Combat Expertise and Fighting Defensively

[Aeshuura]

I always assumed that you could not use both Combat Expertise and Fighting Defensively at the same time, but then I saw a post that mentioned otherwise...

Can someone clarify for me?

Thanks.

[Maxxx]

Aeshuura wrote:

I always assumed that you could not use both Combat Expertise and Fighting Defensively at the same time, but then I saw a post that mentioned otherwise...

Can someone clarify for me?

Thanks.

You can, you just need to apply both penalties. What is not possible is to use Combat Expertise and Total Defense, since you need to attack to use Combat Expertise, but fighting defensively is possible.

[Aeshuura]

Does it say somewhere, or is this an interpretation of the rules? Just want to clarify, before I start using it.

Thanks for a speedy reply!

[Magicdealer]

Combat Expertise page 119

Bottom part of the entry
"You can only choose to use this feat when you declare that you are making an attack or a full-attack action with a melee weapon. The effects of this feat last until your next turn.

Fighting defensively as a Full-Round Action. You can choose to fight defensively when taking a full-attack action. If you do so, you take a -4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for the same round.

So you declare you're making an attack or full attack action. You can activate combat expertise and fighting defensively to gain the bonuses to both since nothing in either ability requires an action to activate, or prohibits other feats or abilities.

However, you couldn't use either or both with the total defense action.

[Aeshuura]

Thanks for that... It is much clearer now...