So I ran a high level game and realised there are so many character options that cause the flat-footed condition: Sword crit specialisation, rogue's double feint, investigator's shared stratagem, flanking.
All these options detracted from the importance of flanking as the condition doesn't stack. I'm considering changing flanking to work like it did in 1e so that it grants the attacker a +2 circumstance bonus to attacks. It would also trigger sneak attack.
What are folks' thoughts on this change? Would it give the PCs too much advantage... If they can stack flat footed with flanking bonuses ?
Please share your thoughts
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Yeah, that seems too powerful to me. One reason flat-footed is so easy to inflict is because it's inflicted by flanking, meaning effects that impose it are relatively weak and thus cheap and available. Making it stack with flanking makes it, in many ways, by far the best available condition to inflict and will make offense in general a lot more powerful for any group that works together.
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So if the problem is that at high levels flanking becomes often redundant... what are some solutions to this perceived problem that aren't overpowered?
Personally, I don't think it's a big deal, but I'll throw out a couple ideas:
1. If you're flanking and the target is already flat footed, you get a +2 damage bonus instead to any successful attacks.
2. If you inflict the flat footed condition on a target that is already flat footed from flanking, the target will also be flat footed the following round, regardless of flanking.
3. While flanking a target that is already flat footed from another source, you gain the fighter's Attack of Opportunity feature but with a -10 to hit.
4. While flanking a target, if an ability would make the target flat footed, you can instead impose a -1 penalty on reflex saves instead.
+2 damage when you stack flat-footed and flanking seems like the cleanest incentive to me. It's paid for in risk, anyway, because an enemy now has two allies in close proximity to wail on.
I really like the +2 damage too. I think it adds to the experience if the party is incentivised to work together as much as possible. Nice small bonus!
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What if when you are flanking an opponent that is already considered flat-footed to you by some other means, you are considered 'prepared' to aid an ally's attack, with the added benefit of eliminating the potential penalty for any critical failures on that aid check.
This means, without having to spend an action to prepare, you can spend your reaction to make an Aid check to help your ally's attack on their turn. (your spent action/investment was getting into that flanking position)
This increases the value of moving into flanking positions even when you know the opponent would otherwise likely be flat-footed. It gives people who might otherwise not have a use for reactions an option, or more options for spending their reaction every round.
This makes trying to get +1 bonus a simple option. Actually, you could say they can spend the reaction and assume a success, due to their flanking position(assuming they aren't immune to flanking), or they have the option to roll the aide check and ignore any critical failure result, to try to get a critical success, rather than success. (but risking a potential regular failure)
If you feel like it is higher levels that the redundant flanking/flat-footed situation is more prominent, that would mean that your Aid checks would be potentially more valuable at the higher levels, with higher ranks aid effects on critical successes.
With this an agile individual could move up to a flat-footed opponent, and be ready to aid when someone else moves up on the other side to smack them with a big weapon. It seems like it opens up a lot of tactical options, but isn't an overwhelming bonus that would absolutely make flanking rule the battlefield as it requires investing moving to maintain your position, and using your reactions. Obviously those movements are worthwhile often, if there aren't other things creating a flat-footed condition on your target, but if they do, as mentioned, the worth diminishes. With this, you can still capitalize on it by being willing to spend a reaction to get a bonus, when the flat-footed one is stacked.