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There have been numerous threads about the use of the Toppling Spell Metamagic Feat. What I haven't seen is much elaboration of how other tripping-linked feats/items/class abilities interact with it.
Glancing through the rules, this is what I see, and my thoughts on them. Tell me if I'm looking at these rules correctly.
Feats...
First, the obvious. Improved and Greater Trip - add +2/+4 to the check. Easy enough, although you won't get the attack of opportunity from Greater Trip without threatening the target.
Ki Throw - it's not an 'unarmed' trip check (whether you have a weapon in your hand or not), so this wouldn't come into play.
Binding Throw - again, not unarmed as Ki Throw.
Vicious Stomp - Similar to Greater Trip, you will only get the unarmed AoO if the target of your spell is adjacent to you.
Fury's Fall - although you're making a trip check, you are not using your CMB, so adding your Dex to your CMB doesn't really do anything.
Tandem Trip - this should work, but your ally still has to threaten the target of the spell (and you BOTH have to have the teamwork feat). Interestingly, you don't have to threaten the target for this feat to work (although for your ally to benefit from YOU having the feat on HIS trip checks, you'll need to be threatening).
Twin Thunders Flurry - you get the +2 vs giant, but I don't believe Toppling Spell has a target size limit, so this feat has limited use.
Dimensional Maneuvers - since this is only usable with a full attack action (per Dimensional Dervish), this can't be used.
Riptide Attack - this is the most interesting one. RAW, it should work...but one could argue that you have to be threatening the target to get the drag combat maneuver (since you're not using the spell to DRAG the target - you'd need to be using the drag maneuver from another source, such as a weapon attack).
Items...
Gauntlets of the Skilled Maneuver - should work, if 'tuned' to trip checks.
Polarity Hammer - unsure on this one. I believe the intent is that you are using the hammer for the trip attack, but looking at it RAW, it looks like you might be able to push or pull the target of a trip check using Toppling spell, if you're wielding the hammer at the same time as you're casting the spell.
Class features...
Monk Maneuver Master - the 4th and 5th level archetype abilities that amp up your trip check should be usable with a multi-classed spell caster.
Fighter Lore Warden - while the trip check is a Combat Maneuver check, you are not using your CMB, so the Maneuver Mastery ability of this fighter archetype would not benefit a multi-classed spellcaster.
One thing I've noticed in digging through this (and correct me if I'm wrong), but bonuses to CMB don't get you anything with Toppling Spell, but bonuses to your Combat Maneuver check do. This is primarily because you are not using your CMB to make the combat maneuver using the metamagic feat.
So...thoughts?
