It just occured to me that the true strike spell gets renewed usefulness with the new way that Combat Manuevers are handled.
Redefined as "attack rolls" which are modified by spells and feats, true strike becomes a great way to ensure the success of a Combat Manuever.
That's handy for a low level character (who typically struggle to do them successfully), but needs to make sure they don't fail.
I always thought true strike was a great spell, but my players never typically take it. Maybe if they can use it towards a disarm, they might reconsider.
The thought had occured to me, too. I have a monk/sorcerer who might get some good use out of True Strike.
Trouble with True Strike is if you don't have an easy way to quicken it then it becomes a 2 round action. The first to cast the true strike and the second to acutally initate the combat manuever. With the exception of the bladesinger PRc from Complete Warrior there are not a lot of easy ways to quicken it. In the hands of an archer needing to make the shot it is a useful spell.
Doug
Trouble with True Strike is if you don't have an easy way to quicken it then it becomes a 2 round action. The first to cast the true strike and the second to acutally initate the combat manuever. With the exception of the bladesinger PRc from Complete Warrior there are not a lot of easy ways to quicken it. In the hands of an archer needing to make the shot it is a useful spell.
Doug
That's a worthwhile point Doug.
However, the duration (as it stands in the Beta) is till the next time you strike in combat.
If the PCs are going after a specific target, like a local villain they plan to ambush, it could be used effectively in the first round.
It's just something to think about...
However, the duration (as it stands in the Beta) is till the next time you strike in combat.
Hm?
"Your next single attack roll (if it is made before the end of the
next round) gains a +20 insight bonus. "
I interpret that as meaning "if you don't make an attack before the end of your next round, you don't get jack".
(By the way, my Eberron monk is going to take the feat Action Surge which allows him to spend 2 action points for an extra standard action; that makes True Strike more useful for him.)
I've always ruled it this way (though it was a bit of a loose interpretation).
Perhaps more interesting is when a mage casts true strike, then you attempt to disarm them (in which case you surely fail, but succeed in wasting their spell). Assuming you can do so without provoking (and just catching a +20 AoO), that is.
This happened in an AE game that I ran (albeit with a heightened bash spell, AE's equivalent to truestrike), after all the warriors on each side had been knocked below 0 or otherwise incapacitated. There's something viscerally satisfying about a battle that boils down to a knife-fight between two mages.
Hm?"Your next single attack roll (if it is made before the end of the
next round) gains a +20 insight bonus. "I interpret that as meaning "if you don't make an attack before the end of your next round, you don't get jack".
(By the way, my Eberron monk is going to take the feat Action Surge which allows him to spend 2 action points for an extra standard action; that makes True Strike more useful for him.)
I don't know what to tell ya. I'm wrong again. <shrug>
I went straight to Gming in fall of 2007, having never played 3.5 for the preceeding decade. I played 1st edition in the late 70's till about '87 or '88. No D&D until September 2007. I'm kinda like Buck Rogers, unfrozen in the 25th Century.
I was able to be open minded about 4E, because I only own three used 3.5 Core Books.. aside from all my Paizo books. And I bought those used. (But now I see the differences and limitations of 4E, and am looking forward to PF RPG)
Anyway, sometimes I make mistakes, especially since all I do is GM.
Trouble with True Strike is if you don't have an easy way to quicken it then it becomes a 2 round action. The first to cast the true strike and the second to acutally initate the combat manuever. With the exception of the bladesinger PRc from Complete Warrior there are not a lot of easy ways to quicken it. In the hands of an archer needing to make the shot it is a useful spell.
Doug
Havoc mage also.
Hm?"Your next single attack roll (if it is made before the end of the
next round) gains a +20 insight bonus. "I interpret that as meaning "if you don't make an attack before the end of your next round, you don't get jack".
(By the way, my Eberron monk is going to take the feat Action Surge which allows him to spend 2 action points for an extra standard action; that makes True Strike more useful for him.)
I don't know what to tell ya. I'm wrong again. <shrug>
I went straight to Gming in fall of 2007, having never played 3.5 for the preceeding decade. I played 1st edition in the late 70's till about '87 or '88. No D&D until September 2007. I'm kinda like Buck Rogers, unfrozen in the 25th Century.
I was able to be open minded about 4E, because I only own three used 3.5 Core Books.. aside from all my Paizo books. And I bought those used. (But now I see the differences and limitations of 4E, and am looking forward to PF RPG)
Anyway, sometimes I make mistakes, especially since all I do is GM.
Don't feel bad. It happens to veteran 3.X gamers too. Sometimes we get so use to certain long standing house rules we forget that they are house rules. ;)
This is still a very solid combo.
