VeryImportantMonkey's page

Thanks guys, some amazing suggestions here. The first thing I will probably take on board is to raise my strength (yes, I have the option of switching stats around, so I will prob go with Con 15 and Str 15, then keep raising Str as I level).

Now back to the reach/trip combo with a polearm (guisarme). Here's how I imagine I could be able to 'zone' enemies away from my companions:
1) I find a nice bottleneck if there is one, or otherwise stand in front of them.
2) I threaten a wide 'front' with my polearm , 5 squares wide.
3) I have combat reflexes and a Dex 18, so I can make 5 attacks of opportunity (right?)
4) Everyone who moves through my area suffers free attacks from me. Therefore, my relatively low attack bonus / damage is offset by my high number of attacks.
5) My attempts to trip have a decent bonus because of Dex 18 + Agile Maneuvres. I understand all the limitations people mentioned here (I didn't know all these existed), but I don't need to try to trip if I am facing an inappropriate enemy, and I will just power attack them. Now if I AM facing someone relatively 'tripable' and I manage to trip them, I get a free attack of opportunity due to Greater Trip, plus they need to spend an action to get back up which will provoke a SECOND attack of opportunity from me.

Now I know that this all is very situational, but even when trip is not possible, will not my reach+combat reflexes offset my low AB/Dmg through that sheer number of attacks of opportunities? If they try to move around me, I can move too, plus they have already wasted a lot of moves trying to circle around me. In any case, I still have my bow, with a high enough Dex to make good use of it.

So, back to the initial scenario, what will go wrong when I try to set up in front of my team to protect them from incoming baddies? I am now convinced that Trip will only be a situational luxury, but what about the rest of the play?!

Thanks for the awesome feedback everyone, it is VERY helpful.

<<you're going to also carry a heavy shield for a further +2,>>
<< You're going to carry a Long Sword, Longbow and Ranseur.>>

Sorry for more newbie questions, but how does this work? Say, I hold my sword and shield, where is my ranseur at that time? When I want to take my bow and fire a few shots, what do I do with my shield and the ranseur? Do I need to drop them on the ground and then spend actions to pick them up? I was thinking of just having a polearm because I was unsure how all this works, especially during combat, but even outside combat...

Do not go after a maneuver fighter. You might start off ok at lower levels, but later on the monsters CMD's will take over and you will fail a lot more.

Damn, how bad will it be? Are we talking like 50-50 chances or thereabouts?

CMD also does not do hit point damage, meaning the monsters live longer, which means they have more chances to kill you and any squishier party members.

I was thinking that being tripped would give more time for the rest of the party to shoot/cast on them, and also, that after I learn Greater Trip I will be getting a free attack on them anyway.

One thing about stand still is that it only works on adjacent opponents, and with a reach weapon you won't even be able to use the feat.

Then it is not going to be useful to me, you are right.

Thanks for the feedback, it's exactly the sort of info I am looking for. If I went forward with it anyway, what you advise me to do armor-wise?

Hey all, very new to Pathfinder so need some help. We play with core rules only.

I want to play a Halfling tank (defensive) fighter. My GM insists that it is a terrible idea and I am shooting myself on my (hairy) foot. I don't care to be very powerful, but I don't want to be useless either. Would something like this work?

Str 13, Con 17, Dex 18, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 15 (I got very lucky rolling stats I think)

I intend to use a Guisarme for the reach+trip combination (also because a polearm Halfling seems to me really badass). We start at lvl 2 but I am trying to work out feats for the first few levels and I have pencilled down the following:

Agile Maneuvres, Combat Experise, Improved Trip (for start), then Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialisation, Power attack, and eventually Greater Trip, Combat Reflexes and Stand Still. My first stat point will go to Strength.

So the idea is to be some sort of disabler, control large areas with the polearm, trip from afar and get attacks of opportunity, make enemies unable to get past me and reach my companions. Obviously this would be much more effective in closed areas rather than out in the open where people can just circle around me.

So as I said, I am a total newb when it comes to Pathfinder and I wonder, would this work in any way? I understand that being a Halfling with a low Str would handicap me when it comes to combat maneuvres, movement, weapon size etc etc. Would my damage be pathetic/useless? I have no clue! Also, what would I do armor-wise, given my high dex score?