D&D 3.5: Homebrew Parrying

[Riddle78]

I've recently moved. My new roommate is actually a homebrew-happy DM for D&D 3.5. I figured that this would be the best possible time for me to learn D&D,so I started rolling around character ideas. I eventually settled on a Fighter,who uses a bladebreaker dagger,and switches between a rapier,falcata (1d8 slashing w/19-20 2* crits @ 4 lbs),and a maul,as the situation demands. So,he relies on parrying to survive.


The DM figured,hey,good idea. So,he checks the rules...


And as far as we can find,there's nothing for parrying. Well,fuckberries. So,we try to homebrew some rules. Here's what we have so far; Anyone who knows D&D 3.5,feel free to offer constructive criticism. Note that the names and values are not set in stone.


Parry: Basic ability for everyone,as this is literally the absolute fundamentals of melee combat. Defensive action (forego attacking that turn). Declare a target. If the target initiates a melee attack against you,you are allowed to make an opposing attack roll against them,at a -4 penalty. If you succeed,the attack is completely negated. Their turn ends.


Parrying Training: Feat. Removes the penalty attached to parrying,and enables the chance to riposte (a free attack that follows normal attack rules) on the opponent at a -4 penalty,immediately after a successful parry. Requires 13+ dexterity.


Adept Parrying: Feat. You may now parry the target with a minor bonus,and may riposte them without penalty. You may parry as many further targets,equal to you dexterity modifier,minus one. Each non-target parry applies a cumulative -4 penalty (-4 for the first,-8 for the second,et cetera...). You may only riposte the declared target. If you have "Disarming Parry",then you may instead disarm the declared target,following "Disarming Parry's" rules. You may not riposte or disarm further targets. Requires "Parrying Training" and 14+ dexterity.


Disarming Parry: Feat. The act of stripping your foe's weapon from their hand as you parry the blow. After a successful parry,you may opt to disarm the opponent,instead of delivering a riposte. This attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity,and you use your dexterity modifier,rather than your strength modifier,against the opponent's strength modifier. All further disarming rules apply. Requires "Parrying Training",and 14+ dexterity.


@Grey ,I would love your help,since you're our local D&D guru. Anyone else with the proper knowledge base,however,please,feel free to help.

 

[Original Hylion]

Seems unneeded. Since combat isn't a standing still type thing like uh, a turn based video game (standing there, stagnant, and attacking when it's your turn). Each turn is 6 seconds, and within those six seconds your character is dipping dashing within the 5 ft. (or larger/smaller), you're clashing swords, and doing things of the like. Your dex bonus is your dodge bonus! Not satisfied? Well, there's a feat called Combat Expertise, where the idea is that you give up aggression for defense, rather you use your weapon to defend yourself more thoroughly.


Further more, there's the Parrying enchantment that just gives you more AC (the idea being that you simply make your weapon more apt for parrying)


There's the Tome of Battle with its maneuvers, such as Wall of Blades, which simply makes opposed attack rolls.


Plus, there's the fact that in 3.X, combat is abstract; it is assumed you spend your entire turn parrying and defending yourself (hence Dexterity to AC). The closest thing to parrying in 3.X is Fight Defensively, which gives you a -4 penalty to Attack rolls for the round and +2 AC for the round.


But if you're adamant, here's some stuff wrong with how your feats work.


"Parrying Training: Feat. Removes the penalty attached to parrying,and enables the chance to riposte (a free attack that follows normal attack rules) on the opponent at a -4 penalty,immediately after a successful parry. Requires 13+ dexterity."


Free attacks is HUGE giving someone a way to attack them back on the enemies turn isnt something that comes in until late levels with the normal ways (Karmic Strike, which has bad parts). Possible fixes? More prerequisites, like Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes and count that free attack as a AoO, Dodge, maybe a BAB of +4 or +6 to keep it on the side of the more melee oriented characters (and out of the hand of Masochist Builds)


"Disarming Parry: Feat. The act of stripping your foe's weapon from their hand as you parry the blow. After a successful parry,you may opt to disarm the opponent,instead of delivering a riposte. This attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity,and you use your dexterity modifier,rather than your strength modifier,against the opponent's strength modifier. All further disarming rules apply. Requires "Parrying Training",and 14+ dexterity." Just add Improved Disarm I guess.

 

[Inquisitor]

The biggest issue I see is that this is so easily rules lawyered to all hell. The language is so vague that it'll cause massive problems if you aren't careful. Namely, you never specify how often a person can parry their declared target. As it stands, I'd be wholly justified in parrying indefinitely. And that's game breaking as hell, especially if you find a way to get your stats so that you begin to have insane bonuses. Parry, riposte, repeat for every attack the enemy makes, so long as it's your declared target. Less vague is more better.


Secondly, along the same line of thought, be careful about infinite regression between two people who use parrying. Given that as it stands you can infinitely parry your declared target, two people can declare each other and have an infinite regress where nobody makes it past the first turn. My recommendation, along with the above, is that a riposte should not be something you can parry. Makes no sense to me; parrying is supposed to be an action that throws your enemy off-balance so that you can strike back easily. How can you then parry that?


Overall though I don't think it's terribly useful. It's a nice idea, but 3.5 has enough complex fighting mechanics to memorize as is. I think that this just clutters things way too much. Determining how this interacts with other combat maneuvers and tactics is just too much to worry about. Were it me, I would just make a once-per-round class feature that lets you counter attack if the enemy fails to land a hit in melee.

 

[Grey]

Hang on, I don't know that much about D&D. I know enough to know I'd never use it, because there are dozens of better systems to do D&D's job these days.


That said, Hylion is basically on the money - Parrying is represented in 3.5, it's just not called parrying, most of the time.