This is an attempt to bring Knockdown more in line with the spirit of what it was meant to be. At worst, it's a good framework for you to script your own implementation with.
Knockdown replacement widget, tweaked in the following ways:
- Due to being activated by an item, counts as a full-round action.
- Made less retarded by requiring a Melee Touch attack.
- Knockdown time is reduced to 3 seconds (1 second to fall, 1 down, 1 to get up).
*Brought back to 6 seconds due to animation display issues.
- A critical hit adds a 1 round (6 seconds) stun effect if the knockdown succeeds, exposing the defender to sneak attacks.
- Opposed roll: ((Attacker size *4) + STR mod) vs ((Defender Size *4) + DEX or STR mod, whichever is higher).
- Opposed roll is 3d6 instead of 1d20, allowing a bell-curve probability range
(makes flat modifiers matter more, decrease dramatic roll differences, 3-18(15) instead of 1-20(19),
while keeping a bit of randomness and occasional spectacular rolls).
- Wearing a Shield gives a +1 to +3 bonus to the attacker's roll, depending on shield type.
- Wearing a Shield gives a +1 to +3 bonus to the defender's roll, depending on shield type.
- Monk and Sacred Fist levels give +1 per 10 combined levels to the defender's roll
(from +1 at level 1 to +3 at level 30).
- Monk bonus not applied if wearing armor or a shield.
- Knockdown Touch Attacks are made with a -4 penalty.
- If the opposed roll gives 5 or more points in favor of the defender,
knockdown is countered; the attacker suffers the knockdown (except the critical effects).
- Improved KD negates the -4 penalty to the touch attack roll, making it easier to initiate.
- Improved KD increases the counter treshold to 10, making it safer to the attacker.
*Optional Rule*
Players without the Knockdown feat can still attempt to push an opponent down:
- Attack is made at -8 to hit.
- The opponent can knock them back on a won opposed roll.
- Comment lines 87-88 and uncomment lines 95-96 to enable
*Other optional rule*
Pure Monks with the Zen Archery feat may use their Wisdom bonus instead of Strength and/or Dexterity.
Uncomment lines 129-134 and 176-181 to enable.
These changes make Knockdown become more of an 'interrupt' action, rather than a
'spam the victim to the floor while bashing on it' exploit.
Yet they still encourage team-work by enabling flankers to get free attacks on the victim.
This script requires no character feat changes: the old feats are still selectable and required, only they must be 'deactivated'.
The workaround to disable them is simple: add a very high timer (like 9999 seconds) on both knockdown feats in feats.2da, making the feat impractical and encouraging the players to use the widget instead.
To install:
1 - Add the included feats.2da to your override/haks, OR use the modified lines at the end of this document to add to your own feats.2da file.
10 - A Masterpiece, Genuinely Groundbreaking 9 - Outstanding, a Must Have 8 - Excellent, Recommended to Anyone 7 - Very Good, Deserves a Look 6 - Good, Qualified Recommendation 5 - Fair, Solid yet Unremarkable 4 - Some Merit, Requires Improvements 3 - Poor Execution, Potential Unrealized 2 - Very Little Appeal 1 - Not Recommended to Anyone
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