Trading AC for offense in 3.5 and Pathfinder


Advice


For 3.5 and Pathfinder, first and third party products, what are all the ways you can think of to trade AC for some kind of offensive benefit- attack, damage, rider effects to attacks, other stuff?

In both, barbarian rage and Enlarge Person fit the bill. 3.5's Reckless Rage from Races of Stone turns it up another notch.

The Pathfinder rage power Reckless Abandon works.

Drop Dead Studios' Berserker sphere in conjunction with the Executioner and Flaming Riastrad talents is an interesting one.

The 3.5 Book of 9 Swords has Punishing Stance, and there's an analogue in the DSP Primal Fury discipline's Stance of Aggression.

In 3.5, Shock Trooper is well-known bordering on infamous.

3.5's Karmic Strike and Robilar's Gambit are also well-known and unusual in that they grant bonus attacks, making them the cornerstone of some 'masochist' builds.

3.5's Enemies and Allies/Races of Faerun feat Reckless Offensive works, as does Dreamscarred Press' nearly-identical Reckless Offense.


PF halflings can take the risky striker feat.

Lunge gives you reach for AC.

Barbarians can get the come and get me rage power. It's a bonus to enemy attack rolls rather than an AC penalty, but whatever. The broken wing gambit teamwork feat works similarly.


The Unfettered Rage feat gives a bonus attack for barbarians at level 6, but comes with an AC penalty, among other drawbacks.


Cleave is another attack (maybe) for -2AC.
Charge is +2 to hit for -2AC
Hitting someone with a shield instead of using it to defend yourself (or the various other things you can do instead of having a shield)


Blood Rage

Quote:
The targets of this spell become angrier as they fight, the pain of their wounds fueling their strength. An affected creature gains a cumulative +2 morale bonus to Strength and a cumulative -1 penalty to AC for every 5 points of damage it takes (maximum +10 Strength, -5 AC) for the duration of the spell. These bonuses last until the spell expires or the target falls unconscious.

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