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3 months ago ::
Feb 17, 2013 - 9:34AM
#1
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Date Joined:
Mar 27, 2008
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3.5
Y'all know how it stipulates in the barbarian's Rage ability that he can use any feat but Combat Expertise? Well, my question is, are you "using" Combat Expertise (because it is a pre-req) while you want to use Improved Disarm or Improved Trip? I had a raging barbarian npc last night that I was visualizing attempting to disarm one of my players (visions of the Kurgan knocking the Highlander's katana out of his grasp, actually).
To be on the safe side, I decided to just use a couple of sunder attacks instead, until I got some opinions from you guys today.
The npc barbarian is an unresolved opponent, still at large; It'll come up again...
Neue
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3 months ago ::
Feb 17, 2013 - 9:50AM
#2
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I don't envision the rage of a barbarian (especially a CG barbarian) to necessarily be a murderous frenzy, so I can definitely see a raging barbarian swatting his opponent's weapon from his hand and pushing him to the ground, especially if the goal is to subdue rather that decapitate. (This type of situation is also why I allow Str-based Intimidate checks in certain situations rather than Cha-based).
The Rage description says that he cannot use Combat Expertise, not that he's treated as not having it. I believe the reason for it is that a rager is supposed to be focused on offense rather than defense. Plus, Combat Expertise allows him to effectively just transfer the 2 points he got from strength to attack to his AC instead, thereby negating that Rage penalty.
Long story short, I see no reason a raging barbarian would lose access to the Combat Expertise tree just because he can't utilize the prerequisite.
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3 months ago ::
Feb 17, 2013 - 9:57AM
#3
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Date Joined:
Sep 25, 2005
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I agree with Ahruhn. Especially since Wolf Totem Barbarian gives Improved Trip. I see it more as being so angry that he can't think straight, and therefore can't use a feat with an Int requirement.
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Buttler of the House of Trolls
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3 months ago ::
Feb 17, 2013 - 12:41PM
#4
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Date Joined:
May 19, 2010
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Are you actually doing any of the actions specifically enabled by Combat Expertise? No? Okay, you aren't using it.
What's next, asking whether using a fifth-level spell requires the expenditure of a slot at every lower level as well?
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Flamboyant Flamer of the House of Trolls
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3 months ago ::
Feb 17, 2013 - 12:56PM
#5
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In all honesty, I view the use of Sunder as the strong armed version of disarm. When successful I say it "breaks" an item enough that it is definitely no longer useful for th duration of the combat but actually destroying a weapon completely goes just one step further before it becomes unrepairable. Sunder becomes a LOT more acceptable to players if you can just spend a little gold to "fix what you almost broke" instead of viewing it as "destroying treasure" which is the case in most groups.
Is there anything saying a Raging Barbarian couldn't use the Trip or Disarm actions? No? Then I don't see any reason that the "Improved" feats should change anything.
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