Bull Rush (Combat Maneuver)

Bull Rush

You attempt to shove an enemy creature back, moving into its recently-vacated space. Bull rush is excellent for breaking up defensive lines of enemies, or forcing an enemy into a better position for your allies to exploit.

Type of Action: Standard action, or as part of a charge, in place of the melee attack.

Requirements:

• A Bull Rush may only be attempted against an adjacent target. If you have a reach weapon or any other method of extending your combat reach, this does not extend the range of Bull Rush.

• You can only bull rush an opponent who is no more than one size category larger than you.

• A bull rush maneuver can only push an opponent straight back from the square of the attacker. If you do not have Bull Rush, Improved (Feat), or a similar ability, initiating a bull rush provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver. If that attack of opportunity hits, you take damage as normal, but otherwise suffer no penalty on your Maneuver Offense for the bull rush attempt.

• You cannot bull rush a creature into a square that is occupied by a solid object or obstacle.

• If there is another creature in the way of your bull rush, and you wish to bull rush both of them, you must immediately make a Maneuver Offense check to bull rush that creature as well. You take a -4 penalty on this check for each creature being pushed beyond the first. Note that you cannot damage ANY creature except the first one you Bull Rush. If you are successful on all rolls to bull rush multiple creatures in a line, you can continue to push the creatures a distance equal to the smallest result.

Example: A fighter bull rushes a goblin for a total of 15 feet, but there is another goblin in a straight line 5 feet behind the first. He may stop the bull rush after five feet, or he may make another Maneuver Offense check against the second goblin (at -4) after having pushed the first 5 feet. If this check reveals that he can push the second goblin a total of 20 feet, he can continue to push both goblins another 10 feet (since the first goblin will have moved a total of 15 feet, which is the lesser result). If the second roll showed he could push the second goblin only five feet, he can push both goblins another five feet (the lesser result) and then both stop.

If Successful:

• If your Combat Maneuver attack is successful, your target is pushed back 5 feet, and you deal basic combat maneuver damage to it. For every 5 by which your Maneuver Offense check exceeds your opponent's Maneuver Defense you can push the target back an additional 5 feet.

• You can follow the target if you wish, moving into the space you pushed the creature out of. If the creature took up more space than you do, you may choose to occupy any of its recently vacated squares as long as they are available for normal movement, and you fit into them.

• The movement caused by Bull Rush is considered forced movement. An enemy being pushed by a bull rush does not provoke attacks of opportunity for leaving a threatened square unless you possess Bull Rush, Greater (Feat).

If Unsuccessful:

• If your Maneuver Offense attack fails, the target is not budged from its space, and your movement ends in front of the target. You may continue your turn if you have actions remaining.