Quick Fixes for 3e Combat?

[Psychic Robot]

I'm having trouble.  I'm trying to figure out a way to make non-magical combat more fun without resorting to ToB mechanics.  I want something simple.  I want something elegant.  I want something impossible, I fear.

The first step to making melee/ranged combat "not suck" is to make combat maneuvers like tripping more viable for all characters.  Not requiring a dozen feats to do it properly?  Check.  Not provoking attacks of opportunity against characters if you don't have the aforementioned feats?  Check.  Simplifying the system down to a single attack roll?  Check.  Doing damage on a successful attempt?  Check.

So that's done.  Then we have to deal with things like Power Attack and Combat Expertise.  First, they shouldn't cost feats.  Making them accessible to all characters is a good way to give everyone more options, right?  Second of all, they should be more functional for characters who spend feats to specialize in them.  Third of all, things like Power Attack shouldn't punish characters who use a shield: make returns for using Power Attack equal for everyone.

And at this point, I'm stuck.  I don't know what to do.  I want to give people additional options without resorting to an overly-complex system.  I realize that the feats I suggested in another thread do that, but it just feels like it's lacking something.

Any ideas?

[Orion]

I haven't personally tried it, but eliminating attacks of opportunity entirely apparently speeds things up quite a bit, and it almost obviates the need for Improved Trip/Disarm/etc feats. If you still offer them, they need to be suped-up. A bigger bonus or something. I don't know.

Iterative attacks are "fun" in the sense that once you have six of them you get to roll a crap-tonne of dice, but not simple or quick. How about replacing them with a damage bonus that goes up by level? You could even just carry the BAB over to damage rolls as well, which would mean a 5th-level fighter gets a +5 to hit and a +5 to damage, at all times. Call it a "Base Combat Bonus." The BCB would then be twice as valuable, and those classes that have Good BCB would get an in-combat boost.

That's all I can think of.

[RobbyPants]

So that's done.  Then we have to deal with things like Power Attack and Combat Expertise.  First, they shouldn't cost feats.  Making them accessible to all characters is a good way to give everyone more options, right?  Second of all, they should be more functional for characters who spend feats to specialize in them.  Third of all, things like Power Attack shouldn't punish characters who use a shield: make returns for using Power Attack equal for everyone.

Well, you certaily could go that route.  Get rid of fighting defensively, and allow everyone to use Combat Expertise in its place.  You could also allow anyone to Power Attack with a non-light weapon.  Really, all this does is free up a feat for melee characters anyway, as they would have blown a feat on it, and any non-full BAB classes will see relatively little benifit (a cross between having a lower BAB and not always using two handed weapons).

If you want feats to boost it, perhaps a feat to improve your Power Attack ratio could be in order.  Maybe you could make a Frenzied Berzerker's Improved Power Attack ability into a feat.  Perhaps Supreme Power Attack could be made into a feat as well, but this largely devalues that class.

Although, doing something like this doesn't change a whole lot in my opinion.  Basically, what I'd see happening is:
1) All melee PCs would take these feats.
2) No one would take levels in FB.
3) The damage output would improve, but that's never been a melee PC's short fall.  They just get better at doing what they already do well.


I'd say if you want to run a ToB-less game that gives combatants options, I think you're on the right track with a list of tactical feats.  Make some ones easier to qualify for at low levels, and perhaps give out some bonus tactical feats at key levels to various classes.

[Midnight_v]

I'm having trouble.  I'm trying to figure out a way to make non-magical combat more fun without resorting to ToB mechanics.  I want something simple.  I want something elegant.  I want something impossible, I fear.

The first step to making melee/ranged combat "not suck" is to make combat maneuvers like tripping more viable for all characters.  Not requiring a dozen feats to do it properly?  Check.  Not provoking attacks of opportunity against characters if you don't have the aforementioned feats?  Check.  Simplifying the system down to a single attack roll?  Check.  Doing damage on a successful attempt?  Check.

So that's done.  Then we have to deal with things like Power Attack and Combat Expertise.  First, they shouldn't cost feats.  Making them accessible to all characters is a good way to give everyone more options, right?  Second of all, they should be more functional for characters who spend feats to specialize in them.  Third of all, things like Power Attack shouldn't punish characters who use a shield: make returns for using Power Attack equal for everyone.

And at this point, I'm stuck.  I don't know what to do.  I want to give people additional options without resorting to an overly-complex system.  I realize that the feats I suggested in another thread do that, but it just feels like it's lacking something.

Any ideas?

Use the feats from the Rokugan as well, if you have that book. They give interesting feats, but also you need more tactical/weapon style feats to be created. .