Combat

==Combat Options==
A number of feats in Pathfinder are combat options in Chaos Dreams, open to any character (or creature) who meets the prerequisites. Multiple combat options can be used in the same round. Combat options replace the feats of the same name. Any instances of these feats as prerequisites are replaced by the prerequisites to use the combat option, unless an equal or greater prerequisite of the same kind is already present. Whenever a character would receive a feat that is replaced by a combat option as a bonus feat, they may instead select another combat feat that they meet the prerequisites for.
Characters may add their Dexterity instead of their Strength modifier to CMB.
A character with Int 13 can, during the first melee attack roll they make each round, declare they are fighting with expertise, and at what penalty. When a character fights with expertise, they take a -1 penalty to melee attack rolls for 1 round. They may increase this penalty by -1 up to a number of times equal to (their BAB divided by 4 [minimum 0]). The penalty is selected when the first attack is made and cannot be changed until the next time the character fights with expertise. While fighting with expertise, the character receives a dodge bonus to AC equal to the penalty they took.
A character with Dex 13 and BAB +1 can, during the first ranged attack roll they make each turn, declare they are using deadly aim. When a character uses deadly aim, they take a -1 penalty to ranged attack rolls for 1 round. They may increase this penalty by -1 up to a number of times equal to (their BAB divided by 4 [minimum 0]')'. The penalty is selected when the first attack is made and cannot be changed until the next time the character uses deadly aim. While using deadly aim, the character receives a bonus to ranged weapon damage rolls equal to double the penalty they took.
A character with Con 13 and knowledge of at least one martial maneuver or stance can, during the first melee attack roll they make each turn, declare they are using martial power. When a character uses martial power, they take a -1 penalty to melee attack rolls for 1 round. They may increase this penalty by -1 up to a number of times equal to (their BAB divided by 3 [minimum 0]). The penalty is selected when the first attack is made and cannot be changed until the next time the character uses martial power. When a character uses martial power, they gain a number of temporary hit points equal to double the penalty they took, or 2.5 times the penalty they took if they are using a shield of any kind. These temporary hit points last until the end of the encounter.
A character with Dex 13 and base attack bonus +1 can, during the first melee attack roll with a finessable weapon (see Weapon Finesse) each round, declare they are piranha striking, and at what penalty. When a character piranha strikes, they take a -1 penalty to melee attack rolls with finessable weapons for 1 round. They may increase this penalty by -1 up to a number of times equal to (their BAB divided by 4 [minimum 0]). The penalty is selected when the first attack is made and cannot be changed until the next time the character piranha strikes. While piranha striking, the character receives a bonus to weapon damage rolls made with finessable weapons equal to double the penalty they took.
Non-finessable weapons cannot be used to piranha strike. They take no penalties and gain no bonuses from piranha striking.
A character with Str 13 and base attack bonus +1 can, during the first melee attack roll they make each round, declare they are power attacking, and at what penalty. When a character power attacks, they take a -1 penalty to melee attack rolls for 1 round. They may increase this penalty by -1 up to a number of times equal to (their BAB divided by 4 [minimum 0]). The penalty is selected when the first attack is made and cannot be changed until the next time the character power attacks While power attacking, the character receives a bonus to weapon damage rolls equal to double the penalty they took, or triple the penalty they took if they are receiving 1 & 1/2 times their Strength modifier to the damage (such as when wielding a weapon two-handed).
Light weapons cannot be used to power attack. They take no penalties and gain no bonuses from power attacking. If a finesse or natural weapon is used to power attack, it cannot be finessed that round.
A voice special attack takes effect when foes hear the attacking creature speak. The attack can have any sort of effect; charm, curse, and sonic effects are common. The typical range is 30ft., but check the creature's entry for details. The type of saving throw for a voice attack is usually a Will or Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 vocalizing creature's racial HD + vocalizing creature's Charisma modifier); the exact DC is given in the creature's text. A successful saving throw negates the effect. A monster's voice attack is described in abbreviated form in its description. Each opponent within range of a voice attack must attempt a saving throw each round at the beginning of their turn in the initiative order. Only listening closely to a creature with a voice attack leaves an opponent vulnerable. Opponents can avoid the need to make the saving throw by not listening to the creature, in one of two ways.
