Getting the most out of combat reflexes

[Sadronmeldir]

Hey all,

I've got a Rogue with a decent Dex mod that will be multi-classing in Halfling Opportunist in part to get a sneak attack on all attacks of opportunity.

I want to want combat reflexes, but right now I'm not getting a lot of attacks of opportunity in combat. The party is only level 5, so it may be due to the lower level encounters, but does anyone have any advice or strategies to maximize the number attacks of opportunities per round?

[bookrat]

Level three inquisitor with Seize the Moment teamwork feat. Every time your allies make a crit, you get an AoO (if you threaten).

[Fromper]

The Bodyguard feat is a good one for this sort of thing. Whenever an adjacent ally is attacked, you can aid another to boost their AC as an AoO. This is especially good if you took the Helpful halfling trait.

But that won't solve your problem about wanting more AoO attacks for the sneak attacks from the prestige class. The obvious answer to that is a reach weapon.

[RumpinRufus]

You could go Combat Expertise/Improved Trip/Greater Trip/Vicious Stomp. One AoO turns into three if your trip attempt is successful.

Reach weapons are definitely your friend. Anyone trying to get adjacent to you provokes. On your turn if you don't have a flank, just use the Withdraw action so next round your foe will have to provoke again to get to you.

There's also the Combat Patrol feat to further widen your threatened area (although using it is a full-round action.)

[Dorian 'Grey']

Using the whip feat progression grants you a 10-15ft reach with trip/disarm option as AoO. As far as sneak attack AoO definitely a reach weapon...with bonuses to disarm/trip just to have in your back pocket.

[RumpinRufus]

Dorian 'Grey' wrote:

Using the whip feat progression grants you a 10-15ft reach with trip/disarm option as AoO. As far as sneak attack AoO definitely a reach weapon...with bonuses to disarm/trip just to have in your back pocket.

I'm a fan of the Improved Whip Mastery chain, but it's a lot of feats for a rogue to handle. A reach weapon and a natural weapon will give you the same threatened range. A dip into Fighter will let you fight with a guisarme (and give you a much-needed feat,) and a Ring of Rat Fangs gets you a natural attack for only 5K.

[bookrat]

Don't forget that you can take a feat as a rogue talent.

[Sadronmeldir]

Thank you all for the suggestions so far!

Fromper wrote:

The Bodyguard feat is a good one for this sort of thing. Whenever an adjacent ally is attacked, you can aid another to boost their AC as an AoO. This is especially good if you took the Helpful halfling trait.

But that won't solve your problem about wanting more AoO attacks for the sneak attacks from the prestige class. The obvious answer to that is a reach weapon.

This raises an interesting point and I'm glad you brought it up. I'm exploring the whole sneak attack AoO potential, but with combat reflexes I'd be able to use up to 7 AoOs per round. Right now with my playstyle, I'm not ever exceeding the need for 1. Burning through AoOs to aid another's AC is an interesting suggestion, especially when coupled with Halfling Opportunist.

For those that don't know, Halfling Opportunist can react to an opponent's action, causing them to suffer a penalty to that attack while boosting a check for one of your actions, such as a tumble or feint check. At level 10, that could mean a -5 penalty to the opponent's attack, then spending a AoO with bodyguard to grant an all +2 to AC. In essence, that's a -7 chance to hit at the spend of an immediate action and an AoO. Then on the next round, use that +5 bonus for a good chance at a Greater Feint, making the enemy more vulnerable to the rest of the party and opening him up to sneak attacks.

This fits perfectly with what I had planned for the little guy. Thanks!

[Fergie]

-Reach weapon
-Armor spikes or gauntlets (discuss with your GM to see if he will allow you to threaten with reach and close at the same time.)
-Improved initiative feat
-Having enlarged person cast on you... sorry, if you are small this won't give you more reach.
-Being invisible, hidden

Also, read up on the 5 foot step mechanic. You may be able to use it more then you think.

Finally, if your party members can get guys prone (grease spell or tripping), force them to move, etc. etc. that will give you more chances.

EDIT: One more thing, reducing opponents movement (caltrops, tanglefoot bag, etc), or better yet, getting them staggered, will make it more difficult for them to squeeze in all those minor actions like drawing weapons. If you can create some sort of difficult terrain situation that makes it so opponents can't 5 foot step, that can open up a lot more AoOs.

