Kermit-D-Frog's page

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.

I have two questions about a "Pathfinder" 11th level fighter who has taken the following feats:

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

Question1: Bull rush is a standard action by itself meaning I can make a move action and a Bull Rush (standard action) in one round but nothing else. The feat Shield Slam says "Opponents hit by your shield bash are also hit with a free bull rush attack." Would an 11th level fighter with 3 off-hand attacks be able to bull rush three opponents as long as he hit each of them with one of his 3 off-hand attacks? This would grant the fighter 6 attacks and 3 bull rushes in a round!

My thoughts: According to my interpretation the fighter would be able to attack 3 times with their primary weapon and 3 times with their shield. Each time they hit with their shield they would also get a free bull rush against that opponent. Keep in mind that the fighter does not have to move with the opponent that they bull rush so they do not have to exceed the 5 foot step limit with a full attack action round.

Question2: To calculate the Combat Maneuver Check on a free bull rush granted by the shield slam feat the rules say "substituting your attack roll for the combat maneuver check." Would you get a +4 granted to your Bull Rush check because of the Improved and Greater Bull Rush feats?

My thoughts: You scored an attack on a monster based on your BAB+Str Bonus+Magical Attack Modifiers Etc... The sum of that role is based on being able to hit an opponent Armor Class to do damage. Using that to calculate a combat maneuver check seems in-congruent with the idea of Combat Maneuver Checks but that is the rule so I am fine with it. I do not see any reason not to apply the bonuses, granted by improved and greater bull rush feats, to the "Free" bull rush granted by the Shield Slam feat. Those 2 feats represent the the honing of the bull rush technique by the fighter who has "spent" 2 feat slots on them (3 including Power Attack). Whenever making a Combat Maneuver Check for Bull Rush I think they should be that much better at it than someone who has not taken the feats.