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Gang,
I just want to see if I'm interpreting the following correctly...
* At 7th level, a Dwarven Foehammer has the ability, via "Hammer to the Ground," to make a free trip combat maneuver after the conclusion of a successful bull rush combat maneuver.
* The feat, "Shield Slam," allows a free bull rush combat maneuver after a successful hit from a shield slam attack.
* The feat, "Break Guard," as a swift action, allows an attack with one's other weapon (in this case, one's shield) immediately after a successful disarm combat maneuver from one's main weapon.
If I'm understanding the above correctly, a Foehammer can be built to disarm, damage, bull rush, and trip an enemy all in one action.
Am I understanding the above correctly? I'm concerned that I'm overlooking something, as this seems very strong. It is feat intensive, but a Fighter can still seemingly achieve this by Level 8, having not only purchased the prerequisites, but also the necessary "Improved" feats to prevent attacks of opportunity.
Looks about right.
Prerequisites for Break Guard: Dex 15, Int 13, Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Two-Weapon Fighting.
Prerequisites for Shield Slam: Improved Shield Bash, Shield Proficiency, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +6.
Also if you like chaining maneuvers see Spinning Throw for a monk build.
Disarm triggers Break Guard that triggers Shield Slam that triggers Hammer to the Ground
Sounds correct but it is situational, feat intensive and some GMs maybe limit your free actions. Enemies without weapons are save, a failed combat maneuver check will break your trigger chain and you can/must follow your enemy to trip effective (and maybe lose a iterative attacks).
A lvl8 fighter can do more damage with an other build but it sounds interesting and fluffy. Maybe this is something for an enemy of my party .. :)
Double posted...
I'll post here as well... You can skip the disarm/break guard route and have a more damaging build with one less debuff by using power attack/felling smash/shield bash/spiked destroyer/Greater Trip.
My Dwarf is a spiked shield ranger2/Brawler fighter4 combo (to get shield slam without prereqs)... wielding a +1 Bashing Spiked Heavy shield with Power Attack, Imp/Gr trip, Felling Smash, Shield Slam, Cleave and Cleaving Finish. So I get to do this without the disarm route. I make a successful power attack with the shield, get a free trip and bullrush, and get a spiked armor AoO. Imma take Combat Reflexes next level so I can take 2 AoOs on each enemy... and if I kill someone I get to start the chain over.
He's pretty damned effective with a 20 Str at level 6, and a dusty rose Ioun Stone slotted in a wayfinder for an additional +2 on CMBs. Shield slam at +13 doing 2d6+13 then bullrush@+4 over the attack roll, trip@+16(automatic if they hit a wall or object) and a spiked armor hit at +13 doing d6+12.
I like the idea of a hammer and shield swinging whirlwind who disarms his opponent, pushes him away followed by a trip attack and a crushing blow to the head (with greater trip or iterative attacks).
That is a dwarven fighting style!
A side cautionary note: watch your swift actions since you only get 1 a round: Felling Smash and Spiked Destroyer (and Break Guard) all required a swift action to use.
Also it doesn't look like shield spikes (which are weapons) function with the bashing shield quality (which is added to the shield). Seems that James Jacobs agrees. But it is also noted that if your GM is happy with it, it is fine.
First and foremost, thank you all for the discussion! It is much appreciated and I hope to hear more regarding your thoughts on this potential combo, both its mechanics and its cinematic qualities.
I'm actually now thinking about adding Greater Trip to the progression. That way, the fighter has the following (note I plan for Dexterity to start at 14 and reach 15 at level 4):
1st Combat Expertise, Improved Trip
2nd Improved Disarm
3rd Improved Shield Bash
4th Two-Weapon Fighting
5th Break Guard
6th Shield Slam
7th Greater Trip
This means, this dwarven fighter (presuming all maneuvers are successful), now gets to disarm, shield bash, bull rush, trip, and make an attack of opportunity, all in one attack and without necessarily provoking any attacks of opportunity in return (providing bull rush movement does not put him into an enemy's threatened squares).
I'm considering adding on the following, for yet another attack of opportunity after the (hopefully successful) trip:
8th Combat Reflexes
9th Improved Unarmed Strike
10th Vicious Stomp
Note that, at 9th level, these extra attacks seem to be buffed by the Foehammer's, "Rhythmic Blows," class ability, which reads:
Rhythmic Blows (Ex): At 9th level, each time that a
foehammer hits a target, he gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls
against that target. This bonus stacks with each hit against
that target, but lasts only until the end of the foehammer’s
turn. This ability replaces weapon training 2.
As it seems to me, each hit improves the likelihood the next attack also hits. As for the weapons, I'm considering a warhammer and a light shield. Seems appropriate.
So, what do you all think? Is this good stuff, both mechanically and thematically?
Improved unarmed strikeand vicious stompp are tempting but consider Weapon focus/greater weapon focus (shield) and bull rush/greater bull rush. Weapon focus rise your chances to hit and also add to the CMB for the maneuvers that use the shield, and if you have several martial allies the AoOs from greater bull rush would do more damage than vivious stomp.
Nicos, I think you're most likely right about the benefits of bonuses and attacks of opportunities from allies.
However, I wonder if this is a case where there are multiple "right" answers, as the Vicious Stomp line's synergy with later Foehammer abilities seems strong. The feat gained at level 11 will almost certainly be, "Shield Master." After that, I presumably would take, "Quick Draw," at level 12, to draw and replace a quick draw shield as a free action. However, past those, the following options look initially appealing, though I welcome your (and others!) feedback.
For instance, at 13th level, the Foehammer gets, "Ground Breaker," which potentially knocks prone all enemies in adjacent squares, triggering Vicious Stomp attacks.
Likewise, Improved Unarmed Strike opens up additional trip/throw feats, especially Ki Throw and Improved Ki Throw (the latter conceding the need for Improved Bull Rush). This adds yet another option to battlefield control, allowing the single attack to potentially move around two enemies and knock both prone (the latter then provoking more Vicious Stomps, depending on whether attacks of opportunity are still available).
Groundbreaker have apretty low DC for a 13th level ability and never scale. But Vicius stomptis not bad.
For true chaining, add Ki Throw, Binding Throw, Improved Ki Throw, Improved Trip, Greater Trip, Vicious Stomp, and Combat Reflexes Together (a human manuever master monk or any fighter could have this online by 7th level).
I trip you, reposition you into your friend, who is then bull rushed; you and your friend both fall prone, creating 2 Vicious Stomp AOOs for me, you got tripped with Greater Trip causing another AOO for me, then I get to binding throw you to start a grapple.
In one action (not even using a swift) I just:
*Tripped 2 enemies
*Reposition-manuevered one enemy
*Bull rushed one enemy
*Got 3 AOO attacks against downed opponents (3 attacks @ full bonus)
*Got to grapple my tripped enemy
There's action-economy for ya :). There are lots of combos you can do with CMB; I rarely understand why front line types always seem to want to do damage as their primary schtick.
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