NOTE: I made this thread before I knew what Chuck's build was. This is basically his little brother crossed with a dragoon.Battle Jump appears in
Unapproachable East. It's been discussed in a few threads recently, so I thought it could use its own.
Battle Jump [FIGHTER, GENERAL]
You know how to launch a devastating attack from above by dropping onto your opponent.
Benefit: You can execute a charge by simply dropping from a height of at least 5 feet above your opponent. For example, a ledge 10 feet above the floor of a cavern would suffice for jumping on a Medium-sized creature, while a ledge 15 feet high is required for a jumping on a Large creature. You can’t jump from more than 30 feet above your opponent, nor can you effectively battle jump while under the influence of a fly or levitate spell or effect, as you have to hurl yourself down on your foe.
If you hit, you can choose either to deal double damage with a melee weapon or natural attack or to attempt a trip attack. You are treated as one size category larger than normal if you try to trip your opponent with the battle jump. After you attack, you take falling damage as normal for the distance you jumped. You are entitled to a Jump check (DC 15) to take less damage, as if you had fallen 10 feet less than you actually did. If you fail this Jump check, you fall prone 5 feet from your opponent.
You can also use Battle Jump to begin a grapple attempt instead of making a normal attack. If you do, you are treated as one size category larger than normal for the first grapple check following the battle jump.
Normal: Anybody can try to jump down on an enemy, but it is not considered a charge, and they do not gain double damage or the size bonus for the ensuing attack.
(If there is some problem with me posting this, I will remove it)So, how can we get the most out of this feat? There are many ways to optimise charging (lion totem barbarian, valorous weapon enchantment, etc.), but there is another option here.
Use a Setting Sun throw (or the 10th-level ability of the Master of the Unseen Hand) to throw an enemy straight up. Then use the
Mirrored Pursuit manouever to appear exactly 5 feet above the enemy. If you have the Sun School feat, its "Flash of Sunset" ability may trigger here (depending on how you read the text), giving you another free attack. Snap Kick can increase this again - Snap Kick is awesome with Sun School.
Consider a swordsage with a maxed Jump skill (and feats such as Mental Leap and Leap of the Heavens) using
Tornado Throw, jumping then repeatedly throwing an opponent in midair. The text of
Sudden Leap seems to allow using it in midair to double the height of your jump, but you would need levels of ruby knight vindicator in order to use
Sudden Leap and
Mirrored Pursuit (both of which require a swift action) in the same round.
EDIT: If you have the Improved Trip feat, you can get an extra attack after every throw. With Thicket of Blades up, your opponent provokes an Attack of Opportunity whenever they move.
Razorclaw shifter Cloistered cleric (Wee Jas) 1/Ex-Monk (Passive Way) 2/Barbarian (lion totem) 1/Swordsage 2/Ruby Knight Vindicator 7/Shadow Sun Ninja 7
Feats: Combat ExpertiseB, Hidden Talent (Precognition), Improved TripB, Leap of the Heavens, Martial Study (any Devoted Spirit), Martial Stance (Thicket of Blades), Mental Leap, Shadow Blade, Snap Kick, Sun School, Weapon Finesse
Flaws: Shaky, Vulnerable
Manouevers: Mirrored Pursuit, Sudden Leap, Thicket of Blades (stance), Tornado Throw
Equipment: Gloves of dexterity +6 (36,000gp), Ring of continuous jump (caster level 9) (36,000gp), Ring of jumping +10 (10,000gp)
Jump modifier
23 ranks
+4 Strength
+2 Synergy (5 ranks in Tumble)
+30 enhancement (Ring of continuous jump)
+10 competence (Ring of jumping +10)
+5 Leap of the Heavens
Total: +74
(Jump 21 feet up on a roll of 10)
First jump:
+10 Mental Leap
+2 Precognition
Total: +86
(Jump 24 feet up on a roll of 10)
Initiate Tornado Throw (full-round action)
Throw opponent 10 feet up (2d6 damage)
Jump up
Throw opponent 10 feet up (2d6 damage)
Improved Trip: melee attack (free action)
Thicket of Blades: Attack of Opportunity (2 attacks at -2 penalty)
Continue moving up
Repeat
Use Sudden Leap to increase height of jump (swift action)
Throw opponent 10 feet up (2d6 damage)
Improved Trip: melee attack (free action)
Thicket of Blades: Attack of Opportunity (2 attacks at -2 penalty)
Continue moving up
Repeat
Throw opponent 10 feet up (2d6 damage)
Improved Trip: melee attack (free action)
Thicket of Blades: Attack of Opportunity (2 attacks at -2 penalty)
Use Mirrored Pursuit to appear 5 feet above opponent (swift action)
Flash of Sunset: 2 melee attacks at -2 penalty (free action)
Battle Jump: Charge opponent and make double-damage full attack, including flurry of blows and Snap Kick (free action)
Opponent takes falling damage
Thicket of Blades: Attack of Opportunity
Even if you have to make a normal attack after jumping down, Flash of Sunset covers that.