[Sadronmeldir]

The trip options sound interesting as well!

[The black raven]

If you can retcon to Ninja, you will get proficiency with the Kusari-Gama.

If you want to get AoO through trip, give your weapon the Dueling property and get yourself as Scabbard of Vigor. They work wonders together.

[GM_Wil]

bookrat wrote:

Level three inquisitor with Seize the Moment teamwork feat. Every time your allies make a crit, you get an AoO (if you threaten).

You need to be at least level 12 as an Inquisitor to get "Seize the Moment" because it requires Improved Critical, which requires a BAB of +8, which you get at level 11. Then at level 12 you can take Seize the Moment.

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[Eigengrau]

This could help you a little bit. If you get a reach weapon and use this feat (Antagonize) it's possible you could provoke them to come after you and provoke AoO's from allies and your reach.

Antagonize

Whether with biting remarks or hurtful words, you are adept at making creatures angry with you.

Benefit: You can make Diplomacy and Intimidate checks to make creatures respond to you with hostility. No matter which skill you use, antagonizing a creature takes a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and has a DC equal to 10 + the target’s Hit Dice + the target’s Wisdom modifier. You cannot make this check against a creature that does not understand you or has an Intelligence score of 3 or lower. Before you make these checks, you may make a Sense Motive check (DC 20) as a swift action to gain an insight bonus on these Diplomacy or Intimidate checks equal to your Charisma bonus until the end of your next turn. The benefits you gain for this check depend on the skill you use. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Diplomacy: You fluster your enemy. For the next minute, the target takes a –2 penalty on all attacks rolls made against creatures other than you and has a 10% spell failure chance on all spells that do not target you or that have you within their area of effect.

Intimidate: The creature flies into a rage. On its next turn, the target must attempt to make a melee attack against you, make a ranged attack against you, target you with a spell, or include you in the area of a spell. The effect ends if the creature is prevented from attacking you or attempting to do so would harm it (for example, if you are on the other side of a chasm or a wall of fire). If it cannot attack you on its turn, you may make the check again as an immediate action to extend the effect for 1 round (but cannot extend it thereafter). The effect ends as soon as the creature attacks you. Once you have targeted a creature with this ability, you cannot target it again for 1 day.

[Magda Luckbender]

Rogues are proficient with all Simple weapons. The Longspear is both a reach weapon and a simple weapon. Wield a longspear and you will get more AoOs.

[trawets71]

Sadronmeldir wrote:

Hey all,

I've got a Rogue with a decent Dex mod that will be multi-classing in Halfling Opportunist in part to get a sneak attack on all attacks of opportunity.

I want to want combat reflexes, but right now I'm not getting a lot of attacks of opportunity in combat. The party is only level 5, so it may be due to the lower level encounters, but does anyone have any advice or strategies to maximize the number attacks of opportunities per round?

Lunge is another feat you may want to look into. It will increase your reach 5' more than it is but at a cost to AC. My wife is doing a catfolk Nimble Striker/Lunge combo to get more AoOs.

Lunge wrote:

You can strike foes that would normally be out of reach.

Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6.

Benefit: You can increase the reach of your melee attacks by 5 feet until the end of your turn by taking a –2 penalty to your AC until your next turn. You must decide to use this ability before any attacks are made.

[LoneKnave]

Lunge does not work with AoOs as it only lasts until the end of your turn.

Rogue is not really a good class for AoOs, but yeah, the reach weapon/greater trip/Vicious stomp line is pretty good for piling them, as well as Paired opportunist. There's a very funny build involving that one and a Karmic bloodline sorceror that is built to aways fail defensively casting.

[Bandw2]

Fergie wrote:

-Reach weapon

-Armor spikes or gauntlets (discuss with your GM to see if he will allow you to threaten with reach and close at the same time.)

pretty sure switching a two-handed weapon to be held with one hand (but not usable) is a free action meaning you should free up your gauntlets just fine.

on track: there's of course combat patrol, mixed with any of the above. combat patrol just lets you threaten more squares as a full round action.

[Umbranus]

Ask your party if one could see taking the paired opportunist feat. That one is very strong for Aoos.
Or outflank. Depending if you want to fight flanking or adjacent.

Edit: LoneKnave already mentioned paired opportunist.