Averting Ears: The opponent avoids listening to the creature's voice, instead focusing on other sounds in the battle, such as the scraping of steel boots on stone, the grunts and cries of fighting creatures, etc. Each round the opponent has a 50% chance to avoid having to make a saving throw against the voice attack. The creature with the voice attack, however, gains concealment against that opponent due to their distraction.
Wearing Ear-Plugs: The foe cannot hear the creature at all. Unlike with a gaze attack and blindfolds, the creature with the voice attack gains no special advantage over the opponent. 
A creature with a voice attack can actively vocalize as an attack action by choosing a target within range. That opponent must attempt a saving throw but can try to avoid this as described above. Thus, it is possible for an opponent to save against a creature's voice attack twice during the same round, once before the opponent's action and once during the creature's turn. 
Voice attacks can affect ethereal opponents. A creature is immune to voice attacks of others of its kind unless otherwise noted. Allies of a creature with a voice attack might be affected. All the creature's allies are considered to be averting their eyes from the creature with the gaze attack, and have a 50% chance to not need to make a saving throw against the gaze attack each round. The creature can also cease speaking, thus negating its voice attack.
Format: voice; Location: Special Attacks.
Characters may add their Dexterity modifier instead of Strength on attack rolls when attacking with finesse, light, or natural weapons.
==New Rules==
When an ability lets you use one ability score in place of another (such as the Precise Treatment trait), or use one skill in place of another (such as the Agile Dancer trait), specific bonuses to applications of the old ability apply, but generalized ones do not. For instance, a character with the Oneiromancy feat who selects Vitalist as their manifesting class uses Wisdom instead of Charisma when determining their initial conditions when entering a dream, but still receives the +4 bonus from Lucid Dreamer because it specifically references checks made to do so; and a character with the Agile Dancer trait who casts jump would still receive the spell's bonus while jumping, but would not receive other bonuses to Acrobatics.
=== Conditions ===
On its turn, a berserk creature will take violent action against nearby foes without regard to their own safety. Berserk creatures will always choose to use Power Attack and similar combat options and will never use Combat Expertise, the Total Defense action, or similar actions oriented around defense and not offense. Taking violent action includes using spells, spell-like abilities, powers, psi-like abilities, supernatural abilities, or martial strikes that will inflict hit point damage to one or more foes. The Berserk creature will make attacks of opportunity against foes and coup de grace nearby helpless foes. If there are no foes present it will intelligently seek out new ones.
A creature who is standing on their own legs or is prone may, as a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity, begin to crouch. While crouching, a creature has the following bonuses and penalties:
*The creature gets a +1 bonus to AC vs ranged attacks, to Reflex saves, to Stealth skill checks, to ranged attack rolls, to CMB checks made to trip or perform a dirty trick, and to CMD vs bull rush, dirty trick, disarm, drag, reposition, and trip attempts.
*The creature takes a -2 penalty to AC vs melee attacks, and to CMD checks made to grapple or overrun.
*The creature can gain cover from low walls and similar obstructions, or total cover from taller obstructions.
*The creature's land speed is halved and cannot 5-ft. step, however, it does not take a penalty for moving at full speed while using Stealth.
A creature may stop crouching by taking a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity to stand up, or a free action to drop prone. A creature who uses any non-land speed immediately stops crouching. 
Beginning to crouch or standing up from crouching do not count as movement for whether or not a 5-ft. step can be made in the same turn. A creature with BAB +1 can draw a weapon as part of beginning to crouch or standing up from crouching. Anytime a creature would land standing up from a jump or fall, they may choose to land crouched instead. Finally, a creature may reduce their land speed by 5 ft. for one movement to end that movement crouching.
A creature who is flitting is moving at incredible speed, such that other creatures have a hard time reacting to its actions. While flitting, a creature has the following benefits against non-flitting creatures:
*The first time it attacks any given creature each round, it and that creature make opposed initiative checks. If it wins, that creature is flat-footed against that attack.
