Mastering Pathfinder Combat Expertise: Your Guide to Crushing Your Enemies

Introduction

Pathfinder is a tabletop role-playing game that requires players to master a variety of skills in order to be successful in combat. One of these skills is Combat Expertise, which allows players to trade their attack bonus for an increase in their Armor Class (AC). While this may seem counterintuitive, it can be extremely effective in certain situations. In this article, we’ll show you how to master Pathfinder Combat Expertise and use it to crush your enemies.

Understanding Combat Expertise

Combat Expertise is a feat that can be taken by any character with at least 13 Intelligence. When activated, it allows the character to take a penalty on their attack rolls in return for a bonus to their AC. Specifically, the character can take a penalty of up to their Base Attack Bonus (BAB) on all melee attack rolls for the duration of their turn. In return, they gain a bonus to their AC equal to the penalty they took.

For example, let’s say your character has a BAB of +6 and chooses to take a penalty of -3 on their attack rolls. They would then gain a +3 bonus to their AC until the start of their next turn. This can be very beneficial for characters who are facing enemies with high attack bonuses or who need to protect themselves while moving into position.

When to Use Combat Expertise

Combat Expertise is most useful when your character is facing enemies with a high attack bonus or when they need to protect themselves while moving into position. For example, if your character is a melee fighter facing a band of archers, using Combat Expertise can help mitigate the high attack bonuses of the archers.

Additionally, if your character needs to move into position (such as crossing a bridge or passing through a chokepoint), using Combat Expertise can help ensure they remain protected while doing so. It’s important to note, however, that using Combat Expertise does come with the penalty of reduced attack rolls. As such, it’s important to weigh the benefits against the costs before deciding when to use this feat.

Combining Combat Expertise with Other Feats

One of the benefits of Combat Expertise is that it can be combined with other feats to create powerful combinations. For example, combining Combat Expertise with the Combat Reflexes feat can allow your character to take multiple attacks of opportunity during a single turn, further maximizing their combat effectiveness.

Another useful combination is to use Combat Expertise with the Improved Trip feat. This allows your character to trip their opponents, causing them to lose their next turn and potentially giving your character an advantage in combat.

Conclusion

Mastering Combat Expertise is an important skill for any Pathfinder player looking to be successful in combat. By understanding how the feat works, when to use it, and how to combine it with other feats, your character can become a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. As always, it’s important to balance the benefits of Combat Expertise against the penalties, and to choose your moments wisely. With a little practice and some well-timed decisions, your character will be crushing enemies in no time.