3.5e steadfast boots + reach trip build ?

[Dwarfi]

Hello,

a question crossed my mind. 3.5e rules
In the MIC, there are the steadfast boots.

Giving a good bonus vs trip, bull rush and alike, but thats not the selling point.

Furthermore, as long as you carry a
two-handed weapon, you are treated as if
you had readied that weapon against any
creature that charges you (and thus it deals
double damage if your attack is successful),
even if the weapon can't normally be
set against a charge.

I have the feeling that I am missing some sort of drawback that I cant see.
Wouldnt that mean that if I use a greataxe + these boots, that I get a free attack with double dmg whenever I get charged? Its not even an Attack of o. so its not limited? Or can I use a readied action only once, and when the next one charges in the same round it doesnt work anymore. Even with that rule it seems to be very powerfull in my eyes.

Now lets put that into a reach control build.
We get charged > 1 atk with 2x dmg as soon as he enters our reach > as he moves from 10 to 5ft he gets a trip atk + anothe hit if it works and now lays prone in 10ft away.
With a spear we would deal 3x dmg and one more atk instead of the trip.

Is that correct or am I missing something? Especially for the low price of the item it seems to be really powerfull.

[nijineko]

interesting find.

would the attacker really cause multiple attacks, unless their movement was stopped in each successive square?

[Dwarfi]

Even if we read it in the worst possible way:

Only 1 readied atk/round and it uses up a readied action for this turn.
That would still mean:

Readied weapons are used as soon as possible, so with a reach weapon: As soon as he ENTERS our reach we get the free attack with 2x dmg.
Aoos only happen when he does something to provoke one, like LEAVING a square that we threaten except with a 5ft step.
So yes, we still get an Aoo after the readied atk hits.If we have Impr Trip+ extra Aoos/round then we could trip him and add another aoo, while he is prone.
If we have knockdown or stand still, we become basically imune to chargers unless they have more reach than us.

Even with a greataxe and 5ft reach, it would still result in 1 free attack (unless we used the readied action already of course)

Or 3Level of Knight with his "no 5ft step" ability.

[altpersona]

two weapon fighting, one reach and one regular?

opponent enters the 10ft square as charge... blam...
opponent enters the 5ft square as aoo for leaving the 10ft square... blam
opponent enters the 5ft square still charging... blam

?

[Dwarfi]

@altpersona: I think thats not possible.

"as if you had readied THAT weapon"
it doesnt say any or all weapons only "that", which refers to the 2 handed weapon.

[phaedrusxy]

Yes they are disgustingly good, no matter the interpretation (and the most liberal one, i.e. you get a readied attack vs every charger, with no limit on numbers, is also the most straightforward). They're in Bunko's and it's been discussed quite a bit in the past.

[altpersona]

@Dwarfi

ok probably right, so two handed pole arm w/ short haft or shorten grip feats.