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Oct 16, 2012 -- 3:48PM, GreyICE wrote:

It's funny you say level 6, because that's the exact level I chose for the "Druid Challenge" in the D&D Next Forums, when people would say "3E Fighters are perfectly acceptable until very high levels."

That is the most chilling thing I've heard in connection with D&D Next. I thank you for any work you're doing to dispell that myth. I tried hard to love 3E fighters, goodness knows I tried. 4th Edition saved me from going insane over the issue.

Improved Trip has caused problems, namely because it is THE MOST powerful feat in the "Improved x" series of feats.  Improved Disarm only nets you a +4 bonus to the attempt, and removes the AoO.  Improved Sunder, and Improved Grapple, same thing.  Improved Feint allows feinting as a move action, whch allows for ONE attack to be made without the target getting his DEX bonus.  Improved Trip, on the other hand, removes the AoO for a trip attempt, gets you a +4 bonus to the attempt, AND gets you a free attack.

Now, one of the most OP builds in 3.x was the "Spiked Chain Trip-Monkey" Fighter.  Having reach and being able to trip as an attack action (which includes an AoO), means excellent crowd control.  Combined with feats like Combat Reflexes, you have a very optimal character. I assume, even though you did not say so, that you are using a spiked chain, since you mentioned your build requiring a specific weapon.

Now, OP, a question: Since standing up from prone provokes an AoO, do you also do a trip attempt for that?  A lot of DMs allow this, and then recant their decision when it becomes brokenly overpowered.  Here's a tip: An attack of opportunity actually takes place BEFORE the event that triggered it, an Immediate Interrupt, to use 4e terminology.  Which means that, RAW, you CANNOT use the spiked chain/Improved Trip combo to keep a foe prone.  If he was allowing that, perhaps you could bring this to his attention, and agree to adhere to that in the future, your fighter will not be as overpowered, and he will not require you to re-make him.

Another rule frequently overlooked in my experience is that even if someone can take multiple AoOs in one round (due to Combat Reflexes), he or she can still only take one AoO per creature's turn.  So a creature that takes multiple AoO provoking actions on its turn only recieves one AoO per character threatening it.

Also: someone here mentioned that being prone makes the prone creature lose its DEX bonus.  This is incorrect.  A prone target takes a -4 penalty to all melee attacks, and can only use a crossbow for ranged ones.  Attackers get a +4 bonus to melee attack prone targets, while taking a -4 penalty to ranged atatcks against them.  That's it.  Nowhere does it say they lose their DEX bonus.

Also, a smart DM will occasionally throw things against you that your tactic is ineffective against.  Quadrapeds are very hard to trip, creatures with reach will never leave a threatened space, and never provoke the tripping AoO in the first place.

And finally, your point on social skills being used against other players:  Other posters have been correct in that Diplomacy and Intimidate cannot be used to control other players.  Diplomacy because the payer controls the reactions and actions of their character.  Intimidate works in a similar fashion, and has the added benefit, that a creature adds his/her its Hit Dice to the opposed roll.  Even if the paladin successfully intimidated your character, the only appropriate reaction would be to act succesfully cowed, but that does not mean he gets to dictate your actions.  Bluff should only be used against other characters sparingly, because it can lead to inter-party conflict.

In closing, talk to your DM about what his problems are with your fighter.  If he has been allowing things he should not have been (which are common mistakes with those particular rules), then maybe you could move forward in keeping with RAW.  If that's a deal-breaker for you, then go ahead and re-roll your character.

One thing to keep in mind when dealing with trip/knock prone and disarm is that even though it is not overly powerful, it can be extremely frustrating on the DM. It controls the monster's movement to an extreme extend, narrowing the use of terrain and any potential tactical manouvers.

What is worse in 3e is that it either works extremely well or not at all, causing players to be frustrated if you use a lot of opponents on which it does not work and through those choices force the DM in a particular opponent selection. At least your DM asked you to change your PC instead of simply switching to another set of opponents At least with spellcasters the DM can change things regularly so that the spellcaster will simply prepare another set of spells.