Complete Warrior thoroughly examines martial characters -- those characters who focus their development on improving their combat capabilities, particularly those capabilities that emphasize melee or ranged combat over spellcasting, skill use, or other abilities common to a D&D character. Inside, you'll find new and interesting options for characters and creatures utilizing the D&D combat rules, including new classes, martial prestige classes, supplemental rules, and a chapter on war in the D&D game. Here, we offer a sneak peak at new tactical and weapon style feats.

Tactical Feats

Feats with the tactical descriptor allow characters to perform a number of powerful attacks.

If you're playing a character who has a tactical feat, it's your responsibility to keep track of the actions you're performing as you set up the maneuver that the feat enables you to perform. It's also a good idea to briefly mention to the DM that you're working toward performing a tactical maneuver; a remark along the lines of "I attack the troll, using Combat Expertise to the maximum, and that's the first step in a tactical maneuver" is appropriate.

Some of the tactical feats refer to the first round, second round, and so on. These terms refer to the timing of the maneuver, not the battle as a whole. You don't have to use Combat Expertise in the first round of combat to begin a tactical maneuver, for example; the round in which you use Combat Expertise is considered the first round of the maneuver.

Cavalry Charger [Tactical]

Fighting from the back of a steed is second nature to you.

Prerequisites: Mounted Combat, Spirited Charge, Trample, base attack bonus +6.

Benefit: The Cavalry Charger feat enables the use of three tactical maneuvers.

Unhorse: To use this maneuver, you must be mounted and charge a mounted foe. If your charge attack hits, you may make a free bull rush attempt. If the bull rush attempt succeeds, you move your foe normally, but his mount remains where it was.

Leaping Charge: To use this maneuver, you must be mounted and charge a foe at least one size category smaller than your mount. Make a Ride check at the conclusion of the move portion of the charge action. Prior to making the roll, determine the DC of the check: either DC 10 for a chance to deal 2 extra points of damage or DC 20 for a chance to deal 4 extra points of damage. If you fail this Ride check, you miss your target (no attack roll) and if you fail this Ride check by 5 or more, you miss your target and fall off your mount, landing in a square adjacent to the mount's space.

Fell Trample: You can make mounted overrun attempts against more than one foe, resolving each attempt according to the rules on page 157 and 158 of the Player's Handbook. Your mount gets a hoof attack against each foe you successfully overrun.

Special: A fighter may select Cavalry Charger as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Combat Brute [Tactical]

You employ strength and leverage to great effect in battle.

Prerequisites: Improved Sunder, Power Attack, base attack bonus +6.

Benefit: The Combat Brute feat enables the use of three tactical maneuvers.

Advancing Blows: To use this maneuver, you must make a successful bull rush attempt against a foe. During the next round, all your attacks against that foe gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls for each square your bull rush moved that foe. For example, if you pushed an orc back 10 (2 squares) feet with a bull rush, you would gain a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls against that orc on the following round.

Sundering Cleave: To use this maneuver, you must destroy a foe's weapon or shield with a successful sunder attempt (see page 158 of the Player's Handbook). If you do so, you gain an immediate additional melee attack against the foe. The additional attack is with the same weapon and at the same attack bonus as the attack that destroyed the weapon or shield.

Momentum Swing: To use this maneuver, you must charge a foe in the first round, and you must make an attack using your Power Attack feat in the second round. The penalty you take on your attack roll must be -5 or worse. Your attacks during the second round gain a bonus equal to your attack roll penalty x1-1/2, or x3 if you're using a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands. For instance, if you choose to take a -6 penalty on your attack roll, you can deal an extra 9 points of damage, or an extra 18 points if you're using a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands.

Special: A fighter may select Combat Brute as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Weapon Style Feats

The most famous martial characters are renowned for their distinctive styles, combinations of favored weapons and exotic maneuvers that are as unique as a signature. Many fighters discover how to use their strength to best effect by learning Power Attack, Cleave, and Improved Sunder, or study the pure art of swordsmanship by learning Combat Expertise and Improved Disarm -- but in all the kingdom, there may be only a single master of the Crescent Moon technique.

A weapon style feat is one that provides a benefit that draws upon a number of specific feats, and that often requires the use of specific weapons.

Anvil of Thunder [Style]

You have mastered the style of fighting with hammer and axe at the same time, and have learned to deal thunderous blows with this unique pairing of weapons.

Prerequisites: Str 13, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (warhammer or light hammer), Weapon Focus (battleaxe, handaxe, or dwarven waraxe).

Benefit: If you hit the same creature with both your axe and your hammer in the same round, it must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Str modifier) or be dazed for 1 round.

Bear Fang [Style]

You have mastered the fierce style of fighting with axe and dagger at the same time. You can bring the fight to close quarters in the blink of an eye.

Prerequisites: Str 15, Power Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (dagger), Weapon Focus (battleaxe, handaxe, or dwarven waraxe).

Benefit: If you hit a creature with both your axe and your dagger in the same round, you deal normal damage with both weapons, and you can choose to immediately attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity, as if you had the improved grab ability. No initial touch attack is required.

If you succeed on your grapple attempt, you drop your axe, but you immediately gain an additional attack against your grappled foe with your dagger at your highest base attack bonus (with the normal -4 penalty for attacking in a grapple). In subsequent rounds, you can use the dagger to attack while grappling at the normal penalty.

Crescent Moon [Style]

You have mastered the style of fighting with sword and dagger. You know how to twist an opponent's weapons from its grasp with a single graceful motion while using your two weapons together.

Prerequisites: Improved Disarm, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (dagger), Weapon Focus (bastard sword, longsword, scimitar, or short sword).

Benefit: If you hit the same creature with both your sword and your dagger in the same round, you may make an immediate disarm attempt as a free action.

Hammer's Edge [Style]

You are a master of the style of fighting with a hammer and sword at the same time, and have learned to hammer your foes into the ground with your tremendous blows.

Prerequisites: Str 15, Improved Bull Rush, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (bastard sword, longsword, or scimitar), Weapon Focus (warhammer or light hammer).

Benefit: If you hit the same creature with both your sword and your hammer in the same round, it must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Str modifier) or fall prone.