A Fighter Who Can Attack 6 Times and Bull Rush 3 Times in a Single Round?!?!


Rules Questions


Please let me know if you see any issues with the following logic.

This feat combination grants an 11th level fighter, making a full round attack action (not moving more than a 5 foot step), 6 melee attacks and 3 bull rush combat maneuvers each round!

Two Weapon Fighting/Improved Two Weapon Fighting/Greater Two Weapon Fighting (effectively granting 3 attacks with off hand weapon)
Improved Shield Bash
Shield Slam (granting "Free" bull rush when they hit on a shield bash attack)
Power Attack
Improved Bull Rush
Greater Bull Rush

Example:
Tartann the 11th level dwarven fighter is surrounded by 3 hobgoblins.

The Hobgoblin's AC is 17 (+5 Armor, +2 Dex). Their Combat Maneuver Defense is 14 (10 +2 Dex +2 STR).

It is Tartann's turn to attack. He hits each one of them with his dwarven axe then hits each of them with his shield.

Here are his total rolls for his shield bash attacks: Hobgoblin 1 attack roll of 25, Hobgoblin 2 attack roll of 27, Hobgoblin 3 attack roll of 17. Tartann gets a FREE bull rush on each of these Shield Bash hits because of the feat Shield Slam. He uses his attack roll to calculate the combat maneuver check and adds +4 because of the feats Improved and Greater Bull Rush he has taken.

Hobgoblin 1 flies 5 feet for the combat maneuver succeeding plus an extra 5 feet for every 5 points over his combat maneuver defense (CMD). CMC 29 - CMD 14 = 15 points over his CMD. The total distance he is moved back is 20 feet.

Hobgoblin 2. CMC 31 - CMD 14 = 17. The total distance he is moved back is 20 feet. He hits a wall and falls prone.

Hobgoblin 3. CMC 21 - CMD 14 = 7. The total distance he is moved back is 10 feet.

Now it is the Hobgoblin's turn to act in the round

Hobgoblin 1 has 3 attacks per round, 2 with his long sword and one with a short sword, if he takes a full round attack action. The problem is that now he has to make a move action of 20 feet to get close enough to attack again. He can only make a single attack action in his turn!

Hobgoblin 2 has to use his move action on his turn to get up from prone. He can either use his 2nd move action to draw a ranged weapon or move the 20 feet to be close enough to engage melee combat again but he does not get to attack!

Hobgoblin 3 makes a move action and an attack action but loses his 2nd and 3 attacks as well.


Hobgoblin's CMD would have their BAB added in as well. Other than that it's right from what I can remember of how the bull rushes get resolved.


Sniggevert wrote:
Hobgoblin's CMD would have their BAB added in as well. Other than that it's right from what I can remember of how the bull rushes get resolved.

Thanks for pointing out that I missed the Hobgoblin's base attack bonuse! If they had a BAB of 6 then they wouldn't have moved quite so far...


In a quick reading of the rules, yes, BUT, to PUSH a hobgoblin more than 5 feet, you have to move with him... (and, in my interpetation of the rules, you HAVE to move with him even if the distance its 5' only, it seems that you are reading bullrush like "awesome blow", and its more "pushing" than "bating" your enemies with your shield :P)


Sarabanda wrote:

In a quick reading of the rules, yes, BUT, to PUSH a hobgoblin more than 5 feet, you have to move with him... (and, in my interpetation of the rules, you HAVE to move with him even if the distance its 5' only, it seems that you are reading bullrush like "awesome blow", and its more "pushing" than "bating" your enemies with your shield :P)

Not so with shield slam feat: "You may choose to move with your target if you are able to take a 5-foot step or to spend an action to move this turn." (emphasis mine)

However, he is kind of a one-trick pony. He wouldn't fare well against a number of spread-out weak creatures, creatures with touch attacks, creatures immune to bull rushes (incorporeal undead, for one), areas of magical darkness, spellcasters with concealment spells, Will saves, Reflex saves (actually, he'd be about half-and-half on those), mounted combat, social situations, anyone up in a tree... from the DM's perspective, I would love to see this exploit in action, but don't expect me to bend my campaigns to make him useful every encounter any more than I would throw nothing but evil guys into the path of a Paladin. Suggestions for beyond 11th level: Cleave & Great Cleave (if you really feel the need to hog initiative), ranged attack feats (you've got the Dex for it... use it) and Combat Reflexes.

Liberty's Edge

I think you still have to move with the target if you choose to move him more than 5ft though, which is in keeping with the Bull Rush rules.


Not sure (being at work and unable to research) about the requirement of moving along for added distance on the bull rush, but still, the OP gives a pretty good example of my Shield specialist from League of the One Trick Pony. As the name implies and others have stated this, it is a one trick pony, but when you get to do your one trick, you really shine ;-)

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