Feat selection

[Skevvix]

If I was to go with a Knight lockdown build, picking up Imp trip and Knockdown, is there any point to take standstill as well?  I can see it being useful instead of those two options, but I like the extra dmg with those two.

Anyone care to give a breakdown of the different benefits I may be missing?

One thing I can see maybe being good about it is being used against high DR mobs, since it uses your damage roll, not dmg dealt, so DR would have no effect.  Right?

Edit: Also since I am a halfling this would help keep mooks larger than me in place right?

[Iainuki]

As a halfling, without enlarge person or a similar effect, you're limited to tripping Medium or smaller opponents.  Most monsters above CR 5 or so are Large or larger.  There are also other monsters can't be tripped, either because they have immunity like incorporeal monsters and swarms, or because they have defensive bonuses that are too large from some combination of stability, size, and high Str or Dex.  If you're playing lockdown, you want Stand Still.  Note that because Stand Still's Reflex save is based on your damage, you still want to be able penetrate DR.

[Jackinthegreen]

Lockdown is best done with a lot of reach, so starting as small will hurt you since you won't have the option of going to large unless psionics are involved.

Here are the tripping rules.

What size of enemies do you expect to regularly go against, or give the most problems?  If they're any larger than medium then you're out of luck on tripping unless your DM allows you to trip larger things through a feat or ability or something.  I'd go Stand Still if I were you, and definitely get some reach if you don't have it already through a weapon like a guisarme.  Make sure to get spikes on your armor too, just in case you need to threaten adjacent squares.

[Skevvix]

As a halfling, without enlarge person or a similar effect, you're limited to tripping Medium or smaller opponents.  Most monsters above CR 5 or so are Large or larger.  There are also other monsters can't be tripped, either because they have immunity like incorporeal monsters and swarms, or because they have defensive bonuses that are too large from some combination of stability, size, and high Str or Dex.  If you're playing lockdown, you want Stand Still.  Note that because Stand Still's Reflex save is based on your damage, you still want to be able penetrate DR.

(click to show/hide)

When a foe's movement out of a square you threaten grants you an attack of opportunity, you can give up that attack and instead attempt to stop your foe in his tracks. Make your attack of opportunity normally. If you hit your foe, he must succeed on a Reflex save against a DC of 10 + your damage roll (the opponent does not actually take damage), or immediately halt as if he had used up his move actions for the round. Since you use the Stand Still feat in place of your attack of opportunity, you can do so only a number of times per round equal to the number of times per round you could make an attack of opportunity (normally just one).

So, the way I read this was that since I am not actually doing damage, their DR would not come into play?

Lockdown is best done with a lot of reach, so starting as small will hurt you since you won't have the option of going to large unless psionics are involved.

Yeah Psionics will be, at least in the form of UPD and a  Djore with ML6 Expansion(augmented).

On this track, would a wand chamber be able to hold a Djore?  They have pretty much the same dimmensions...

Here are the tripping rules.

What size of enemies do you expect to regularly go against, or give the most problems?  If they're any larger than medium then you're out of luck on tripping unless your DM allows you to trip larger things through a feat or ability or something.  I'd go Stand Still if I were you, and definitely get some reach if you don't have it already through a weapon like a guisarme.  Make sure to get spikes on your armor too, just in case you need to threaten adjacent squares.

I expect most enemies to be medium for the first long while.  A majority of our fights tend to be against humanoids, at least until ~10.
The guisarme was the plan unless the DM is allowing flaws, then it will be a spiked chain.  At Knight-6 I plan to get a nice mount, hopefully through Wild Cohort, and then pick up a Lance and start my mobile harrassment.  To this end, is there any spell that lets me enlarge my little buddy past 1 size increase?

[Jackinthegreen]

There is no spell I know of to enlarge an animal companion more than one size category.  The Expansion power might have worked if it wasn't personal.

You'd have to ask your DM if a wand chamber would hold a djore.  I know I'd allow it.

I assume you're going through knight 5 to get Ride-By Attack, yes?  Splitting your attention between lockdown and mounted combat might not work too well especially since you'll be less effective with lockdown while using a lance.

Hm, come to think of it, mounted characters could benefit from an ability that lets them threaten adjacent squares with a reach weapon while mounted.  Medium characters riding large mounts don't have to worry about that since the mount rules say that the rider can attack from any square the mount occupies, but small characters riding medium mounts don't get that benefit.

[Skevvix]

Yeah, I was thinking a general progression, for 1-20, would go something like knight 6/Hell Reaver 8/knight +6.

My original char concept was a RKV, but ToB is banned due to being "OP"     I figured this was a pretty close char feel for what I originally wanted.  Self-hals, BFC via lockdown, and mobility. 

so Standstill is a yes, it's worth it.  Thanks you two.   

[Iainuki]

So, the way I read this was that since I am not actually doing damage, their DR would not come into play?

I can see your interpretation.  Ultimately, you'll have to ask your DM.  As you figured out, though, Stand Still is a very worthwhile investment.

[bobtheapple]

DR does not come into play with Stand Still, nor does, in fact, any immunity or resistance to the damage that the creature possesses.  The damage roll is simply the result on the damage dice, plus any bonuses you might have.  Note that Stand Still requires that you forgo an Attack of Opportunity and is not an additional effect on AOOs, Knock-Down gives you an additional trip attempt and not an AOO, and Improved Trip must replace an attack and does not generate an extra attack with knockdown.  I am fairly certain you cannot use Stand Still and Knock-Down for the same attack, nor make a Trip Attempt with your Stand Still attack.  You can, however, perform a Trip Attempt off of an AOO without using Knock-Down and replace the generated attack with a Stand Still attempt (as per the wording of improved trip, the melee attack is as if you hadn't used a trip attack).  And of course, you could always use Stand Still with the AOO that they provoke by standing up.

My preferred feat for lockdown is Large and in Charge from Draconomicon.  It requires 10' reach and large size, but it IS an additional effect added to an attack of opportunity, so it works with Knock-Down.  Instead of rolling damage and them making a reflex save, you make an opposed strength check, where you get +4 for each size category larger than them you are, and +1 for every 5 points of damage you dealt with the AOO.  They receive no bonus other than their strength no matter how large they are.  Like Standstill, it also prevents them from moving any farther, and pushes them back to the square they just left.

As for getting your size up, there is always Giant Size, a Wu Jen spell that is also on the Hero Domain.  It sets your size based on the spell's caster level, so it doesn't matter what your starting size is.  Unfortunately it's range is personal, so you'd have to try your luck at buying a custom item of Giant Size, or get a party member to craft one.