So in this game I'm GMing, this one character is playing a Skirmisher/Divine Tracker Ranger and specializes a lot in using their Reach weapon, a Fauchard, to prevent any enemy from getting close and not even doing any AoO's on them due to their Combat Reflexes as well as them constantly using Trip on enemies.
I was just wondering if there's any specific attacks, magic or abilities that can work against such a character? I'm legit having a hard time trying to make a challenge for them.
I can think of a few strategies to mix things up:
Rust Monster: Attacks the weapon without provoking an AoO. First hit the weapon becomes Broken, second destroys the weapon.
Many, many bad guys: Even if your player has a +5 Dex and gets 5 AoO's, eventually they need to yield. Heck, do an infinite swarm fight to humble the player, where the enemies never stop, and his only solution is to eventually flee.
Spells: Ignores that shiny blade of distance and hits him in a weak point, his mind. Dominate him, put him against his team mates, and watch as they become forced to deal with him in your place.
Huge Creatures: Player thinks he has reach, think again when the opponent can reach just as far.
Flying Creatures: In 3E, my friend had this ultimate Druid, which could turn into a tiny bat, fly sixty feet up, and (through feats) cast lightning spells down on the bad guys. His size made him near impossible to hit, and without a ranged weapon, enemies had no chance.
A lot of things are hard or impossible to trip. Things with Step Up can be a bother for reach fighters.
Strange that a divine tracker would use a fauchard.
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I suspect the problem might lie in you not being tactically aware and are just entering creatures into melee. An intelligent foe will avoid engagement when they can see the chance of success is low. Try some or all of the following
Ranged combat - have the creatures stay out of melee range until they have expended any missiles.
Reach Weapons - the reach advantage has been neutralised
Narrow corridors - if the group are single file and he is at the front he will take the brunt of any attacks. If he is not at the front then he suffers a penalty due to those in front
Staggered formations - Whichever enemy he attacks will leave him exposed to attacks from other characters next round
Mob attack & Grappling - Someone will get through
Disarm or trip attacks
A huge creature with a longspear, 15' reach trumps 10' reach
There are also some classes/feats that give bonuses vs enemies with reach (ex: the reach defense feat).
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Several of the following have been mentioned already but just brainstorming away here:
Creatures 2 sizes or more greater can not be tripped, some creatures can not be tripped, Disarm or Sunder, Grease spell, the conditions stun, daze, nauseated, paralyzed if applied will shut him (or most anyone) down. As others have said give the foe(s) more reach. 2 or more sizes greater will often not only be immune to trip but have more reach.
Range attacks.
Mobility+Dodge+Fight Defensively to get inside the reach. Teleportation spells or abilities.
Concealment such as Fog Cloud or Darkness. Invisibility/Greater Invisibility, Blur, Displacement, Mirror Image are some other options along those lines.
Fatigue and Exhaustion will reduce his Dex (and hence Combat Reflexes/AoO's)
Entangle or Web, Tanglefoot bags, Rough/Difficult Terrain, Sleet Storm or Ice Storm, Mud, Wading or Shallow Water, Snow or Icy ground will all slow the whole battle down making it hard for him to get into reach of his foes. Let them stay back using range forcing the Ranger and his companions to get closer
Small (or smaller) foes in smaller spaces. 'Squeeze' the party and the Ranger in particular. Read up on Tucker's Kobolds, in particular Dragon #127 by Roger E Moore where it all began.
So, the first thing to say is if someone builds a one-trick pony you should be aware of ways to compensate but you should also let them use their trick. While the trick shouldn't work constantly, they spent a lot of character resources to do what they are doing, it should work enough that they don't get the feeling you are picking on them.
But protect your BBG type enemies from it.
Trip isn't as all-mighty. One thing that keeps it from being really bad is you trigger the AoO before the opponent stands up. After the triggered attack the opponent gets to perform their move. So really the only time the Ranger gets to trip anyone is when they start on their feet.
Intelligent NPCs shouldn't charge through a threatened square. Instead they would close to the threatened range and wait till their next action to close the range.
As you approach the mid levels start throwing in more large sized creatures. They have the same reach as a medium creature with a reach weapon. Intelligent large creatures (like giants) can use reach weapons too. They can depend on their fists if someone gets too close for the weapon to work.
And try to get away from using humanoid enemies. Trip works really well against fellow humanoids. The more of a monster the opponent gets to be the less effective both reach and trip become. Trolls have the same reach, and they have good CMD. Four legged creatures are hard to trip as well. Creatures without legs often can't be tripped at all. The same with flying creatures.
I have to agree with an earlier poster that some of this might just be in the GM's tactical awareness.
npc's can use acrobatics to approach a PC without provoking just as well as a pc can, and should always at least try, if they're aware of the danger.
You can't make an AoO vs a creature that has *any* kind of cover. This includes soft cover.
A common low level npc tactic might include obscuring mist (which means he can't see anyone not adjacent to him... and thus making his reach weapon more a hindrance... and certainly unable to make AoO's with it.)
Flying npc's... or creatures with no legs (like snakes) can not be tripped.
As others have mentioned, other critters with reach negate his advantage.
Also, make sure to pay attention to what result he gets, especially vs more str-based critters. Don't ignore that 'fail by more then 10' result.
Lelomenia wrote: Strange that a divine tracker would use a fauchard. All martials love the fauchard (even when they're using one for novelty's sake); that threat-range is just so dreamy. Jhaosmire wrote: Rust Monster: Attacks the weapon without provoking an AoO. First hit the weapon becomes Broken, second destroys the weapon. That will be difficult because the weapon is an attended object. (Of course if it's used to hit ol' Rusty, that's another matter.)
More credibly:
* Glitterdust him.
* Archery versus his ain't-got-no-shield AC.
* Halfling ninjas with sky-high Acrobatics tumble in.
* Bison stampede!
Flying creatures generally can't be tripped (barring a specific magic weapon [a dragoncatch guisarme], or a ranged trip feat line). He'll still get AoOs on them unless they have reach too of course but trips don't happen.
Invisible creatures can sneak up close unless he can see invisible. There's enough fey and outsiders with self-only invisibility that this should be expected once in a while.
Darkness stops him taking AoOs unless he has darkvision, and even then deeper darkness works unless he has see in darkness. This assumes that the local environment will be dim light or less without the parties' light sources, which the darkness-type spells will hopefully negate as well as lowering the environment's light level.
Also remember that cover, like softcover, denies AoOs. A NPC may approach in total defense and provide cover to his allies, letting them engage without suffering AoO from the fauchard.
Disarm him. I’m not sure about the rules on this, but you could argue that you don’t need to be adjacent to disarm him, You only need to reach his weapon.
Or use a whip user with a truestrike before the rest closes in.
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