Half-ogre melee build

[Froogleyboy]

I was reading OOTS 216 and it was talking about a half-ogre melee build which sound awesome but could someone tell me the feats needed to do all that.

[Eldariel]

The build had Spring Attack, which is pointless. Here's the basic gist of lockdown:

Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Spiked Chain [SRD]
Combat Reflexes [SRD]
Stand Still [SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#standStill)]
Martial Stance: Thicket of Blades [ToB]

That's basically it. Then you add nasty stuff like:
Defensive Sweep [PHBII]
Overpowering Attack [PHBII]
Robilar's Gambit [PHBII]
Mage Slayer [CArc]
Deft Opportunist [CAdv]
The Whatever Feat That Allows Making AoOs To Opponents With Cover.

The end result is that pretty much every action (all the standards, any form of movement including Tumbling, Spring Attack, etc. [Thicket of Blades], attacking you [Robilar's Gambit] and spellcasting [Mage Slayer]) in your threatened area (20' for a Spiked Chain Half-Ogre) provokes an attack of opportunity.

You can use your attacks of opportunity to prevent opponent from moving, or to deal damage, depending on what they're doing (basically, if they're trying to move, stop it, otherwise smack 'em). All your AoOs deal double damage (thanks to using your entire turn for Overpowering Attack) and have +4 to hit (thanks to Deft Opportunist). If your opponent can't move (and he can't because of Stand Still), you get a free AoO at the end of each turn [Defensive Sweep]. You can add Power Attack for more damage, but that's the basic gist of it.


And yea, stuff like Defensive Sweep comes way late, but the basic core of it (Thicket of Blades + Combat Reflexes + Stand Still) can be achieved by level 10 for non-ToB characters and by level 5 for ToB characters (through item on level 5 since Crusader doesn't learn a new stance at that point; you could get it level 6 innately).

EDIT: That particular Half-Ogre might not even have had Thicket of Blades as Roy doesn't Tumble nor Spring Attack. Against the aforementioned modes of movement though, you need Thicket to maintain your ability to control movement. Also, a more limited, but powerful alternative to Stand Still is Improved Trip. It can't be used for as total a lockdown, but against smaller characters (Large and smallers for a Half-Ogre) where your trip usually succeeds, it also gets you a free attack each time.

[olentu]

I would say that the build is probably a combination of

Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain)
Combat Reflexes
Hold the Line
And the spring attack tree

This should allow for an AOO when someone charges into your threatened area and another for moving through your threatened area. However since this is all from memory I may be mistaken on some of the specifics.

[Froogleyboy]

what is thicket of blades?

[Eldariel]

I would say that the build is probably a combination of

Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain)
Combat Reflexes
Hold the Line
And the spring attack tree

This should allow for an AOO when someone charges into your threatened area and another for moving through your threatened area. However since this is all from memory I may be mistaken on some of the specifics.

Which raises the interesting point that had Roy used Move instead, he would've only provoked once per round, making it merely 1 hit for 2 trade rather than 1 for 3.

[olentu]

Which raises the interesting point that had Roy used Move instead, he would've only provoked once per round, making it merely 1 hit for 2 trade rather than 1 for 3.

Well he probably did not realize this since he got a C- in his Attacks of Opportunity class.

[Eldariel]

what is thicket of blades?

Martial stance in Tome of Battle. To understand it, I'll have to explain you a bit of Tome of Battle. Basically, ToB gives you new melee classes that learn maneuvers (usable abilities that have infinite daily uses and are easily replenished; basically, just a style of attack) and through feats, non-ToB characters can learn them too. They're divided to counters, boosts, strikes and stances.

Counters can, as the name suggests, be used when it's not your turn generally defensively (such as boosting your AC or save vs. one attack or moving to dodge opponent or blocking their attack or such).

Boosts can be used as a swift action to improve your entire turn; things such as doing more damage per attack or doing more attacks or such as boosts.

Strikes are generally attacks; you do one attack as a standard/full-round action (giving up your full attack to do so) and gain some extra effects, be it extra damage, save vs. something or ability to full attack after movement.

Stances are what Thicket of Blades is. Basically, normally a character can have one stance active at a time and gets that stance's benefits until he switches to a different stance. Thicket of Blades is one of these. When you're in Thicket of Blades, all movement in your threatened area provokes an attack of opportunity. Since you can stay in this stance until you switch to another one, you can keep it online indefinitely, and it makes the lockdown rather complete (that is, guarantees that you get AoOs against opponents in your threatened area).



Well he probably did not realize this since he got a C- in his Attacks of Opportunity class.

True and sensible. I like it.

[Froogleyboy]

Do I have to have thicket of blades


and what are the racial mods and abilities for a hlaf ogre

[Eldariel]

Do I have to have thicket of blades


and what are the racial mods and abilities for a hlaf ogre

No, you don't. It certainly makes you a lot better at it though; otherwise anyone with Tumble or Spring Attack or in general, abilities that prevent AoOs can ignore your lockdown. That said, you could try stuff like Hold the Line, Knight [PHBII], etc. to make it a bit more difficult for opponents to get past you.


And Half-Ogre has been printed a few times. A race named Half-Ogre exists in Races of Destiny. It has +2 Level Adjustment, Large size, +6 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Int, -2 Cha, Darkvision and 4 points of Natural Armor (type: Giant, speed 30'). The Savage Species version has +1 Level Adjustment instead and is considered Humanoid (Human) in addition to Giant, but it's older printing and thus the version in Races of Destiny takes precedence.

A Template by the same name exists in Dragon Magazine. The Dragon 313 version is +1 LA, has +4 Str, -2 Dex, -2 Int, -2 Cha, +2 Natural Armor, Darkvision and makes the base creature Large and gives it +10' movement if it's medium, and is considered Giant as well as the original type for all appropriate effects (so Human Half-Ogre would have +4 Str, -2 Dex, -2 Int, -2 Cha, +2 Natural Armor, Darkvision, bonus feat, +1 skill points per level and would be Large with 40' movement, Humanoid (Human) Giant; one level behind other characters).