Post/Author/DateTime	Post
gurumare 06-12-07, 11:54 AM	Hello All, I am looking into creating a gnome/halfling combat character and am looking for feats the really make use of the size. A good example is swarm fighting, which allows multiple small sized creatures to fight in the same 5-foot square. If you could please post any feats or tricks and what books they are from, that would be great, thanks
Yanagita Kunio 06-12-07, 12:06 PM	Underfoot Combat (Tumble 10, Small or smaller) Confound the Big Folk (Underfoot Combat) The former lets you move into a space occupied by a creature two-plus size categories bigger wihtout provoking AoO, and you gain you soft cover (+4). The latter is a tactical feat that grants three maneuvers available when you're sharing space with a creature two size categories or larger. From Races of the Wild, and pivotal in the lethal (and cool) Killer Gnome Builds on the CharOp boards. More later--those two I remember by rote, though.... Titan Fighting (dodge, racial dodge vs giants) Races of Stone You get your racial Dodge bonus versus any creature larger than you that you designate target of your dodge. Gnome Tunnel Tactics (Gnome, BAB 4, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 2, Tumble 9) Dungeonscape Tactical feat with three maneuvers focused on using cramped space, available wall, and getting underfoot. Close-Quarter Fighting (BAB 3) Complete Warrior You get AoOs even against grapple attempts, even with critters with Improved Grab. Also, the damage inflicted act as a bonus on your resist grapple check.
Kouk 06-12-07, 04:31 PM	Pebble Underfoot, Dragon 279 or Dragon Compendium, prerequisite Improved Trip, you get a +4 bonus to trip creatures two sizes larger than you.
Argo 06-12-07, 05:57 PM	Not really a feat... the MIC has Gloves of Giant-Fighting... or something to that effect that give extra d6s of damage to anything larger than you a certain number of times per day.
gurumare 06-12-07, 10:14 PM	Thanks guys. Anything else? How about equipment or tactics?
Yanagita Kunio 06-12-07, 11:44 PM	1. Since you're Small, you're likely taking a hit to Strength and a plus to Dexterity. You can roll with this by taking Weapon Finesse, then finding sources of precision damage aside from STR. Easy low-entry sources are the Swashbuckler 3 Insightful Strike--granting INT to damage with finessable weapons--or Swordsage 4 Insightful Strike--granting WIS to damage. Also worthy of note is the Shadow Blade feat in ToB--granting DEX damage when using Shadow Hand weapons... dagger, short sword, sai, siangham, unarmed strike, or spiked chain--with the prereq of one Shadow Hand maneuver. This is easily obtainable through the Martial Study feat, which also nets you Hide as a class skill for all classes. 2. Second, try and obtain opportunistic damage: that is, damage triggered by factors like flanking and flat-footedness. Sneak attack and sudden strike are the most common types. The more dice and/or bonuses, the better. This combined with the Confound the Big Folk is the core of the Killer Gnome build (which I can take no credit for...I'm just the messenger). For straight-up melee fighting, your best bet is a Rogue/Swashbuckler combo along with the Daring Outlaw feat, which makes both classes stack for sneak attack dice, Grace, and Dodge bonus. There are other entries, but none quite as simple. The strikes from Tome of Battlecould take the place of opportunistic damage. I think. 3. Underfoot Combat and Confound the Small Folk go together with opportunistic damage to deadly effect when fighting opponents two size categories larger than yourself. Confound grants three maneuvers--Knee Striker, Underfoot Defense, and Unsteady Footing. All are tactically powerful for a Small combatant, but it's really the first one that can make you a damage-dealer. Knee Striker makes an opponent two sizes larger than you count as flat-footed on the round that you move into a space they occupy...ergo viable targets for a sneak/sudden strike. 4. The actual "Gnome" part of the Killer Gnome is the 10-level, full-BAB Blade Bravo PrC from Races of Stone, which gives boosts to Gnome fighter types. It gives a couple die of melee sneak, a proportional AC bonus versus larger opponents, a boost to critical confirmation versus larger opponents, and some bonus feats. The capstone ability Lethal Riposte is the real winner, though--you get AoO versus opponents that missed an attack *and* your target is deprived of its DEX bonus to AC. 5. The feats in (3) and the class abilities in (4) all trigger off of proportionate size; of specific importance being the "two size categories" criterion of the feats. Basically...if you were Tiny rather than Small, you'd get the benefits of Confound the Big Folk--and thus your sneak damage and/or Blade Bravo benefits--versus Medium or larger creatures. It's thus to your advantage to get a Reduce Person spell cast on you.
gurumare 06-13-07, 07:24 AM	Thats a good point. I will definitely look into ToB and the blade bravo prestige
madbliza 06-13-07, 10:42 AM	I love to play halflings. Expecially thieves with Low Blow. It's essentially sneak attack damage every round to the groin for anything one size category bigger then you. Not to mention, Improved Low Blow lets you do the groin stabs without any attacks of opportunity.