements to "any spear" as there are feats like: (from AEG's book of Feats),

PHALANX FORMATION [GENERAL, FIGHTER]
You have trained extensively with spear and shield.
Prerequisites: Str 13+, Shield Proficiency, Weapon
Focus (longspear), Weapon Specialization (longspear).
Benefit: While wielding a longspear, you may also
carry a shield of any size. Since you hold the spear in one
hand, you lose any benefits of wielding a longspear
two-handed, including increased damage from Strength
and any feats that require you to wield aweapon with two
hands.

This means u can use a 2handed spear in 1 hand as a phalanx fighter...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
boggler65 02-27-07, 03:53 AM	I've noticed that WotC puts a lot of emphasis on certain styles of fighting, mainly two weapon fighting and ranged combat, while ignoring others. They occasionally seem to rectify this, such as the different combat styles found in the BG2 video game for pc, like sword and shield style etc. Or in supplements such as complete warrior. Even in complete warrior though there is no actual progression of these feats as there is in the ranged style/two weapon fighting style, nor are they really anything more than fluff, since all but two of the style feats in complete warrior are basically just variations on two weapon fighting made to give options for unconventional weapon combinations. I've developed a style progression based on the common ancient greek combination of (in dnd terms) a short spear and a tower shield. The point of this progression is to give you some cool options without requiring you to take a ridiculous number of feats before being able to access the options. It needs some work, since I don't really have certain elements. Here it is, i'd like your opinions and it would be great to see some of your own feats similar to these. Raging Bull Style: Seeking to emulate an animal sacred to your people you have mastered the brutal and powerful art of fighting wielding a shortspear in conjunction with a tower shield. Prerequisites: Strength 15, Shield proficiency(tower), weapon focus(short spear). Benefits: Following a successful bull rush attempt the attacker can make an attack of opportunity against the defender. Normal: The defender provokes an attack of opportunity if he is moved, but not from the attacker who has moved him. Improved Raging Bull Style: You progress further along the path to mastery of wielding a short spear while carrying a tower shield. Prerequites: Strength 17, Raging Bull Style, shield proficiency(tower shield), weapon focus(short spear), Improved Shield Bash, Dodge. Benefits: A character carrying a tower shield may use it to make a shield bash attack. Additionally a character with this feat who fails his bull rush attempt may attempt a reflex save at dc 15 (+2 for each five feet of movement during the bull rush attempt) to avoid being pushed back five feet, success indicicates that the attacker and defender are locked in a grapple attempt. Failure of the reflex save indicates that the character is pushed back, flat footed and provokes an attack of opportunity. Normal: A tower shield cannot be used to make a shield bash attack. A failed bull rush attempt indicates that the character is pushed back five feet, or knocked prone. Greater Raging Bull Style: Prerequisites: Strength 19, Raging Bull Style, Improved Raging Bull Style, shield proficiency(tower shield), Improved shield bash, Weapon Focus(short spear), Weapon Specialization(short spear), Dodge, Mobility. Benefits: After a successful bull rush attempt you are able to make an attack of opportunity against the defender or any adjacent foes within reach as if they were flat footed. After a failed bull rush attempt the attacker recieves a +2 to the save made to avoid being pushed back. A failed reflex save does not provoke an attack of opportunity against the attacker, but does leave him flat footed against the first attack made in the next round. Success on the reflex save allows the attacker to move to an adjacent square rather than initiate grapple, this action provokes an attack of opportunity. Normal: A failed reflex save provokes an attack of opportunity as well as leaves the character flat footed for the start of the next round. A successful reflex save automatically initiates a grapple. The final logical progression =) Perfect Raging Bull Style: (Epic Feat) Your years of battle field experience allow you to use your chosen weapons to the greatest possible advantage. Prerequisites: Strength 21, Raging Bull Style, Improved Raging Bull Style, Greater Raging Bull Style, Shield Proficiency(tower), Improved Shield Bash, Weapon Focus(short spear), Weapon Specialization(short spear), Greater Weapon Focus(short spear), Dode, Mobility, Spring Attack. Benefits: During a successful bull rush the attacker simultaneously makes a shield bash attack as a free action, failure of the shield bash attack has no effect on the overall attack. Immediately after this the attacker may make an attack of opportunity against the defender. Following a failed bull rush attempt the attacker makes his reflex save with a +4 bonus. A failed reflex save does not provoke an attack of opportunity, but leaves the character flat footed against the first attack of the following round. A successful reflex save allows the character to initiate grapple, or to move to an adjacent square to avoid grappling, moving to an adjacent square does not provoke an attack of opportunity, nor does it leave the character flat footed at the beginning of the following round. Normal: Bull rush and shield bash attacks must be made seperately, shield bash attacks cannot be made with a tower shield, an attacker cannot initiate an attack of opportunity against a defender, and there is no save against being pushed backward following a failed bull rush attempt. Ok, so there it is, the style progression for someone who fights using a shield and spear. I feel that they are appropriately powerful options for a fighter with decent strength and dexterity who wears medium armor. This kind of fighting was common among the people of the ancient mediterranean and the near east, as well as most of africa excluding the regions of tropical rain forest. So I think that it would fit well among such forgotten realms cultures as those of the old empires and the vilhon reach. I'll try to develope a similar progression for something like a sword and shield, and two handed weapons, etc. I have other things to do right now though.
bitter thorn 02-28-07, 12:33 AM	Cool! I'd like to play test these at at various levels if I can find the time.
redmagefish 03-26-07, 04:58 PM	hold the blade and hit with the hilt see how that works out for you :fight!: dead
Burningspear 04-10-07, 10:13 PM	I would put the requirements to "any spear" as there are feats like: (from AEG's book of Feats), PHALANX FORMATION [GENERAL, FIGHTER] You have trained extensively with spear and shield. Prerequisites: Str 13+, Shield Proficiency, Weapon Focus (longspear), Weapon Specialization (longspear). Benefit: While wielding a longspear, you may also carry a shield of any size. Since you hold the spear in one hand, you lose any benefits of wielding a longspear two-handed, including increased damage from Strength and any feats that require you to wield aweapon with two hands. This means u can use a 2handed spear in 1 hand as a phalanx fighter...