Variant Feint Rules

[Yokiboy]

Well, the thing is that tumbling and flanking is already in there, and it is by far the most common way for someone to qualify for sneak attacks. My proposition is to allow a sneak attacker to use feint to create an "imaginary flanker" (a bit like an imaginary friend) so that he might get some sneak attack goodness in on those odd occasions when he doesn't have any real allies to help him with flanking.

So I don't think that is a drawback, it is a feature!

The thing that irks me though, is that I'm a big, huge fan of swashbuckling rogues - or thieves as the case may be - but not very found of a Tumbling/Flanking one. I just have no literary comparisson for such a character, except for cheezy movie ninjas, and that's something I don't want in my games.

Honestly, I think you have a very good house rule, but for me, especially as I also play D&D, I will stick with the Feint rules as they were written. If I find them unbalancing during play I'll change them.

TTFN,

Yokiboy

 

[Anonymous]

Here's a thought: what about if, instead of any of the above, a feint works something like Power Attack?

What I mean is: feinting would be an attack manuver, like any other attack action. To simulate the "risk factor" and differentiate it from Power Attack/ Combat Expertise feinting would enable you to "wager" some amount of points, possibly up to ... your combined "INT, WIS & CHA bonuses? Half your BAB? Your defense bonus? Something like that, anyway, I'd have to crunch numbers to come up with a real suggestion.

Anyway: you "wager" some amount of bonus: then you roll a contest vs. whatever seems reasonable when we write the real rule: a contest of BABs + poss. some bonuses (feats?) for a start: if you win the contest, the bonus you wagered is added to your BAB and DV vs. that opponent (because he's wrong-footed/out of position); if you lose the wager the amount you wagered is applied vs. your BAB & DV as a penalty (because now you are wrong-footed) vs. that opponent.

You can feint vs. one opponent at once, etc.

Feats would allow for bonuses to the contest, or increase the amount you can "wager" or both.

What say you?

 

[Yuan-Ti]

Yeah - It's me
Just following along and making a suggestion.
Let me know of there's a hole in this somewhere.

Combat Maneuver

Dirty Fighting
By distracting your opponent in combat, you take advantage of your enemy’s momentary loss of concentration and strike him in a vital area.

Prerequisite: Sneak Attack
Circumstances: You must have successfully feinted your enemy in combat, causing him to lose his stat and feat bonuses to DV.
Effect: The target of the feint is considered flanked, allowing you to get a +2 flanking bonus and causing him to be vulnerable to a sneak attack on your next strike. Improved Uncanny Dodge may negate this maneuver, unless you are a thief or pirate of at least four levels higher than your enemy. Performing this maneuver more than once, while facing the same enemy in the same combat encounter, will result in the target being granted a +10 circumstance modifier to his Sense Motive checks to resist your additional attempts to feint him and perform this maneuver.

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Example:
Guard combats thief as he attempts to make his escape. Thief throws dirt into the eyes of the advancing guard, causing him to stumble and cover his eyes. The thief then shoves his dagger into the guard’s exposed armpit (both finessing around the armor and using his sneak attack specialty).

Clarification: +10 given ONLY to resist the feint/dirty fighting combo. Modifier to Sense Motive not granted to additional standard feint attempts.

Other examples: Trash talking to overly anger the target (making use of that Persuasive feat :wink, throwing your cloak over his face, tipping over a candlestand, tossing a piece of fruit in the air :shock: , ---- stuff like that.

Shonuff, you're brilliant. I think I am going to try this in my campaign and see how it works.