Trip and BAB

[Kaboogy]

The rules say you can make a trip attempttac instead of an attack. The trip attempt uses your CMB, so absurdly replacing a +17 first attack with trip and a +2 fourth attack would use the same bonus to the trip attempt.
Am I missing a line or a ruling, or are the rules really as so? Seems a bit broken to me (not that fighters have that much love from the rules).

[wraithstrike]

I do not understand what you are saying. Could you provide another example?

[Kaboogy]

Sure. Let's say I'm a lvl 17 fighter, with CMD +30, and let's say 30/25/10/15.
Situation A: I replace my first attack with a trip attempt. So my full attack is +30 trip, +25 attack, +20 attack, +15 attack.
Situation B: I replace my fourth attack with a trip attempt. Now my full attack is +30 attack, +25 attack, +20 attack +30 trip.
I'm no expert at melee, but it's my understanding that at this level the first attack pretty much always hits, and the iteratives may or may not. In situation B my last attack has the same chance to hit as the last, which kinda breaks the probability balancing.

[Davor]

Making a combat maneuver uses your BAB, and this number is different for each iterative attack. This is further supported by the fact that combat maneuvers receive all of the same bonuses and penalties that attack rolls do.

[Claxon]

Yeah, you misunderstand. If you replace an iterative attack with a combat maneuver, you use the BAB for that iterative attack. Each iterative reduces BAB by 5.

[wraithstrike]

What the two above me said. :)

[Cavall]

And the guy below you.

[Kaboogy]

Exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks.

[Cavall]

On the plus side you can calculate on your sheet all the moves with BAB included on your sheet so now at a glance what you can do after each attack. It will help simplify Combat.

[kinevon]

Yep, if you have iterative attacks, and want to attack, trip or disarm:

First attack uses full BAB, plus appropriate modifiers for the attack or the combat maneuver.

Second attack, your first iterative, uses all the same modifiers, but uses BAB -5 instead of full BAB.

Third attack, your second iterative, uses all the same modifiers, again, but uses BAB -10 instead of full BAB.

Fourth attack, your third (and normally final) iterative, uses all the same modifiers, again, but uses BAB -15 instead of full BAB.

Note that, in some cases, you might get an attack in the middle of your attack sequence at full BAB, due to activating the consequences of feats like Greater Trip or Vicious Stomp (or both). Such an attack, since it is an AoO, uses full BAB, instead of the BAB for your current iterative.

[-Grijm-]

Unrelated, but it is always best to go for that trip with the highest BAB. Once the trip goes off, the rest of your iterative attacks get a +4 for the enemy being prone.