Guard, Turn, Dodge, Parry, Spin, Thrust!
More Combat Maneuvers for d20 System
by Justin Bacon
The new combat maneuvers presented in this article can be used by any character (including monsters and NPCs). Just like a bull rush or a disarm, characters don't need to take feats in order to perform these maneuvers; they're simply new tactical options which can be used upon the field of combat.
New feats which improve the use of these new maneuvers can also be found below.
New Maneuvers
Back-to-Back
On your turn you can choose to fight back-to-back with an ally as a free action. The ally must be within five feet, and must choose to fight back-to-back with you. While fighting back-to-back, you and your ally work to protect each other -- shoring up each other's defense and, literally, watching each other's back. You and your ally make attacks at a -2 penalty while fighting back-to-back, but so long as you are fighting back-to-back you cannot be flanked.
Note: You can fight back-to-back with multiple allies. However, in order to fight back-to-back with multiple allies, all your allies not only need to be within 5 feet of you, but within five feet of each other.
Drive Back
As a melee attack, you can attempt to drive back your opponent. In doing so, you are attacking in a way that should force your opponent to back away from you. When you perform the drive back maneuver, your opponent can either choose to move five feet directly away from you or remain where he is.
If he chooses to move, he suffers . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: February 20, 2004
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