*The first time it provokes an attack of opportunity against any given creature each round, it and the attacker make opposed initiative checks. If it wins, that creature cannot make attacks of opportunity against it for 1 round.
*If an immediate or readied action would trigger due to its actions, it and the creature taking the immediate or readied action make opposed initiative checks. If it wins, the immediate or readied action does not trigger until after the action is taken. The creature may choose not to take its immediate or readied action in this case. If the immediate or readied action requires concentration, such as casting a spell, and the creature takes damage before its action can trigger, it must make a concentration check as if damaged while taking that action.
On its turn, a frenzied creature moves to the nearest creature (if necessary) and begins to attack it until it is incapacitated. If multiple creatures are equidistant to the frenzied creature, its target is decided randomly. If the frenzied creature sees another creature take hostile action towards it, the frenzied creature ceases attacking its current target and focuses on its assailant until they are incapacitated, or until a bigger threat takes hostile action towards it. Frenzied creatures cannot take actions while it is not their turn, except to make attacks of opportunity, which they always attempt whenever they are provoked. If there are no conscious creatures near a frenzied creature on its turn, it will begin performing coups de grace on nearby helpless targets. If none are present, it will wander in a random direction until it finds new targets.
A grumpy creature does not take any implicit mechanical penalty, but is generally unpleasant to be around.
Wrecked can only be applied to items. When an item would be reduced to 0 HP by a sunder attack, the attacker may choose to reduce the item to 0 HP (destroying it), reduce the item to 1 HP and give it the broken condition, or reduce the item to 1 HP and give it the wrecked condition. A wrecked item is functionally useless, losing all properties but its hardness, HP, size, and weight; but it can still be repaired through the Craft skill, or through other effects that repair damaged items. Bringing a wrecked item's HP total above half of its maximum removes the wrecked condition. A wrecked item sells for 1/10th of its market price.
===New Damage Types===
The following are new types of damage in Chaos Dreams.
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:Akashic damage is a harmful force created from pure akasha.
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:Light damage is treated as fire damage, except half of it ignores fire resistance and immunity, and it does not deal 150% damage to creatures with fire vulnerability. Light resistance, immunity, and vulnerability do not affect normal fire damage.
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:Negative energy harms the living and heals the Undead. Negative energy resistance and immunity do not apply to any effect that would heal the creature, but do apply to negative energy overflow. Negative energy vulnerability applies to negative energy overflow, but not to effects that would heal the creature.
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:Negative overflow damage is negative energy that harms creatures normally healed by negative energy.
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:Plasma damage is treated as electric damage, except half of it ignores electric resistance and immunity, and it does not deal 150% damage to creatures with electric vulnerability. Plasma resistance, immunity, and vulnerability do not affect normal electric damage.
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:Positive energy heals the living and harms the Undead. Positive energy resistance and immunity do not apply to any effect that would heal the creature, but do apply to positive energy overflow. Positive energy vulnerability applies to positive energy overflow, but not to effects that would heal the creature.
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:Positive overflow damage is positive energy that harms creatures normally healed by positive energy.
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:Psychic damage is a mind-affecting effect.
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:Sacrificial damage cannot be healed by any means. When a character rests, any sacrificial damage they have becomes ordinary damage and can once again be healed. This change occurs before the character heals from resting.
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:Shadow damage is treated as cold damage, except half of it ignores cold resistance and immunity, and it does not deal 150% damage to creatures with cold vulnerability. Shadow resistance, immunity, and vulnerability do not affect normal cold damage.
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:Toxic damage is treated as acid damage, except half of it ignores acid resistance and immunity, and it does not deal 150% damage to creatures with acid vulnerability. Toxic resistance, immunity, and vulnerability do not affect normal acid damage. Toxic damage is a poison effect.
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:Vile damage does not heal normally, effectively lowering the damaged creature's current and maximum health. Vile damage can only be healed while in the area of a consecrate or hallow effect. Dealing vile damage is an Evil act.
Category:Rules