Type: Tactical
Source: Dragon #345
Your fighting style invites attackers to wear themselves out against your stalwart defense.
Prerequisite: Combat Expertise, Dodge, base attack bonus +5.
Benefit: The Exhausting Defense feat enables the use of three tactical maneuvers.
Fatigue the Foe: To use this maneuver, you must fight using the Combat Expertise feat for at least three consecutive rounds against the same opponent, whom you have also designated as the target of your Dodge feat. The penalty you take on your attacks must be -2 or more. After the first three rounds, each round your opponent continues to attack you he must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or become fatigued. If you stop attacking that opponent, or he ceases attacking you, you must restart the three rounds fighting with Combat Expertise before using this maneuver against that opponent again. An opponent affected by this maneuver remains fatigued until the end of the encounter.
Exhaust the Foe: To use this maneuver, you must first face a fatigued opponent. In addition, you must fight using the Combat Expertise feat for at least three consecutive rounds against the same opponent, whom you have also designated as the target of your Dodge feat. Rounds that count toward your Fatigue the Foe maneuver do not count for this maneuver. The penalty you take on your attacks must be -4 or more. Beginning on the third round your target attacks you, it must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or become exhausted. If you break off combat with your target, you must restart the two rounds fighting with Combat Expertise before using this maneuver against that creature again. If you stop attacking that opponent, or he ceases attacking you, you must restart the two rounds fighting with Combat Expertise before using this maneuver against that opponent again. An opponent affected by this maneuver remains exhausted until the end of the encounter, at which time he becomes fatigued until he rests.
The Best Offense: To use this maneuver, you must face a fatigued or exhausted opponent. You must then spend a round using the total defense action. The round after that, you must then attack your foe without using Combat Expertise at all. For that round, your foe is flat-footed against your attacks and you gain a +2 bonus on all attacks against that foe until your next turn.
Special: Constructs, oozes, undead, and creatures immune to fatigue are immune to these maneuvers.
A fighter may select Exhausting Defense as one of his fighter bonus feats.