Take Bull Rush for instance. It moves you 5' extra per 5 you beat the DC by. If you have a reasonable chance, a True Strike spell could end up pushing your opponent 20-30 feet.. right off a cliff...
Yes.
Right up to the cliff's edge, I would presume.
Yes.
Right up to the cliff's edge, I would presume.
Unless you don't have improved bull rush, in which case, they might choose to give you a nice hug, instead.
A shame it won't apply to the CMD.
Ah! That's right, you now have a static defense against grapple/disarm/etc. I'd forgotten.
Don't you move along with them?This is still a very solid combo.
Take Bull Rush for instance. It moves you 5' extra per 5 you beat the DC by. If you have a reasonable chance, a True Strike spell could end up pushing your opponent 20-30 feet.. right off a cliff...
Not if you have the Knockback Rage Power... *eyes his Barb/Wizard/EldrKnight with Greater Bull Rush and Knockback*.
Ah! That's right, you now have a static defense against grapple/disarm/etc. I'd forgotten.
True, but my early impression is that the CMD will tend to be higher than the CMB. For the spellcaster, this will certainly mitigate that.
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Still. Great way to thwart a dragon's attacks.
Round/Action
1. True Strike
2. Grapple the dragon
-- Dragon's Turn --> free himself from the weak mage's grasp as a standard action OR make a full attack against the weak mage at -2 to all attacks, while being at -4 to dex and without the ability to move or make AoOs (ok, mage is toast unless stoneskinned/displaced/mirror-imaged, but still a great way to go down heroically isn't it? :P )
Ha! That's true, if you succeed it takes them at least one action to get free, no matter what.
True strike + improved grapple = sticky gish.
It's a tactic I've seen a fair bit before actually, warrior-mages using true strike then attempting disarms.
One big downfall of it is that you can see it comming. Despite it being used on my one of my character's plenty of times, it never once worked. Simply because I would pass the spellcraft check, then use Improved Expertise (Non-Core feat allowing your Expertise bonus to go up to +10) then fought with total defense. In the end, the character only gained a +6 bonus, which while big, didn't boost as much as he hoped. And generally, if you're realying on this tactic (as was the case of the warrior-mages) their attack rolls won't be that high normally.
So before you try it out IG, remember that opponents are going to be able to anticipate it, and if possible, counter it.
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It's a tactic I've seen a fair bit before actually, warrior-mages using true strike then attempting disarms.
One big downfall of it is that you can see it comming. Despite it being used on my one of my character's plenty of times, it never once worked. Simply because I would pass the spellcraft check, then use Improved Expertise (Non-Core feat allowing your Expertise bonus to go up to +10) then fought with total defense. In the end, the character only gained a +6 bonus, which while big, didn't boost as much as he hoped. And generally, if you're realying on this tactic (as was the case of the warrior-mages) their attack rolls won't be that high normally.
So before you try it out IG, remember that opponents are going to be able to anticipate it, and if possible, counter it.
You can't use Combat Expertise and Total Defence. CE only works if you attack and so take the penalty, which you don't with Total Defence.
You can't use Combat Expertise and Total Defence. CE only works if you attack and so take the penalty, which you don't with Total Defence.
That's true, though you can fight defensively for +2 (+3 with Acrobatics ranks, +4 at 15 ranks if you are really nice).
Still. Great way to thwart a dragon's attacks.
Round/Action
1. True Strike
2. Grapple the dragon
Note that you normally grapple creatures one size category larger at best. So a medium-sized human can't grapple a huge-sized dragon. But it would still work for large or smaller dragons.
Kind of a waste of two turns, if you ask me.
It's a tactic I've seen a fair bit before actually, warrior-mages using true strike then attempting disarms.
One big downfall of it is that you can see it comming. Despite it being used on my one of my character's plenty of times, it never once worked. Simply because I would pass the spellcraft check, then use Improved Expertise (Non-Core feat allowing your Expertise bonus to go up to +10) then fought with total defense. In the end, the character only gained a +6 bonus, which while big, didn't boost as much as he hoped. And generally, if you're realying on this tactic (as was the case of the warrior-mages) their attack rolls won't be that high normally.
So before you try it out IG, remember that opponents are going to be able to anticipate it, and if possible, counter it.
Let me get this straight.
The BBEG took a -10 or -14 penalty to his attacks for a round, you gained a +6 bonus, and you're complaining?
Let me get this straight.
The BBEG took a -10 or -14 penalty to his attacks for a round, you gained a +6 bonus, and you're complaining?
Complaining? I'm simply pointing out that enemies can be aware of the tactic and plan against. Whilst my plan wasn't the most effective, it did put a dent in the enemies - Besides, simply by gaining caster levels to gain access to the spell you take a loss to BAB, so a +6 bonus isn't nessicerily what the character got.